Extreme cold, power outages close 448 Walmart stores on Tuesday

Walmart said Tuesday (Feb. 16) it has temporarily closed roughly 10% of its U.S. stores as an Arctic blast brought snow, ice and sub-freezing temperatures to large parts of the country over the past couple of days.

At noon Tuesday, Walmart reported 448 stores and Sam’s Clubs had closed including Store No. 1 on Walnut Street in Rogers, a Neighborhood Market on North Walton Boulevard in Bentonville, a Neighborhood Market on Citizens Drive in Fayetteville as well as the campus store at the University of Arkansas. The Supercenters in Alma and Ozark were also closed in addition to stores in Sherwood, Cabot, Searcy, three in Jonesboro and three in the Hot Springs areas.

“The safety of our associates and customers is our top priority,” the company noted in a statement. “Our Emergency Operations Center monitors winter storms and other potential disasters in real time. We assess the status of our facilities and will continue to operate as long as it is safe to do so. We pay close attention and follow local and/or state guidance.”

Walmart created a map to assist customers see which stores are open and those which are closed temporarily. Walmart updates the map in real-time. Walmart operates more than 4,700 stores and supercenters in the United States, and approximately 600 Sam’s Club warehouse stores.