Beshear issues state of emergency as Kentucky officials prepare for arctic front
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning, deploying the Kentucky National Guard ahead of an arctic front expected to roll through the region beginning Thursday.
The winter storm is expected to bring frigid temperatures and dangerous road conditions for holiday travelers.
“This is going to be dangerous,” Beshear told reporters during a news conference.
The governor shared the latest forecast information, indicating a sharp drop in temperatures Thursday night, followed by bitterly cold temperatures throughout the holiday weekend.
His report also warned of sub-zero wind chills expected across the state. Between Friday and Saturday, those wind chill temperatures could drop as low as minus 10 to minus 25 degrees. Wind chills near or below zero are expected to linger into Sunday, and temperatures won’t warm above freezing until Monday and Tuesday, Beshear said.
What’s really worrying the state’s emergency management officials is a rapid change from rain to snow Thursday night.
“As temperatures drop rapidly Thursday night, minor accumulations of snow and wet and icy will affect travel,” Beshear said.
High wind gusts of 40 to 45 miles per hour will also accompany the flash freeze and sudden snow Thursday night.
If you must travel, Beshear said to be sure to arrive at your destination by mid-day Thursday. Travel isn’t advised after Thursday.
State preparations for winter weather
In addition to declaring a state of emergency, Beshear signed an executive order preventing price gouging of key supplies. He also urged Kentuckians to report suspected price gouging to the attorney general’s office.
Beshear said he’s also asked officials in every county to set up at least one local warming center. State parks across Kentucky are also establishing emergency warming centers for those who can’t make it to their local shelter.
As for snow, forecasters are predicting minor snowfall, but it doesn’t take much to create whiteout conditions on roadways, Beshear said.
Transportation Secretary Jim Gray outlined the resources the state has to drawn upon, including more than 1,300 state-owned and contracted plow trucks, more than 300,000 tons of salt, nearly 1 million gallons of brine for de-icing the roads and more than 1 million gallons of calcium chloride, also for de-icing.
Wednesday, Beshear told reporters the effect of those efforts will be limited across much of the state because of conditions.
Gray elaborated, “in many of our highway districts this week, we will not be able to pretreat because of the precipitation that’s expected.”
The changeover from rain to a wintery mix “would just wash away the brine,” he said.
“Don’t get complacent when you hear that the expected snowfall might be fairly light,” Gray said. “A combination of light, powdery snow and wind gusts of up to 40 to 50 miles per hour can quickly create whiteout conditions on the highway … You could be driving along and suddenly all traces of the roadway disappear.”
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This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 12:21 PM.