TEXARKANA - The weather forecast turned out to be correct as Monday's fall, melted and frozen into an ice sheet on Tuesday, became the bed for fresh fall that began into the night and continued Wednesday.
After a pause in the fall, the snow continued to accumulate Wednesday, quickly becoming a problem for vehicles of average size and ground clearance, with cars becoming stuck rather easily. The city's police were out giving drivers a hand and a boost to help them get to where they needed to go, with the advice to get someplace and stay there.
Shawn Vaughan, public information officer for the Texas-side, said officers, including himself, were trying to take their own advice the best they could, though their jobs required them to get out into the deep white to help citizens.
"Best way to describe these conditions are 'slick'," he said. "Yes, you've got a thick layer of powder, but Monday's snow has a hardened ice sheet underneath and it doesn't take much for a car to lose traction out there and get stuck. It is slick and still potentially dangerous. Some drivers out there own larger vehicles with greater clearance, but that is creating a false sense of security and some of them are ending up having to be bailed out of tight spots.
Their message? "Stay home. Don't do it, don't take a chance, if you don't have to. Based on the weather forecast, hopefully, relief is coming soon."
Terri "Terrific" Colley, service manager for Nelly's Towing on the Arkansas-side of the city, noted the same thing.
"When tow trucks are out there getting stuck, you know it is a good idea for everyone to stay home," she said.
Colley was managing nine drivers that day, and the day had been busy nonstop since 7 a.m. Wednesday.
"We operate a 24-hour service," she said. "And we have not slowed down one bit since this all started. The phones have been ringing off the hook and the trucks have continually been out there. Even some of them have needed help at times. That's when you know the weather is bad."
Despite the conditions, Colley says she and her drivers have been in good spirits and as a result, the good cheer has even passed onto the people they have gone to help.
"No one has been hurt," she said. "There have been no wrecks we have been involved with. It has just been people getting stuck. Can't be helped in this kind of weather. We are just glad to be there to help."