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Northwest Arkansas residents awoke to a snow-covered and frigid winter wonderland Saturday morning, but it seems the region has yet to see the worst of either the winter precipitation or cold temperatures, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brad McGavock.
Fayetteville received around 4 inches of snow overnight and into Saturday morning, according to the Weather Service, but by 11 p.m. the precipitation had mostly come to a halt.
McGavock said a second round of snowfall would hit the area later Saturday night, starting between 5 and 7 p.m. and continuing throughout the day Sunday. This second wave of snow should bring in an additional 6-8 inches of snow to the area while wind chills will dip below zero, he added.
Temperatures across the region were in the low teens by midmorning Saturday, where they were expected to stay throughout the day before dropping into the single digits overnight.
Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins said the brutally cold conditions seem to be working toward road crews’ advantage. With it being this cold, the snow is dry and powdery, making it easier to move off the roadway, he said.
Deakins said there was a lot of pressure to keep addressing what has fallen so far, so crews can plow it intermittently and the quantity of snow doesn’t build up. During the break in the snowfall, the county was pivoting to start treating the road with its ice slicer product, which should lower the melting point of the snow o the road, he said. Crews experimented with it on some local roads, and despite the frigid temps, they are seeing great progress, Deakins added.
Currently the county has a full deployment of 14 dump trucks out with all the auxiliary support equipment and are panning to run full throttle for at least the next 48 hours, according to Deakins. He advised drivers to take precautions and understand road conditions will change over the day from both the weather change and any treatments.
Springdale Fire Department Capt. Justin Pinkley said that as of midmorning Saturday, traffic had been light in the city with people staying inside, so the department hadn’t responded to any weather-related calls or accidents. In order to take precaution for other calls and concerns without having to bring out the bigger trucks, the department increased staff levels over the weekend and have two vehicles stationed at either side of the city.
Benton County spokeswoman Melody Kwok said county road crews estimated between 3 to 4 inches of snow fell throughout Benton County as of about 10 a.m. Saturday. Road crews at that point were plowing and treating the county’s primary asphalt roads with a mixture composed of sand and salt mixed with beet juice to deal with the inclement weather, although the roads still had some slick spots.
Kwok said the county would do its best to treat its secondary dirt and asphalt roads as soon as possible. She noted the county may not get to very many of the secondary roads treated before the second round of snowfall hits the area Saturday evening, so the county will likely make the most headway on those roads Sunday.
The Road Department planned to have an evening crew working emergencies and plow main roads as needed after about 6 p.m. Saturday, according to Kwok. The department was set to start plowing again and putting down more of the sand and salt mixture before dawn Sunday and continue working through about 6 p.m. that day.
The county will see significantly more improvement on the roads Sunday, Kwok predicted.
“This type of snow that has fallen the road crews have said is the type that comes off easier than ice or things like that, so we’ll see what happens,” she said.
The county will likely keep plowing Monday as well, Kwok said. The county is asking residents to stay home if at all possible.
As of 10:30 a.m., the iDriveArkansas traffic map maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation was showing significant snow impacts on several highways in Northwest Arkansas, including Interstate 49, U.S. 412, U.S. 62 and Arkansas 59.
A single-vehicle accident near mile marker 68 was impacting southbound traffic near Johnson around 10:30 a.m., the transportation department reported.
In the River Valley, a local Jeep group is offering free rides to anyone who cannot drive on the icy roads. Jeremy Evans, founder and admin of the River Valley Misfit Jeeps group on Facebook, said he and his fleet of Jeep drivers are prioritizing getting essential workers, like those in health care, back and forth to work.
“We try to get the essential people first,” said Evans. “Your hospital nurses, nursing home aids, people who really depend on the outreach of the community, and then we start trying to help the other people like even if it’s just needing food.”
Evans himself said he hit the snowy roads starting at 4 a.m. Saturday morning.
“This morning, we have probably taken 15 people to work with another probably like 15, 20 in queue,” Evans said. “I think between me and the other admins of my page, we have taken over 100 requests.”
Evans began offering rides to people during wintry weather back in 2021, and once he founded the Jeep group, he said they joined in.
“I said, ‘Why don’t we just get up and help people get what they need and get to work and stuff?'” he said. “And from there, everybody’s kind of loved doing it.”
The group offers these ride services for free, although they do take donations from anyone who is able to give, Evans said.
His father was a very giving person, a trait Evans said he inherited.
“I just think it’s important for anybody that can get out and help the community to help them. You know, there’s so much hatred in the world today, and we can give back a little bit of kindness,” Evans said.
For those needing a ride anywhere over the wintry weekend, Evans said people should post on one of the local Facebook forums asking for rides from River Valley Jeep Misfits, or they can directly message himself or his fellow admin Mandy Rogers Fellman.
Jeeps were not the only vehicles out on the roads Saturday. Although scant few were cruising the icy streets, there were snow removal vehicles, police officers, and a few brave drivers out.
One of those drivers was Scott Chapman, who said he was out to purchase some Ice Melt so he would not become trapped in his home.
There was hardly anyone out driving on the roads in Fort Smith, according to Chapman.
“Absolutely nothing, there’s no cars; everybody’s home safe where they should be,” Chapman said. “It’s a ghost town out there.”
He was holding up OK during the winter weather, he said, although he was worried about losing power Saturday night.
“I’m good for right now, as long as we don’t get ice tonight, I think we’ll be fine. I’ve got enough food, and I’m warm,” Chapman said.
U.S. 59 in Watts, Okla., is shown around 9 a.m. Saturday. There was very little traffic on the snow-packed highway, just south of Siloam Springs. (Siloam Springs Herald-Leader/Mike Jones)A snow removal truck heads down a snowy Old Greenwood Road on Saturday morning in Fort Smith. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/ Ashley Torres)Patrons push a vehicle from the road Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, during a winter snow storm in Fort Smith. Due to the snow, sleet and freezing temperatures, roads froze over with ice causing difficult traveling for patrons. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/rvphotos for today’s photo gallery.
(River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Johnathan Brewer)Howard Vernon Jr, 11 of Fort Smith slides down a hill on a sled Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, during a winter snow storm in Fort Smith. Due to the snow, sleet and freezing temperatures, roads froze over with ice causing difficult traveling for patrons. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/rvphotos for today’s photo gallery.
(River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Johnathan Brewer)Patrons walk with groceries Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, during a winter snow storm in Fort Smith. Due to the snow, sleet and freezing temperatures, roads froze over with ice causing difficult traveling for patrons. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/rvphotos for today’s photo gallery.
(River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Johnathan Brewer)
