Ice Storm in Arkansas, January 6 to 8, 1997

An artic cold front swept southeastward from the northern Plains into the lower Mississippi Valley on January 6 bringing icy temperatures across the region while an upper level low over the 4 corners region pumped moisture northward across the region from the Gulf of Mexico. This warm moisture laden air rode up over the freezing ground temperatures resulting in widespread freezing rain, sleet, and snow northeast Texas, extreme southeast Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas, and northwest Louisiana. Overall accumulations of ice and sleet was generally one to two inches along a 45 mile wide band from Reader and Lewisville, Arkansas to Marshall and Jacksonville, Texas. Numerous power outages occurrerd from iced power lines and tree limbs across power lines. The icy mixture moved into northwest Louisiana by the night of the 8th. Little accumulations were noted.