LITTLE ROCK – In advance of a winter storm likely to cause dangerous travel conditions, the City of Little Rock will implement its inclement weather policy for city employees starting Tuesday, Feb. 18, at noon.

City offices will close at noon Tuesday, with the exception of essential services, such as police, fire, emergency communications and public works departments 

Little Rock's temporary cold-weather emergency shelter will mobilize as a 24-hour-a-day operation starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday and operations will continue until further notice. The shelter is located at Dunbar Community Center, 1001 W. 16th St. 

Winter precipitation is forecasted through Wednesday, followed by several days of bitterly cold temperatures. Little Rock residents are encouraged to stay indoors and to limit travel because of the potentially dangerous conditions.

For the latest winter weather updates from the City of Little Rock, follow the City on Facebook, X or Instagram.

Here are additional details about Little Rock's winter weather preparations:

Emergency Shelter

The temporary, cold-weather emergency shelter is open to anyone in need of a safe, warm and dry place to stay during the storm. Hot meals and snacks will be provided 

No identification is required, and pets are allowed in bedside kennels provided by the Little Rock Animal Village.

The gymnasium at Dunbar will be closed to other activities during shelter mobilization.

Streets and Bridges

Public Works Department teams will start 24-hour winter weather operations early Tuesday. Before any precipitation, crews will first pre-treat certain bridges, overpasses and some steep streets. 

Road crews will work in continuous 12-hour shifts to clear streets of snow and ice. Little Rock's nine designated snow routes will be treated first, then crews will move to secondary and neighborhood streets.

The City is using17 trucks that will be fitted with salt spreaders and snow plows. Front-end loaders, back hoes and motor graders will also be used by work crews. A total of 60 team members will be out during the daytime shift and 50 during overnight hours.

The City uses a sand/salt mixture to treat streets, and that mixture is stored in three separate locations so that trucks can be quickly and efficiently loaded.

Board of Directors Meeting

The Little Rock Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Tuesday will be held virtually at noon instead of the normal 6 p.m. in-person start time. Residents can view a livestream of the meeting on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages.

Residents who wish to speak on an agenda item must email City Clerk Allison Segars at asegars@littlerock.gov to receive a link to access the meeting at the time the item is being discussed.

Emergency Services

During winter storms, motorists are strongly encouraged to stay off roadways unless travel is absolutely necessary. Drivers who must be traveling are urged to be patient and vigilant around other motorists and especially around crews working to clear the streets.

Maintain plenty of distance between other vehicles to avoid sudden braking that would cause a vehicle to skid. Also, make sure to leave plenty of space for trucks and equipment being used to clear city streets under difficult circumstances.

The Little Rock police department, fire department and 911 center will remain fully staffed and operational through the duration of the winter weather event.

Trash and Recycling

City of Little Rock sanitation and WM recycling pickup will continue as normal until the time road conditions become dangerous.

When collections are suspended because of road conditions, the delay ensures both the safety of drivers and residents, and it allows Public Works crews to work more effectively and efficiently to clear roads of snow and ice.

Any time trash or recycling pickup is missed or delayed, the City will inform residents about rescheduled pickup dates. 

As a reminder, trash and recycling collection has been delayed by one day this week because of the holiday.