News Release > Entergy Arkansas ready for colder months ahead

For Immediate Release

12/19/2023

Critical systems and infrastructure prepared across the grid

Little Rock, Ark.– Cooler temps are starting to arrive in Arkansas with colder weather possible over the holidays and into the new year. Even in areas where extremely cold temperatures are not persistent, it’s still important to be ready for freezing and inclement weather, which can move in quickly. Arkansas is prepared for winter temperatures and wants customers to be ready as well.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, El Nino will remain in place across the winter season for the first time in four years. The expected results will be wetter and cooler winter months this year, bringing much-needed drought relief to our service area. Temperatures overall are expected to be a few degrees cooler this winter.   

Entergy Arkansas is prepared for winter weather

Last year, January and February brought major winter weather events to parts of our service area, with high winds, freezing rains, and ice accumulation. February and December of 2022 saw similar conditions, and the winter season of 2021 saw the coldest outbreak in the U.S. in more than 30 years.

While weather can be unpredictable, we remain storm ready no matter the season.

Entergy Arkansas has performed necessary winterization measures and other seasonal assessments on our power plants, transmission lines and facilities, and any other equipment and assets that can be affected by the cold. This includes inspecting and maintaining substations and transmission lines and testing equipment to identify any potential equipment performance issues.

When a weather threat arises, Entergy Arkansas ramps up support:

• We use forecasts and computer models based on experience with previous storms to predict an estimated number and duration of outages that could possibly occur.
• Based on those estimates, the company calls on restoration workers from around the country to restore power as safely and quickly as possible for our customers.
• Entergy Arkansas continuously plans and improves the process of assessing damage, positioning personnel in the right place with the required materials to restore power as safely and quickly as possible.
• We take steps to maintain and control vegetation across our service area, completing annual clearing of right-of-way areas to minimize the impact from fallen trees or branches following a storm.
• Prior to storms impacting our area, vegetation crews perform pre-storm patrols of circuits to mitigate any imminent threats within the right of way.
• Our year-round storm preparations include the vegetation management program and the targeted “ground to sky” vegetation trimming, which removes tree limbs that would normally have been above the power line.
• We also use artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to help predict when trimming may be needed.

Customers should prepare now

Being prepared for possible winter weather can help keep you safe. Get ready before weather threatens your area by having an emergency plan in place. Find safekeeping resources on our Storm Center:

Entergy Arkansas encourages its customers to verify their contact information in their online myEntergy account before severe weather strikes, so you receive our notifications. If a storm impacts your area, you can report an outage quickly and easily through our digital options – using either our free mobile app, online at myEntergy.com, or by texting OUT to 36778.

About Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas, LLC provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Arkansas, visit the Newsroom and connect with @EntergyArk on social media.