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County crews get read for bad weather |
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Monday, 15 December 2008 |
Winter weather had not hit Saline County by mid-morning today, but officials were preparing for the frozen precipitation that forecasters predict will arrive by tonight.
“We always want to err on the side of safety,” county Road Superintendent Mark Westbrook said.
He said that “sanders are in the trucks and we’ve been making sure they run. We’re getting the graters out in the areas we need them, so if we need to, we can get started pretty quickly.”
The graters would be needed if it snows, and if it the roads ice over, the sanders will be used, West-brook said.
Westbrook has been maintaining the county’s roads for decades and has learned that when winter weather strikes Little Rock, it is headed for Saline County.
“When it starts hitting Little Rock, we know it’s coming down here and we’ll start filling our vehicles up,” he said, adding: “It’s a good possibility it will come today and we’re ready.”
If inclement weather does hit by tonight, the Celebra-tion of Lights events set for 5:30 to 7:30 today at the courthouse in Downtown Benton will be canceled.
Santa is scheduled to be at the courthouse to visit with children. Free cocoa and cookies will be served, and local entertainment will be provided.
“The cold won’t keep us from doing it,” organizer Joy Ballard said. “But if we have inclement weather, we won’t do it.”
Most of Arkansas is under a winter weather watch or advisory with freezing rain and sleet expected to hit parts of the state today.
The National Weather Service says a quarter-inch of ice could accumulate in Central Arkansas, with the possibility of up to a half-inch in the northeastern part of the state.
Several school districts in northern Arkansas canceled classes today.
An ice storm warning was issued for Crittenden, Cross, Lee and St. Francis counties until 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Temperatures are expected to move above freezing on Tuesday.
Forecasters say the predicted amount of ice shouldn’t cause electricity outages, but it could make travel dangerous.
The state Highway and Transportation Department says several roads in Northwest Arkansas — including Interstate 540 and Interstate 40 west of Fort Smith — have icy patches. Traffic was slow on U.S. 412 in Washington County with ice, the highway department said.
Sleet was reported on roads as far south as U.S. 71 in Polk County, while icy patches were reported throughout much of northern and western Arkansas.
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