As Winter Storm Blair sweeps through Kentucky, state officials are urging people to stay off the roads and stay alert as snow continues to pile up.
The storm blasted across the state leaving ice, snow and wind in its path, making roads icy, causing widespread power outages and forcing schools to close. As the storm surges east, the weather service predicts it will leave dangerously low temperatures in its wake with a potential second blast of snow Friday.
Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday road crews are working around the clock to plow snow and treat the roads for ice ahead of a bitter cold snap expected later in the week. Road salt generally stops being effective when temperatures drop below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beshear said Kentucky State Police have reported 170 car accidents since the storm moved — 27 of which included injuries — and over 280 stranded motorists.
“That means when you get out there in your vehicle, there's a decent chance that you're going to end up sliding off the road and needing help,” Beshear said.
He said he has been “very pleased” with the salt’s effectiveness thus far, and he hopes major roadways will be functional by Tuesday morning, but not before. He still encouraged being extremely careful and for drivers to watch out for black ice.
“The road crews and their work overnight has beaten expectations, and now, if they can have the full day [Monday] and we don't have another icing event, I think that we can get at least our main roadways in much better shape,” Beshear said.
At least a dozen flights were canceled out of Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, where more than seven inches of snow had fallen as of Sunday night. The National Weather Service expected another 1-3 inches on Monday.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also asked drivers to stay off the streets and warned that, while they are making good progress on the city’s snow routes, some smaller roadways do not get city attention.
“We're encouraging people to remain home for the rest of the day today, unless you absolutely have to go out,” Greenberg said. “Even if the road has been plowed and been open, it still might not be back to normal.”
Jefferson County Public Schools closed Monday and will remain closed for both Tuesday and Wednesday as well. TARC buses are also running on a delayed service and on a limited route as the roads continue to be treated.
The next concern is the coming temperature drop, with the National Weather Service predicting a wind chill below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for some portions of the state overnight Wednesday and early Thursday morning. Combined with mass power outages, that can mean deadly conditions for Kentuckians without alternate heating sources.
“You're going to need to find your warming center or talk to other people around you,” Beshear said. “If you don't have power restored by tonight, you need to be thinking about the plans that you may need to make to be safe. County officials are working really hard to make sure there are those warming centers open.”
Warming centers are now open across the state. In Louisville, all neighborhood places and Louisville Free Public Libraries are operating as warming space during business hours, along with all Operation White Flag shelters and the Hope International AOH Church of God and Exodus Family Ministries.
Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson encouraged Kentuckians to figure out now where the nearest warming shelter might be, by either contacting the local emergency management official or by calling the statewide disaster distress line at 1-800-985-5990.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, more than 80,000 Kentuckians were without power as ice coated power lines and caused tree limbs to fall. In some counties, the damage was severe with nearly half of all customers without power. Beshear said he expected some people who have to go without for days, into an increasingly dangerous chill. He said the work will likely be further complicated by high wind speeds as well.
“[The utility companies] expect people to be without power for a couple of days. Obviously, we're going to push as hard as we can, and they are to restore it as quickly as possible,” Beshear said. “I think half an inch of ice can add about 500 pounds to a power line, so we could lose more power lines as we go through branches or that ice.”
And the snow isn’t finished yet. Winter Storm Blair is expected to largely peter out by around 7 p.m. in Central Kentucky and midnight in eastern Kentucky. But the National Weather Service is predicting yet more snow in the coming week, with a fresh wave possible Friday.
“Is it going to snow? I think so. Is it going to snow a lot? No,” said John Gordon with the weather service. “We have minor accumulations, less than two inches right now in the forecast. Stay tuned. Let's get through storm number one.”
State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
