All four main types of precipitation have been experienced somewhere in Kentucky over the last 24 hours. Most of that has been a combination of cold rain and freezing rain. The line of freezing rain has moved mostly south of the I-64 line and continuing into southeastern counties. Roads are icy due to freezing rain and some sleet which has been mixing in. Some areas have a snowpack on top.
Moving into the late morning hours, the line of freezing rain will continue to push into southern and southeastern counties. There will be a brief break in the action with the initial band of precipitation. Another small wave is expected late morning and early afternoon, affecting mainly south and southeastern counties. Some sleet and snow are mixing down on the back side of the freezing rain line, but not putting down much in that criteria. Widespread or scattered precipitation is expected to end by the middle or late afternoon for all Kentucky counties. Afterwards, flurries or freezing drizzle showers are still possible.
Most reports of ice in the Bluegrass and Western Kentucky counties have totaled between 0.20” and 0.50.” This is not crippling ice but is enough to weigh down tree limbs and power lines. Some power outages have been reported. Roads will improve some after the precipitation ends but will not be completely safe to drive on. Due to temperatures staying sub-freezing for most today, ice will still have a chance to hang around, especially on untreated roads, bridges, and overpasses.
So, what’s next? Bank on cold…and a lot of it. An impressive arctic high is centered over the Plains today, but it has pushed far enough south that it must move east into Kentucky. This spells a very frigid forecast for us going into the weekend and some of next week. High temperatures will run 20-25 degrees below our normal high of 43. Overnight lows will dip into the single digits for a few mornings. In additions, several rounds of snow are possible with the cold going through next week.
