Everybody's talking about it. And what's being done?' (Apart from Entergy's huge mobilization, which brought me power by 9 p.m. last night.)
* STATE OF ARKANSAS: From the governor's office:
With re-frozen roads expexted to further deteriorate driving conditions Thursday morning, Governor Mike Beebe has again ordered only essential personnel to report to work at State offices in the Little Rock Metropolitan Area on Thursday. Agency directors and supervisors will decide who those people are and when they will arrive at work.
* CITY OF LITTLE ROCK: Bottom line seems to be put out your garbage monsters and some day a truck might be along to empty them. This week. Next week (another holiday week remember). Weather willing (see below). And as for all the tree debris, well, who knows? From Meg Matthews, who says city offices will open at noon:
The City of Little Rock's Public Works 5epartment will be picking up trash because of the snow storm, Residents are asked to put their trash carts out one day later than their regular day. Crews will be working over time and through the weekend to get it all picked up. Some carts may be on the curb for a couple of days before they are emptied-however crews will get to them asap.
* AND WHAT DO THE HEAVENS HOLD FOR US? The news from the National Weather Service this morning isn't uplifting. The full hazardous weather outlook, transmitted at 5 a.m. this morning, is on the jump (but the major takeaway is a chance of light snow or freezing rain Friday morning and a mention of a chance for more messy weather next week):
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS..DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
MANY AREA ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES REMAIN TREACHEROUS THIS MORNING DUE TO LINGERING SNOW PACK AND THE REFREEZING OF MELTED SNOW THAT OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY. WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS AND 20S THIS MORNING...BLACK ICE WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN WHERE ROADS ARE NO LONGER SNOW COVERED. ALSO...SCATTERED AREAS OF FREEZING FOG CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS INTO MID MORNING.
MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IF HAVING TO TRAVEL THIS MORNING. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN OF LATE WILL CONTINUE WITH ADDITIONAL STORM SYSTEMS TO CONTEND WITH. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...THIS ONE IS CONSIDERABLY WEAKER VERSUS THE HISTORIC CHRISTMAS DAY STORM.
WITH COLD AIR IN PLACE...TEMPERATURES FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE SUBFREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW OVER THE NORTHERN COUNTIES...WITH PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET FARTHER SOUTH. READINGS WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THE DAY...WITH AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED.
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ON FRIDAY WILL BE LIGHT. HOWEVER...IF THERE IS ANY ICE...EVEN MINIMAL AMOUNTS WILL CREATE PROBLEMS. THIS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY.
SEVERAL ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES WILL AFFECT THE MID SOUTH MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...RESULTING IN CONTINUED CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION...MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE. THE PRECIPITATION COULD START OFF AS A WINTRY MIX ACROSS
THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SECTIONS. HOWEVER...THERE REMAINS GREAT UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS FORECAST...SO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS IN THE COMING DAYS.