Weekend forecast: Fayette, southern, eastern Kentucky counties under winter storm watch
As a winter storm takes aim at Kentucky this weekend, several counties in the Commonwealth, including Fayette, are under a winter storm watch.
The National Weather Service said the winter storm watch for Fayette, Bourbon, Nicholas, Jessamine and Clark counties will start Sunday morning and last through late Sunday evening. Heavy, wet snow is a possibility, and the accumulation projection is 3 to 6 inches, with locally higher amounts possible, the weather service said Friday afternoon.
Some areas could see 4 or more inches of snow. NWS thinks the northwestern counties in Kentucky will likely not see as much of an impact from the storm.
NWS said to plan for slippery road conditions. In preparation for hazardous conditions, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 7 announced crews would be pre-treating roads Friday with “salt brine,” which helps melt and prevent ice from forming on road surfaces.
Gov. Andy Beshear’s office said in a news release Friday afternoon that the southern and eastern parts of the state could get 3 to 8 inches, while Northern, Central and Western Kentucky should expect anywhere from 1 to 6 inches. A glaze of ice could cover the area running from Christian to Laurel County, Beshear’s office said.
Heavy snow, possibly mixed with sleet and freezing rain on Sunday, might cause power outages in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, the governor’s office warned.
“Kentuckians should take time now to plan and prepare for the pending weather, so that we can keep as many people as possible off the roads overnight Saturday and Sunday,” Beshear said in the release. “If you must travel, please drive slowly.”
People who must be out should consider packing an emergency kit and give snow plows plenty of room on the road.
The state said it is prepared to activate the Emergency Operations Center if conditions warrant.
WKYT meteorologist Ally Blake said in her forecast initial flakes from the snow could fall as early as Friday evening. The storm will pick up steam Saturday with periodic snow dumps on parts of southern Kentucky before it makes an appearance in Lexington and central Kentucky Sunday.
“This is when we can possibly see the best bet for accumulations, some will boom, and others will bust,” Blake said in her forecast.
The snow will wind down Sunday evening, Blake said. Random flickers of snow could happen Monday through Tuesday morning, and the storm should be out of the area completely mid-week.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 7:16 AM.
