Ice Storm — Lonoke, Arkansas

1998-12-22 to 1998-12-24 · Lonoke, Arkansas

Wider weather episode

A major ice storm affected about the southern three-quarters of Arkansas as Christmas Day approached. Freezing rain and sleet developed across southern Arkansas during the evening of the 22nd...and spread north. Precipitation finally ended in southeast sections of the state during the early evening hours of the 24th. A tenth of an inch of ice or more was common south of Mena...Conway and Osceola, with up to eight tenths of an inch in parts of southeast Arkansas. Many businesses closed due to the ice, with most federal offices not open on the 23rd or 24th. The state's largest mall shut its doors for the night at 6pm on the 23rd. Driving became hazardous, and traffic slowed significantly. At one time, a drive along Interstate 30 from Malvern to Benton...a distance of only 19 miles...took an estimated 6 to 10 hours. This was mainly due to icing and numerous accidents. In one day, State Police investigated more than 400 accidents. One accident on Highway 38 in Lonoke County claimed the life of a young woman during the afternoon of the 23rd. The ice caused some power outages, with at least 2200 customers without power on the night of the 23rd.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5677871. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.