GRAVETTE — Spring took a “Spring Break” this year as the changing season was ushered in with what many would term a major snowstorm on Saturday, the official first day of spring.
Snowfall amounts ranged upwards from seven to ten inches and even higher as a lingering storm deposited an estimated 11 inches on the ground at the local NOAA weather station.
The precipitation began Friday evening with almost two inches of the white stuff covering the ground by midnight. An additional 9.1 inches was recorded bySunday morning.
Sunday and Sunday afternoon additional precipitation fell in the form of sleet pellets followed by rain as temperatures hovered just above the freezing mark. Altogether the moisture totaled 2.11 inches.
Monday morning sunshine, coupled with rising temperatures, was making fast work of the snow and spring-like temperatures were predicted for Tuesday.
Snowfall in the Siloam Springs and Fayetteville areas and points south apparently were even greater than in the Gravette area.
Road conditions, particularly highways, were snowpacked but slushy and traffic was not completely halted. Rural roads were returning to normal late Monday.
With school dismissed for the annual spring break, no impact is felt on the end of school in Gravette schools with June 4 scheduled as the last day for classes, barring another freak spring snowstorm.
Heavy March snows are not common but, as The News Herald noted last week, an 8-inch snow blanketed the area in 1948 on St. Patrick’s Day.
News, Pages 1 on 03/24/2010