Southwestern Electric Power Co. is prepared for extreme winter weather expected to impact the majority of our service territory beginning late Thursday into early next week from northwest Arkansas to the Ark-La-Tex.
SITUATION
Northwest Arkansas
A severe thunderstorm with the potential for hail and winds over 60 mph is forecast for late Thursday followed by 1-2 inches of snow by Friday morning. Sub-zero temperatures are expected to follow.
Ark-La-Tex
A severe thunderstorm with the potential for tornadoes/damaging winds and hail is forecast for Thursday night into Friday morning. Temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits by Monday night.
POTENTIAL IMPACT
We are closely monitoring Thursday’s forecast which calls for damaging winds for both regions. This could result in downed power lines. In northwest Arkansas, if the snow and sleet turn to freezing rain, its weight could bring down limbs, trees and power lines. While storm restoration work is extremely challenging when temperatures remain below freezing, we take seriously our role to provide power to our customers. Our team is dedicated to working as safely and quickly as possible to serve all our customers no matter what weather impacts our service territory.
SWEPCO is working closely with Southwest Power Pool (SPP) to monitor the situation. SPP, the Regional Transmission Operator, and host of the integrated energy market for a 14-state region oversees the bulk electric grid including SWEPCO’s service territory. SPP shared early Thursday they anticipate enough generation to serve the energy demand of the SPP footprint throughout the storm period. SWEPCO and SPP will continue to work closely to evaluate energy adequacy and ensure reliability amid demand projections.
PREPARATION
Plan Ahead
SWEPCO urges customers to be prepared for extreme winter weather. Develop a plan for you and your family. Decide now what you'll do if there's a power outage, especially if you or a family member relies on uninterrupted electric service for health reasons. And make sure your contact information is current with family, friends and others.
Stay Connected
You can report outages and check power restoration status on our app and online.
SAFETY
Customers should treat all downed lines as live power lines. Please keep everyone, including pets, away from fallen lines, sparking equipment or anything they may touch.
Learn more about preparing an emergency kit, what to do when the lights go out, and other topics at SWEPCO.com/Safety or SWEPCO.com/stormprep.