Jackson, Kentucky – Hazardous winter weather is settling in across eastern Kentucky this morning, with heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain expected to create dangerous travel conditions and a high risk of power outages through early Monday.
According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect from Saturday morning through Monday morning for much of east-central and southeastern Kentucky. Areas along and north of the I-64 corridor, including Morehead, Mount Sterling, Owingsville, and Flemingsburg, could see 6 to 10 inches of snow, along with ice accumulation approaching four-tenths of an inch.
Farther south and east, including Pikeville, Hazard, Somerset, London, Harlan, and Middlesboro, snow totals will generally range from 2 to 6 inches, but ice accumulation between two- and five-tenths of an inch poses the greatest concern. That amount of ice is enough to bring down trees and power lines, leading to scattered to widespread outages.
Road conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly on major routes such as I-64, the Mountain Parkway, U.S. 23, and U.S. 421. Officials urge residents to avoid travel if possible and prepare for extended disruptions, especially overnight and into Sunday.
Wintry conditions are expected to persist into Sunday night, with lingering impacts likely to affect the Monday morning commute. Warnings remain in effect through Monday morning, and additional statements could be issued as conditions continue to develop.
