COVINGTON, Ky. — Snow and ice crews are reporting for duty Monday to help handle the first winter weather event of the season. Northern Kentucky crews begin at 3 p.m. Other counties are spot treating areas as needed.

What You Need To Know

  • Snow anticipated for portions of the state

  • Road crews are preparing to salt and treat roads

  • Louisville is montoring since snow isn't anticipated, Lexington will announce plans later

  • KYTC offers website so you can get real-time updates

According to Spectrum News 1 meteorologists, morning rain will switch over to full snow by later this afternoon for the eastern two-thirds of Kentucky. A transition to snow is expected by the afternoon as colder air feeds into this system. There's a winter weather advisory for areas east of I-65 due to snow accumulations leading to slippery travel this afternoon through Tuesday morning.

KYTC is monitoring the situation and keeping up-to-date with the forecast.

District 6 in Northern Kentucky plans to mobilize before the evening rush hour and will treat state roads and interstates, concentrating on bridges, overpasses, and higher elevated roadways.

Temperatures will drop overnight and could cause slick spots for Tuesday morning's commute. Drivers should plan to leave a little early in the morning to prepare for delays or plan to leave later to allow road conditions to improve. 

In metro Louisville, Louisville Metro Public Works, Roads & Operations crews will monitor bridges and overpasses and treat them with salt if necessary, to ward off potential icing conditions. Snow accumulation is not anticipated in Louisville. 

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, alongside other city officials, provided an update on weather preparations for the city. Lexington, like Northern Kentucky, could see one to three inches of snow.

“Winter has come to town, and we’re ready,” Gorton said. “I am proud of our teams, who work so hard to keep our roads clear. We have the personnel available to do the job, and they are doing great.”

During the update, Commissioner of Environmental Quality and Public Works Nancy Albright said that while COVID-19 has impacted some crews, Monday's weather has been manageable with the reduced staff.

As preparations began early Monday morning, Lexington did not have to use much salt to treat bridges due to higher ground temperatures, said Director of Streets and Roads Rob Allen. Allen said the city has a comfortable amount of salt, supplies, and personnel to combat expected overnight snow.

According to a press release from the mayor's office, the city has roughly 4,250 gallons of salt brine, 3,800 tons of rock salt (sodium chloride), and about 4,000 gallons of proprietary chemical additive on hand.

Police in Lexington have also been responding to weather-related incidents. According to the Lexington Police Department, officers responded to 17 non-injury collisions and two injury collisions between midnight and roughly 2:30 p.m. Monday.

To assist Lexington's homeless population, the city activated its Community Emergency Winter Weather Plan for shelters over the next three nights.

“Lexington is fortunate to have a community of service providers that come together each year, making sure every person without a home has access to emergency shelter to keep warm,” Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Polly Ruddick said.

While shelters have added capacity, the process to access shelters has changed due to COVID-19. Those in need of shelter and/or information can contact the street outreach team at 859-533-9199 until 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., the number to call is 859-494-0470. Those in need of shelter in surrounding counties can visit here. 

District 6 in Northern Kentucky has 135 trucks available to treat state highways and interstates. It is responsible for clearing more than 2,000 miles of highways in Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, and Robertson counties.

KYTC has a webpage for snow and ice information. Here you cal learn about priority routes, learn winter weather tips, and view informational videos. You can also monitor real-time winter operations on the interactive traffic system to learn what is happening on state routes in your county. 

Deborah Harbsmeier is the executive producer of digital content for Spectrum News 1 Kentucky. The award-winning producer has been in television news for 30 years. 

Haeli Spears is a digital producer with Spectrum News 1 Kentucky. She is a University of Louisville graduate who started her career with Spectrum News in May, 2020.