Plow crews made some road-clearing progress in northeast Kentucky overnight after snowfall left the region, but conditions remain hazardous today and travel is not advised.
At 7 a.m., main Priority A routes are partly to mostly covered with snow and ice in Bath, Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Fleming, Greenup, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, and Rowan counties. In some areas, plows have been across back roads, Priority B and C routes, but they remain covered with snow.
Farther north, such as the Maysville region where less snow fell – Mason, Lewis, Nicholas, Fleming, and Greenup counties report 3 to 4 inches of accumulation – roads are clearer.
Counties along and south of the I-64 corridor – Bath, Boyd, Carter, Elliott, and Rowan counties – report 5 to 8 inches of snow, and poorer road conditions.
Temperatures dropped to about 12 degrees overnight, rendering salt mostly ineffective. Road temperatures have remained about 32 degrees due to snow cover.
Crews will focus on plowing snow from roadways this morning, and will treat with salt as needed. Sunny skies and temps rising to the 20s forecast for this afternoon will help, but it will take time to clear all roads. Crews will remain on roads around the clock until clear.
Motorists should consider all state highways slick and hazardous, and limit travel as much as possible today. A state of emergency has been declared in Kentucky and many counties have issued alerts limiting roadways to essential travel only.
For real-time traffic information, visit http://GoKY.ky.gov
During winter storms, snowfighters in Kentucky Department of Highways District 9 work 12-hour shifts using more than 20,000 tons of salt, 75 snow plows, and other equipment to keep 2,000 miles of northeast Kentucky highways passable.
(provided by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, District 9)
