Snowfighters Stationed in All Northeast Kentucky Counties With Plows, Salt Trucks Ready
Will do all they can to keep roads passable, but hazardous driving likely
Please avoid travel
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (11:30 AM, Feb. 3, 2022) – State snowfighters are stationed in every northeast Kentucky county this morning with plow and salt trucks ready to roll.
Crews will do all they can to keep roads passable today, but motorists should avoid travel as accumulating ice, sleet, and snow will create hazardous driving conditions. Staying off roads will reduce the likelihood of crashes that can block plow trucks and will give snowfighters more room to treat highways.
As of 11 a.m., widespread rain was reported in Bath, Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Fleming, Greenup, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, and Rowan counties of Kentucky Department of Highways District 9. Air and pavement temperatures are 40 degrees and falling.
The National Weather Service says the approaching Arctic cold front will cause a changeover to freezing rain or sleet after noon today, which will progress northwest to southeast across the region – Maysville and more northern Ohio River communities could see frozen precipitation by 2 to 5 p.m., while Morehead to Greenup County could see it around 5 to 8 p.m., and after 8 p.m. for more southerly locations.
Overnight into Friday, a quarter to a half inch of ice accumulation is expected along or north of the I-64 corridor and up to an inch of snow and sleet could pile up north of the Mountain Parkway.
Salt truck and plow crews will begin 12-hour duty shifts at noon today, and will respond to changing weather and road conditions accordingly -- treating highways as soon as freezing precipitation starts to fall.
However, the continuous ice, sleet, or snow that’s expected will accumulate behind plows and between plow passes. Slick driving conditions are expected to be the norm overnight into Friday. Ice-laden trees could also fall across roadways.
Crews have chainsaws at the ready and tree removal contractors are on call, but blocked roads could ice up quickly.
Snowfighters will do all they can to keep highways passable, but it’s likely roads will not be clear until after the storm passes.
Again, motorists are advised to avoid travel if at all possible today and overnight.
During winter storms, Kentucky Department of Highways District 9 crews are assigned 12-hour shifts to plow and treat more than 2,000 miles of northeast Kentucky roads on a priority basis – part of the Transportation Cabinet’s mission to keep state highways passable and maintain mobility along critical corridors.
Priority A routes include critical state routes and those most heavily traveled such as interstates and main roads between counties or to hospitals, which receive the highest priority for snow-clearing efforts. Priority B and C routes include other important but lesser-traveled state routes.
Please visit http://SnowKY.ky.gov for more info, including maps of priority routes. Navigate traffic in Kentucky at GoKY.ky.gov, or with the WAZE App.
Updated snow response information is also available by following Kentucky Department of Highways District 9 on social media at http://Facebook.com/KYTCDistrict9 or https://twitter.com/KYTCDistrict9.
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