Winter Storm Brings Ice, Sleet to County

Some Areas See Power Outages; Schools Dismissed; Trees Fall Across Highways
  • This 18-wheeler ran off Hwy. 35 just south of Rison early Friday morning to avoid colliding with a larger tree that had fallen across the highwy just south of Rison at about 5:30 a.m. Chief Deputy Gary Young said the sheriff's department had four reports of trees falling across roads in the county. In addition to this one, Young said two trees fell across Hwy. 133 north of Rison and another fell across Rodgers Road in the northern part of the county. (Photo compliments of Charlene Freeman).
    This 18-wheeler ran off Hwy. 35 just south of Rison early Friday morning to avoid colliding with a larger tree that had fallen across the highwy just south of Rison at about 5:30 a.m. Chief Deputy Gary Young said the sheriff's department had four reports of trees falling across roads in the county. In addition to this one, Young said two trees fell across Hwy. 133 north of Rison and another fell across Rodgers Road in the northern part of the county. (Photo compliments of Charlene Freeman).
  • While many were hoping for snow, the winter storm produced more sleet and freezing rain than anything else. This close-up reveals a coating of ice on some branches that led to trees falling across roadways and power outages across the county.
    While many were hoping for snow, the winter storm produced more sleet and freezing rain than anything else. This close-up reveals a coating of ice on some branches that led to trees falling across roadways and power outages across the county.
    RISON - Sleet and freezing last rain last Thursday evening into late Friday morning, Jan. 9-10, knocked out power in some areas, closed schools and caused treacherous driving conditions along local roadways as the first winter storm of the season passed through Cleveland County.Sleet amounts ranging from about one-half to one inch were measured from the storm that started out with a few snow flakes last Thursday afternoon before transitioning to a mix of mostly sleet and freezing rain. The wintry mix continued throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning before transitioning to mostly snow before departed eastward from the region at about noon.Both the Cleveland County and Woodlawn School Districts dismissed classes at 1 p.m. last Thursday in anticipation of the winter weather. Both districts were closed Friday due to the icy road conditions, and both high schools also had to cancel their Friday basketball games.Cleveland County Superintendent Davy King said they have not decided on how to make up the snow day just yet.Woodlawn announced on social media last Friday that it will be using Friday, Jan. 31, as its make-up day. Students were originally scheduled to be out on Friday, Jan. 31.Crews from the Arkansas Department of Transportation (Ar-DOT) maintenance facility at Rison began pre-treating local highways for winter weather last Tuesday, Jan. 7. On Friday, Jan. 10, the ArDOT highway conditions website showed all the highways in Cleveland County as having "slush" conditions.Originally, forecasters anticipated the region getting as much as 10 inches of snow, but the heavy snow band lifted more to the north and southern Arkansas was left mostly with a winter mix of sleet and freezing rain.The National Weather Service predicted up to a quarter inch of ice accumulating on trees and other surfaces, and there were issues of ice-covered trees falling across power lines as well as highways.C&L Electric C...

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