National Weather Service projects most of the state could see 2 to 8 inches of snow; some may receive up to half an inch of ice
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 14, 2021) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear said Kentuckians must prepare now for more rounds of winter storms from Sunday night through Thursday night, with the heaviest snow most likely Monday during the afternoon rush hour.
The greatest potential for significant snow accumulations includes much of Central Kentucky, with some areas projected to receive up to eight inches of snow. The heaviest snowfall will take place in a period between 3 p.m. EST Monday through 1 a.m. EST Tuesday. Snowfall rates may exceed 1 inch per hour.
The greatest potential for significant ice accumulations, from 0.01 to 0.50 inches, also will occur tonight through Tuesday and is expected south and east of a line from Tompkinsville to Richmond.
Another system, beginning Wednesday night into Thursday night, will bring an additional wintry mix across Kentucky.
“We need Kentuckians to prepare for another two rounds of storms bringing more snow, ice and freezing temperatures,” Gov. Beshear said. “As these storms arrive, we need Kentuckians to make a plan for their families to stay safe, warm and, if possible, off the roads.”
Maps from the National Weather Service’s 11:30 a.m. briefing are linked here.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews plan to concentrate on maintaining mobility on interstates, parkways and highly traveled routes.
The potential for more downed trees and power lines adds to the hurdles crews will navigate as they assist with tree clearing operations to remove debris from roads. Northeastern crews continue to work on tree removal and road clearing activities following last week’s storm.
“We took advantage of the break in the weather this weekend to replenish salt inventories in our highway district maintenance facilities,” said Transportation Secretary Jim Gray. “Our crews will be working tirelessly to clear roads of snow, but ice poses serious challenges and risks to highway safety; so I continue to urge Kentuckians to restrict travel as much as possible.”
The Transportation Cabinet also reminds Kentuckians if you must be on the roads this week, to treat a dark traffic signal as a four-way stop, reduce driving speeds and wear your seatbelt.
These winter storms may cause additional downed power lines and power outages. If you experience a downed power line or power outage, please contact your local utility company. If possible, prepare for the need to use an alternate source of heat. Be aware of the dangers of alternate heat sources and carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows. Never use a gas stovetop or oven to heat your home. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htm for more information.
Last Wednesday, the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management activated its State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to monitor earlier storm systems and coordinate with critical Emergency Support Function partners in transportation, law enforcement, power and utilities. The SEOC is currently activated at Level 4, but will transition to Level 3 at noon Monday, Feb. 15.
Last Thursday, Gov. Beshear closed state offices due to dangerous road conditions and issued a State of Emergency as an initial winter storm blanketed much of the commonwealth in a wintry mix of snow and ice. Since Thursday, freezing temperatures and ice have remained throughout much of the commonwealth.
Snow and ice resources including traffic information, priority route maps and highway district news updates are available at snowky.ky.gov.
The Governor will provide a virtual media briefing on the pending winter storm and the state’s response at 9:30 a.m. EST Monday, Feb. 15.
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Kentucky Power Ice Storm Response
Sunday, February 14, 6:30 p.m.
***Weather Alert*** for February Winter Storm #2
There is strong potential for February Winter Storm #2 to come through the Kentucky Power service area beginning Sunday evening through Tuesday morning.
- Paintsville, South Williamson, Hazard and Pikeville and surrounding areas: Ice storm with 1/2”-3/4” inch accumulation
- Ashland: Heavy winter mix likely (4-8” wet snow/sleet, and 1/4” ice)
- Whitesburg: Moderate icing likely (1/4”-1/2” likely)
In addition to the 800 line employees, foresters and assessors working the first storm, an additional 300 people are traveling today to be in place if additional outages occur. If the weather materializes as forecasted, this could be a week-long restoration event with very difficult working conditions. It will essentially be ice from the first storm on top of ice from a second storm.
Customers are strongly encouraged to make an emergency plan. Prepare an emergency outage kit, ensure loved ones who may need extra help have a place to go should they lose power and have a plan for your own household.
February Winter Storm #1
Situation
An ice storm moved through eastern Kentucky Wednesday night – Thursday morning wreaking havoc on electrical facilities, causing power outages for thousands of Kentucky Power customers.
Current Outages
Outages peaked late Thursday morning, February 11, leaving nearly 25,000 customers out of power. As of Sunday afternoon, approximately 6,500 customers remain without power, meaning approximately 74% of the customers have been restored. Approximate customer count in counties most affected include: Boyd-3,500; Carter-2,000; Greenup-400; Lawrence-600 and Rowan-150.
Storm response efforts and restoration estimates
Around 800 people are in the field working on hundreds of places where repairs are needed. Most of these places have small pockets of customers on the circuit, but they are also areas with extensive damage and the most time consuming to repair. It is estimated that 95% of customers will be restored by Monday night.
Safety Message
The Boyd County Community Center (15650 KY-180, Catlettsburg) is open for all county residents as a warming station and emergency shelter. The Ashland Bus System is operating a paratransit service from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on a circumstantial call-in basis. City of Ashland residents may call 606-385-3220 to arrange transportation to the Boyd County Community Center.
For More Information
Customers can report outages and check the latest restoration information for their account anytime at kentuckypower.com/outages or by downloading the Kentucky Power mobile app at kentuckypower.com/app. The outage map is updated every 15 minutes. Restoration information is added when known. Click on “View Outage Map” to access the map on a computer, cell phone, or tablet. Customers can report outages online, on their mobile device or to our Customer Operations Center at 1-800-572-1113. Information also is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyPower and on Twitter at twitter.com/KentuckyPower or @KentuckyPower.
Next Update:
Monday, February 15, 10:30 a.m.
