The National Weather Service at Paducah has issued a winter storm watch, which includes an estimate that the Hopkinsville area will see snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches on Friday. The watch is in effect from late Thursday through late Friday.
Forecasters expect more snow in southern parts of Western Kentucky near the Tennessee border, Derrick Snyder, senior forecaster, said Tuesday evening in a Facebook live report.
“That’s where you are seeing the potential for higher snowfall,” Snyder said.
The snow will impact road travel, especially Friday afternoon and evening.
Anyone slated to travel into Tennessee this weekend should make other plans because snowfall amounts south of the state border will probably be even greater, said Snyder.
Friday’s snow will follow a period of bitter cold with daytime highs hovering around the freezing mark. Overnight lows will be in the 10s and 20s, and the wind chill will be below 10 degrees.
“Snow will be able to accumulate quickly on all surfaces due to the arctic cold blast this week. Temperatures are expected to be near or below freezing throughout the entire event,” NWS officials said.
Colder temperatures could affect roads even before the snowfall. State highway crews will begin treating roads in District 2, which includes Christian County, on Thursday ahead of the storm’s arrival, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials warned in a press release.
“The extreme cold can result in the formation of ice on the roadway, sometimes in unexpected places, and with an extended cold spell in the forecast, that ice could stick around even during daytime hours,” the release states.
When temperatures are below 15 degrees, the effectiveness of road salt is reduced.
“Black ice can be very hard to spot, and can quickly become a hazard to unsuspecting motorists, especially at night.”
This story may be updated.
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.
