Snow begins falling in parts of Arkansas; up to 2 inches possible in parts of state, National Weather Service says

Graphic by the National Weather Service
Graphic by the National Weather Service

Snow was falling in parts of Arkansas on Monday as a cold front moved in from Oklahoma, the National Weather Service said.

Up to 2 inches of snow will be possible in some locations, the agency said, noting most of it will fall over the Ozark Mountains and the system is expected to move out by Monday night.

Before noon, snow was falling in Lowell, Fayetteville and other parts of Northwest Arkansas, but there was little accumulation. The highest reported snowfall total was an inch in Gravette, according to the weather service.

It's an early arrival for winter weather in the state.

“We usually don’t get a snowfall this time in the year,” said Joe Goudsward, senior forecaster at the National Weather Service’s bureau in North Little Rock.

The weather service urged travelers to watch for slick spots on roads, especially on bridges and overpasses. By 10:30 a.m., an Arkansas Department of Transportation camera showed a steady snowfall visible on Interstate 49 in Lowell. There were no immediate reports of the snow covering any roads in the state.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for 10 counties in Northwest and northern Arkansas. They are: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Fulton, Madison, Marion, Newton, Searcy and Washington.

Central and southern Arkansas are expected to see only a cold rain. Temperatures in central Arkansas are expected to drop to freezing late Monday after the precipitation has stopped.

The same winter storm dropped up to 7 inches of snow in the Texas Panhandle and lesser amounts in the western half of Oklahoma as it moved toward Arkansas.

No injuries or significant damage was reported.

Snow accumulation of 2½ inches were recorded in Boise City and 2 inches in Guymon, both in the Oklahoma Panhandle, with 1-2 inches reported in western Oklahoma.

Below-normal temperatures are expected in Arkansas through the middle of the week, the weather service added, and another system will enter the state Wednesday night into Thursday. That storm may bring light snow and minor accumulations to northeast Arkansas.

Reporter Josh Snyder and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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