Lexington is preparing for a bout of winter weather that’s expected to last through the weekend. Anywhere from two to four inches of snow is forecasted to fall on central Kentucky from 7 p.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday. A 40% chance of snow is forecasted Saturday, and frigid temperatures are expected Sunday.
Lexington Director of Streets and Roads Rob Allen says they’ve been pretreating the roads since Wednesday, but recommends staying off the roads in the meantime.
“We're going to look at essentially the same thing Saturday night. Second round, we will treat that accordingly. The cold temperatures, however, will be a hindrance, and folks need to be patient. Salt works. It just takes longer when it's that cold.”
If driving is necessary, slow down and keep more distance than usual between other vehicles.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office is also activating their winter care program, which includes transportation for nurses and other healthcare professionals to and from their jobs, transportation to critical appointments and delivering needed medication. They can be reached at 859-252-1771.
The city is also making sure its homeless population is sheltered in the meantime. Charlie Lanter is Lexington’s Office of Housing Advocacy Commissioner.
“Our street outreach teams are out engaging with folks, making sure they know what's coming and inviting them to come in and offering them these services and rides to those services,” Lanter said.
Lanter says the male side of the city’s primary seasonal shelter off Versailles Road is close to capacity. But, there is still room at the Hope Center and other shelters around Lexington. He also says there’s still room at the main shelter for women. The Salvation Army and Community Action Council also has space.
Lexington’s street outreach team can be reached at 859-556-1870. The city is also providing updates on its website and through social media.
