University of Kentucky, city offices closed ahead of ice storm predicted to hit Lexington
The University of Kentucky will be closed on Thursday, ahead of a winter storm expected to impact central and western Kentucky.
An ice storm is expected to bring up to 0.75 inches of ice on Thursday, with the potential for snow and sleet following the ice, state officials said. Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in anticipation of the storm.
In-person classes at UK have been canceled, and on-campus employees should not report to work, UK said in a tweet Wednesday night. UK HealthCare facilities will remain open.
“UK is taking this step after reviewing weather forecasts, which predict ice and low temperatures that will impact traffic conditions,” the university said in a news release.
The city of Lexington also announced that non-emergency city offices that are not involved in snow removal will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 3, because of weather conditions. There will be no garbage pick-up on Thursday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Transylvania University and Kentucky State University announced they would operate remotely on Thursday. Murray State University closed its campus on Wednesday evening, and will remain closed through Saturday morning.
Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said that the storm could “easily” be worse than one that shut off power for thousands around the state last February.
“February 2021 was a bad storm,” Dossett said. “Unfortunately, this one may easily top that.”
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 9:40 PM.