With snow in the forecast, here’s how to check Lexington road conditions in real-time
Bursts of snow are possible over parts of Lexington and Central Kentucky Monday, and the conditions could snarl traffic and create other hazards for drivers commuting home in the afternoon.
Luckily, Lexington has a network of traffic cameras and live feeds that are available to the public, meaning you could use them to avoid the most troublesome spots if road conditions deteriorate.
Here’s where you can find them, along with what to know about the forecast and some basic winter driving tips to keep in mind on the way home.
What does the forecast say about the chance of snow in Lexington?
The National Weather Service in Louisville issued a winter weather advisory for Fayette and surrounding counties, effective until 7 p.m. Monday.
The advisory warns of scattered snow showers over Central Kentucky with minor accumulations. Still, the conditions may be enough to produce slick roads in some areas and reduce visibility.
“Negative impacts to the afternoon and evening commute are possible over in the Bluegrass region of central Kentucky,” the NWS advisory said.
As of late Monday morning, the NWS forecast for Lexington called for increasing chances of snow showers in the afternoon, putting the chance of precipitation at 50%. As for Monday night, the forecast projected a 20% chance of snow showers before 8 p.m. It will be mostly cloudy in the early evening, then clear up, the NWS said.
The temperature low is expected to be about 20 degrees Fahrenheit Monday night.
Monitor road conditions with Lexington traffic cameras
If you commute in and around Lexington for work, you can use traffic cameras that monitor the major corridors in and out of the city to plan your trip home.
You may decide to leave work early or take another route if you don’t like what you’re seeing in the camera’s live feed.
The cameras, which are labeled by intersection, offer vantage points at specific areas all over town, though some might be down for maintenance.
For additional information about road conditions, the Lexwrecks account on X (formerly Twitter) offers periodic updates. The account highlights information from the Kentucky Traffic Management Center. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet also offers a statewide look at crashes with links to its traffic camera network.
If road conditions do become icy or unsafe later, these tips from the auto club AAA could come in handy:
Slow down. Allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you. Accelerate and turn gradually.
Stay focused on the traffic ahead of you and be prepared to stop if you see brake lights. Brake as little as possible. When you do brake, do so gradually to avoid skids and slides. Avoid braking and turning at the same time.
If you do enter a skid, try to stay calm. Avoid instinctively slamming on the brakes, since that can make a skid worse. Look into the direction you want to go and steer in that direction.
Don’t use cruise control on slick roads.
Cut down on your lane changes and only do so when it’s necessary.
Don’t power up hills. Hitting the gas on a snow-covered hill may have you spinning your wheels.
If you have an anti-lock brake system, which is common on modern vehicles, press hard on the pedal if you need to stop quickly. The pedal should vibrate when the ABS has been activated.
Do you have any questions about road safety in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Let us know via the Know Your Kentucky form below or email us at ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 12:23 PM.