ARKANSAS, USA — At 5 a.m., ARDOT spokesperson Dave Parker said they are seeing icy conditions across the 5NEWS viewing area.
"The rain is coming down and forming ice and we are responding by putting down rock salt and salt brine. That mixture makes it harder for the ice to form and thus it breaks apart and is less of a threat to drivers," said Parker.
ARDOT prepped all day Sunday, Jan. 21, to keep the roads as safe as possible for the anticipated slick road conditions.
“Been out all afternoon and will continue through the night in the north and western counties putting down salt brine," Dave Parker, ARDOT chief public officer, said. "We're expecting a decent amount of freezing rain to start, you know 4 or 5 in the morning, not at a great time during the early part of the morning rush hour. It's not supposed to be a huge burst of precipitation, but a couple of hours of freezing rain can really cause a lot of problems.”
5NEWS meteorologists say we could see 0.10" to 0.50"" when it comes to ice accumulation. Places of higher elevation will have a greater chance to see more accumulation. Right now, we are expecting significant ice accumulation across the River Valley, with totals anywhere from .25" up to .50". Northwest Arkansas should expect moderate ice accumulation anywhere from .10" up to .25".
Schools across the area started closing last night, to see a current list of schools click here.
Monday morning crashes:
3:30 a.m.
ARDOT reports ice covered roads in all of Benton, Washington, Crawford, Sebastian and Franklin counties.
Dozens of vehicles are reported crashed or stranded on Interstate 40 between Fort Smith and Ozark.
The Crawford County Emergency Manager says Highway 59 near Cedarville is blocked in both directions with around six vehicles in the ditch. The Figure Five Fire Station is opening as a warming center for those stranded, according to the Crawford County Emergency Manager, Veronica Robbins.
4 a.m.
- 4:25 a.m. - Melody Kwok with Benton County tells 5NEWS the roads in Benton County are very slick.
"We're seeing lots of ice on our roadways this morning. Yesterday crews put down sand and salt on bridges and overpasses. Today crews started at 2 a.m. continuing to put down sand and salt on roadways. We’ve got chains on the tires, but even those vehicles are slipping a bit," said Kwok.
Kwok added the counties main message is to stay home.
"Ice is difficult to remove, but we're doing our best with more incoming."
4:30 a.m. - The icy roads are causing slick conditions for ARDOT trucks as well. Just before 4:30 a.m., an ARDOT truck slid a truck into one of the stalled semi trucks on I-40. Luckily, ARDOT says it was minor and there were no injuries. - 4:40 a.m. - Interstate 40 westbound shuts down between Van Buren and Alma due to a jackknifed tractor-trailer. It has been reported as reopened.
5 a.m.
- 5 a.m. - Interstate 40 reopens between Van Buren and Alma.
- 5:28 a.m. - The Crawford County Department of Emergency Management and county judge advises the public to stay home as multiple crashes and stranded vehicles increase in the county.
"We can’t stress enough to stay home. We have many wrecks in Crawford County. Several people stranded. Some wreckers have shut down. This is a wait till it thaws situation. If you leave your house take blankets and snacks incase you get stranded you may be there awhile."
"Please do not try to get out if you do not have to," advised the Crawford County judge.
- 5:53 a.m. - The Sebastian County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) warns the public of icy roads and weather related crashes. They ask those who are traveling to "Take it slow and steady" and leave plenty of space between other vehicles.
SCSO shared this photo of an 18 wheeler crash at State Highway 59 between Barling and Van Buren that caused a temporary closure.
The photo headlights help reflect the layer of ice on the road.
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