How bad were Lexington roads during recent icy morning? Crashes dwarfed winter storm
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- March 17 morning saw 92 crashes (midnight–noon), exceeding Fern's total.
- City pre-treated routes; unexpected ice closed major roads and halted schools.
- Officials faced criticism; commissioner announced March 31 resignation; interim named.
There were more crashes in Lexington during a recent icy morning than during the entirety of Winter Storm Fern this year, according to data from city police.
A combination of cold temperatures and “violent outbursts of snow” during a March 17 winter storm left several Lexington roads covered in ice during the morning commute. Lexington received a half-inch of snow from the storm, according to the National Weather Service.
Lexington police had to stop responding to non-injury collisions for about three hours due to a high volume of calls. All lanes of the interstate were closed at one point, along with several major roads in the city.
The conditions forced Fayette County Public Schools to cancel in-person classes, but only after some staff members and students were already in school buildings.
According to Lexington police data obtained through an open records request, there were 92 crashes between midnight and noon, the peak hours of the snowstorm that day. That’s more than the entire 96-hour period during and after Winter Storm Fern hit Central Kentucky on Jan. 24. That storm dumped about five inches of snow and at least a quarter-inch of ice, according to the NWS.
Several Lexington Urban County Council members and residents were critical of the city’s failure to clear the roads during the March 17 storm. Nancy Albright, Lexington’s commissioner of public works and environment quality, who supervises multiple division directors, including streets and roads, eventually resigned.
Mayor Linda Gorton’s office said the city pre-treated some roads the night before the icy morning, including hills, bridges and overpasses, in anticipation of the weather. The city also helped state crews treat New Circle Road.
Despite the preparations, Gorton said the event ended up being more of an unexpected ice event than a snow event.
“Even (the National Weather Service) realized something had changed” compared to yesterday’s forecast, Gorton previously said. “It was a surprise all around.”
Charlie Martin, the city’s director of water quality since 2002, will serve as the interim commissioner after Albright’s resignation., which takes effect March 31. This is his fifth time serving as an interim public works and environmental quality commissioner.
And while the criticism was more pointed after the March 17 storm, and the traffic crashes were greater, the city faced significant blowback for its handling of Winter Storm Fern, too.
Schools were closed for weeks, as neighborhood streets were covered in ice and slush into February. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called the city’s response to that storm “unacceptable.”
Winter Storm Fern, March 17 storm
During Winter Storm Ferm, 85 crashes were reported in Lexington between 7 a.m. Jan. 24 and 7 a.m. Jan. 28. That was seven fewer crashes than a mere 12-hour period on March 17, according to Lexington police data.
Officers described the road conditions as snowy or slushy in more than half of the 85 collisions that occurred during the Winter Storm Fern aftermath, according to Lexington police data. Nearly a third of the crashes happened on icy roads.
Of the 92 crashes that happened during the March 17 snowstorm, 78 happened on icy roads, according to Lexington police data. Eleven more happened on snowy/slushy roads while three more happened on wet roads.
Most of the wrecks — 70, in all — happened between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., according to Lexington police data.
There were no crash-related fatalities in either winter storm. Eight people were hurt in collisions during the Winter Storm Fern aftermath, while 12 people were injured in collisions March 17.
Broadway, Interstate 75, New Circle Road, Newtown Pike, Nicholasville Road and Red Mile Road each had at least three collisions in the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern. Interstate 75 had 15 crashes.
Alexandria Drive, Broadway, Harrodsburg Road, Man O’ War Boulevard, New Circle Road and Tates Creek Road each had at least three collisions on March 17.
Man O’ War Boulevard led the way with 11 wrecks, followed by Broadway with eight, New Circle Road with six, Tates Creek Road with five and Alexandria Drive and Harrodsburg Road with three each, according to Lexington police data. Interstate 75 had just one crash on March 17, though much of it was shut down throughout the morning.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 1:20 PM.
