Traffic passes along North College Avenue near Rebecca Street in Fayetteville Tuesday morning.
Photo by Todd Gill, Flyer staff
Area roads should begin to clear Tuesday afternoon as temperatures are expected to finally reach above freezing.
Forecasters are predicting sunny skies with a high of 39 degrees in Fayetteville, with temperatures set to rise into the mid-50s by the weekend.
Ice-covered streets led to hazardous driving conditions on Monday, causing school closures and other delays across the region.
All four major school districts canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday in Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville solid waste collections were also delayed.
Road conditions on the main streets in Fayetteville were considerably improved by Tuesday morning, thanks to steady traffic and some late-afternoon sunshine on Monday.
Many side streets remained frozen in patches, but city transportation crews continued spreading gravel and sand to improve traction in areas across the city.
The city was mostly unable to use its supply of salt brine and beet juice to help melt the ice. Typically, salt loses most of its effectiveness once temperatures dip below 15 degrees. Adding beet juice can help lower the mixture’s freezing point by another 15 degrees, but temperatures in Fayetteville were below zero through Monday morning.
