Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) crews are preparing for what has the potential to be a significant statewide weather event starting Friday, January 23.
Following a wide range of temperatures early in 2026, Arkansas is expecting to see a significant winter weather event – which will include significant snowfall, sleet, freezing rain, and ice – that is expected to arrive Friday afternoon.
ARDOT began this year with a stockpile of 78,000 cubic yards of salt. This salt is distributed between 121 salt houses across the state. ARDOT has 700 snowplows and 600 salt spreaders ready to tackle the incoming winter weather event.
“Our crews are prepared and ready to face the incoming winter storm,” ARDOT State Maintenance Engineer Deric Wyatt said. “Crews will begin pretreating roads and bridges today and will begin 24-hour operations on Friday with 12-hour shifts. We’re closely monitoring conditions across the entire state and we will be ready for whatever this weather system brings.”
ARDOT’s Strike Team is activated during winter weather events. They assist the District crews to facilitate the pretreatment and clearing of the state’s highways and interstates in the event of snow and ice. The Strike Team is made up of approximately 75 employees from ARDOT’s statewide maintenance crews.
ARDOT recommends the public stay home during inclement weather if possible. If travel is necessary, check IDriveArkansas.com for the latest road conditions. To activate the winter weather layer on the IDriveArkansas website or app, click the snowflake icon.
If you are traveling during inclement weather, reduce speeds, stay alert, and keep necessities in your vehicle such as an ice scraper, bottled water, phone charger, hat, gloves, etc. Additional travel information can be found at IDriveArkansas.com or ARDOT.gov.
