The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1 Snow & Ice Team is closely watching a winter weather system approaching the region that includes several rounds of winter precipitation starting Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with more to follow through the week.
Crews are on alert to prepare for the possibility of freezing rain, sleet, and snow expected to start in the overnight hours on Tuesday.
Due to extreme cold temperatures crews will not have sufficient time to pre-treat all roadways in advance of the wintry mix. However, crews will attempt to pre-treat some highways, including Interstate 24 on Tuesday.
Motorists should be alert for spray trucks and support vehicles on the road through the day on Tuesday. Again, cold temperatures will limit the amount of pre-treating that can be completed.
Pre-treating involves spraying a mixture of brine and calcium chloride on road surfaces where it dries to a fine powder. The salt powder is then available to be activated during the early hours of a snow and ice event. In addition to providing initially improved driving conditions, the pre-treating helps keep snow and ice from bonding to the driving surface aiding in later efforts to plow snow off the roadway.
Kentucky highway crews will work during the day to have snow plows loaded with salt and prepared to roll out when the wintry mix arrives. Crews will then be prepared to work around the clock as the winter storm rolls through.
Highway crews will be doing their part to improve driving conditions. They ask motorists to do the same by being prepared, and slowing down to help assure a safe commute on Tuesday morning. Motorists are asked to give snow plows plenty of room as they go about their work and to adjust driving speed to meet localized driving conditions.
Motorists are also advised to carefully monitor area news media for weather updates.
Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KYTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1<http://www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1>. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.