With Lexington still digging out from Winter Storm Fern, a little more snow is on the way
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NWS forecasts light snow Thursday into Friday with minor accumulation up to an inch.
- Eastern Kentucky could see higher totals—some counties retain a 30%+ chance of 4+ inches.
- Arctic air will follow; temperatures stay below freezing with wind chills under zero
Lexington is still dealing with the snowpack left behind by Winter Storm Fern, but according to the National Weather Service, a little more snow is expected to fall.
Flurries and light snow are expected to begin late Thursday night and through Friday night in Central Kentucky. The NWS said snow bands will travel across the state from the northwest to the southeast, and minor snow accumulation of up to an inch is possible.
There is a 70% chance that Lexington will get measurable snowfall and a 31% chance that the city will receive more than 1 inch, according to the NWS. The snowpack depth as of Wednesday was 4 inches.
The snowfall could affect the Friday morning and afternoon commutes. There were no weather-related advisories for Central Kentucky as of Thursday morning, but the NWS said an impact-based winter weather advisory could be issued in a later forecast.
More snow for Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky could see more significant accumulation, especially areas along and southeast of a line from Harlan to Hazard to Pikeville. The NWS said those areas could get 4 inches or more of snow, but chances of receiving that much are trending down.
A few Kentucky counties along the Pine Mountain ridge and southwest along the Kentucky-Virginia border between Harlan and Pikeville are more likely to see accumulations exceeding an inch. Higher altitude roads in this region are still covered in a thick layer of ice. County officials say more accumulations could make driving conditions more hazardous leading into next week. The weather systems will most likely make their way through Kentucky’s mountainous areas between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon, the NWS said.
The NWS still gives the farthest southeastern Kentucky counties more than a 30% chance of getting more than 4 inches.
A “reinforcing shot of Arctic air” is expected to follow the snowstorm, according to the NWS. Temperatures are not expected to go above freezing until next week, and minimum wind chill values will push the temperature below zero Saturday and Sunday.
There are additional chances for more snow late Sunday into Monday and midweek next week. The NWS said the first snowstorm should produce light snow and minor accumulation, and no details about the second snowstorm were provided Thursday.
