Cold weather across the state is expected for the rest of this week.
Central Arkansas could see freezing rain and sleet beginning Tuesday afternoon, with conditions deteriorating into the day. A little bit of snow can be expected as the storm pushes away from Arkansas on Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
Justin Condry, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Little Rock, says Arkansans should stay indoors if possible as icy roads could last until Thursday.
“I think if you can stay home, it's more advised,” he said. “ If you can’t and have to get somewhere, just treat yourself a little bit more to get where you are going, drive slowly especially if you are going on the road wherever you're going.”
Condry also warns about the extreme cold temperatures expected to come after the storm. Thursday will be the coldest day of the week with temperatures potentially reaching single digit-lows.
He suggests that, if you have to go outside for work or other activities, be mindful of the temperature and wear appropriate clothing.
“This is a dangerous cold, the frostbite doesn’t take long to grab hold of any extremity such as, fingertips, ears, nose, stuff like that. Take breaks to give yourself time to warm back up, we are talking about this extreme cold that really doesn’t take long to impact issues like hypothermia.”
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Monday ahead of the severe winter weather for this week. It will stay in effect until Monday, February 24.