County, state bracing for winter storm

FRANKFORT (KT) – Another winter storm will be affecting Berea, Madison County, and much of Kentucky late tonight into early Wednesday morning, bringing significant snowfall to Central and Eastern parts of the state, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

John Gordon, who heads the NWS Louisville office, says a strong cold front will sweep through the area, colliding with warm Gulf air from the South, with Kentucky the focal point of the clash between cold and warm air. “There will likely be a narrow band of about 50 or 60 miles of heavy wet snow. Normally our snow to liquid ratio is 10:1, ten inches of snow to one inch of rain. This will be more like five or six to one. The heaviest snow will be Tuesday morning into the mid-afternoon, ending from the West Southwest to the East Northeast.”

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued between 7 p.m. (ET) Monday until 11 a.m. (ET) on Wednesday, from Breckenridge and Grayson counties to the West Virginia line, where four or more inches of snow is forecast to fall. 

At this point, Gordon says the heaviest snow is expected along the I-64 corridor. “That includes Frankfort, Lexington and all of Eastern Kentucky, where up to six inches could accumulate.”

In addition, far Southern Kentucky is under a Flood Watch. Gordon says that area could see 1-2 inches of rain from this event, with another half inch to an inch by Wednesday night. Another storm system is forecast to affect Kentucky Saturday and Sunday, which could lead to a seven-day rain accumulation of 6-8 inches near the Tennessee line, with amounts tapering off to two to three inches at the Ohio River.

Hydrologist Andrea Schoettmer says they are monitoring area rivers for potential minor or moderate flooding, especially into next week. “Those at risk for additional flooding are the Kentucky, Cumberland and Green River basins.”

One thing that is not expected by the NWS forecasters is a widespread freezing rain and sleet event, such as we saw in the early January winter storm.