The Hopkinsville area has an 80% chance of snow Thursday with the possibility of 2 to 4 inches of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
The snow will start in the morning and should taper off in the mid- to late afternoon.
“Behind this system, the coldest air of the season is set to arrive Thursday night. Wind chills into the single digits to just below zero are forecast by Friday morning,” the forecast states.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews started pre-treating highways with brine Wednesday morning. Drivers should watch for slow-moving trucks on priority routes, a state highway official said.
“The brine dries to a fine powder coating of salt that sticks to the road surface and is available to be activated by falling snow in the early hours of a snow and ice event,” a press release states. “Pre-treating initially improves driving conditions, then makes it easier for crews to plow snow by keeping frozen precipitation from bonding to the driving surface.”
The cabinet provided these tips for driving in snowy conditions:
- When snow and/or ice are on roadways, drive slowly no matter what type of vehicle you are in. It takes more time and distance to stop your vehicle in adverse weather conditions, so break early and slowly.
- Pay attention to weather advisories. Weather will impact your commute on some level.
- Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges, and shaded areas. These are all candidates for developing black ice — a thin coating of clear ice that can form on the pavement surface that may be difficult to see.
- Maintain a safe distance from snowplows and other heavy highway equipment.
- Do not pass snowplows on the shoulder.
- Allow more time to travel for routine commutes.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
