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LITTLE ROCK—A foot of snow piled up on parts of Arkansas as an overnight storm system closed schools and jeopardized Tuesday morning travel.

The heaviest accumulations fell in a band from Mena and Waldron in western Arkansas, northeast to Danville, Russellville, Mountain View and Salem, the National Weather Service said.

Six to 12 inches were reported in those areas by mid-morning before temperatures warmed and the storms tapered off later in the day.

About an inch accumulated in central Arkansas, where Little Rock saw its first snow of the winter.

The forecast called for mostly sunny skies Wednesday.

Arkansas highway department spokesman Randy Ort said Tuesday morning that some 18-wheelers had trouble negotiating the roads and the agency advised motorists to forego morning travel. Ort noted, however, that temperatures were hovering around freezing, allowing highway crews to get out and blade the roads without contending with a lot of ice.

At Russellville, Jamie Funes of Marco’s Pan Bakery said the business would close Tuesday. Funes lives near the business on South Arkansas Avenue and got there in a four-wheel drive truck.

He stopped in to bake some French bread because the dough was prepared the night before. But once the bread was done he planned to leave.

“There’s a lot of snow — 10 inches to a foot,” Funes said. “No one is going to get from their house today.”

Pope County dispatcher Rhonda Rhinehart said the roads were “extremely, extremely” slick and officers were working numerous accidents, although none serious. Many cars slid off the roads and into ditches, she said.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories as the storm moved northeast across the state. Snowfall totals by midmorning included 10-13 inches at Russellville in Pope County; 10 inches at Dardanelle in Yell County; 9 inches at Glencoe in Fulton County, Danville in Yell County and Waldron in Scott County; 7-8 inches at Salem in Fulton County; 6-8 inches at Mena in Polk County; and 6-7 inches at Mountain Home in Baxter County.

The weather service reported 6-inch accumulations at Ash Flat and Evening Shade in Sharp County, Mountain View in Stone County, Calico Rock in Izard County and Pine Ridge in Montgomery County.