Ice storm warning: Freezing rain could bring power outages, tree damage, tough travel
Parts of central and western Kentucky are under an ice storm warning in preparation for the arrival of another winter storm on Thursday.
The ice storm warning will go into effect at 7 a.m. Thursday and stay in place for 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. 0.25-0.5 inches of ice accumulation is possible, followed by the potential of an inch of sleet and snow.
“The impacts, or at least the biggest concern, with any freezing rain is of course power outages and tree damages, and of course the difficulty of traveling,” said NWS meteorologist Brian Neudorff said. “The highlight area would be more into Thursday into Friday morning as temperatures get colder, so if you don’t have to travel, it might be a good idea now to start planning and get your errands done.”
Lexington will see large amounts of rain for most of the day Wednesday and Thursday until the storm transitions to freezing rain/sleet sometime between 3-6 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service says. Freezing rain/sleet will linger in the area through the rest of Thursday evening and into parts of Friday morning until it changes to light snow.
NWS said travel is strongly discouraged and if you have to go somewhere, bring an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
WKYT chief meteorologist Chris Bailey calls for a similar forecast compared to NWS. He predicts anywhere from 0.25-0.75 inches of freezing rain and said it could lead to power outages and tree damage.
Bailey said parts of western and northwestern Kentucky are most likely to see the highest amounts of snowfall from this storm.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 7:24 AM.
