Ark-La-Tex – A prolonged winter storm impacted the Ark-La-Tex region from January 23 through January 26, bringing significant sleet and freezing rain, along with pockets of snow, and creating dangerous travel conditions across parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
According to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center, the storm’s most significant impacts in the Ark-La-Tex came from ice and sleet accumulation, rather than heavy snowfall. Prolonged subfreezing temperatures allowed ice to build on roads, trees, and power lines, amplifying impacts across the region.
Among the highest reported totals, Centerville, Arkansas recorded 5.5 inches of sleet, one of the highest sleet accumulations reported nationally during the storm. Memphis, Tennessee, on the eastern edge of the broader system affecting the Ark-La-Tex, measured 3.0 inches of sleet, while Shreveport, Louisiana recorded 3.0 inches of sleet, highlighting the storm’s mixed-precipitation footprint.
Ice accumulation was also significant in parts of the region. Brentwood, Arkansas reported approximately 0.75 inches of freezing rain, enough to cause downed tree limbs, power disruptions, and impassable roads in some communities. Even lighter ice amounts proved hazardous due to the duration of freezing conditions.
Travel across major corridors, including Interstates 20, 30, 40, and 49, was severely impacted at times, particularly overnight and during early morning hours when temperatures remained below freezing. Many roads remained slick even after precipitation ended.
The Weather Prediction Center said the storm concluded across much of the Ark-La-Tex by early Monday, but lingering cold temperatures kept ice in place into the start of the workweek.
The January 23–26 system stands out as a notable winter weather event for the Ark-La-Tex, primarily due to its ice and sleet impacts and extended duration, rather than snowfall totals.
