The first wintry mix of the season is predicted late Monday and early Tuesday with a 90% chance of precipitation, including rain, snow and sleet, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
A winter weather advisory is in effect from 6 p.m. Monday until 9 a.m. Tuesday for Christian, Todd and Trigg counties.
The southern Pennyrile region could get up to 1 inch of snow and sleet, plus a coating of ice.
“Be prepared for roads, and especially bridges and overpasses to become slick and hazardous,” the NWS advisory states. “Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute.”
Overnight lows will be below freezing throughout this week, including a low of 19 predicted on Tuesday.
Local and state road workers were preparing for the possibility of slippery conditions. Early Monday afternoon, city workers were treating sidewalks around the Hopkinsville Municipal Center.
“Travel impacts are expected by the morning commute, and Kentuckians are encouraged to exercise caution on the roads, drive distraction-free and slow down,” an official said in a press release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
State crews were set to send out snow-clearing trucks where needed, according to the release.
Motorists can find resources, such as priority route maps and highway condition updates, online at snowky.ky.gov.
State officials provided the following tips for safe driving:
- Buckle up; put the phone down.
- Reduce speed.
- Give snowplows plenty of room on the road.
- Keep a distance of at least three car lengths from the car in front of you.
- Alter travel plans to avoid driving during the peak of weather activity.
- Pay attention to weather advisories and allow more time to travel for routine commutes.
- Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shaded areas. Watch for black ice — a thin coating of clear ice that can form on pavement surfaces that may be difficult to see.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
