Brace for bitterly cold weather over next few days; heavy snow and ice cause power outages

By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today

Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday while Kentucky has not had any serious injuries or loss of life from the first major winter storm of the season that brought up to nine inches of snow, sleet and ice in some areas, residents still need to prepare for bitterly cold weather over the next few days.

One of the biggest issues from the storm has been power failures due to ice accumulating on tree branches and power lines.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 31,575 families were without electricity, according to the governor.

He said the numbers are fluctuating for two reasons.

“We still have a lot of weight on tree limbs that may be bringing powerlines down, and/or powerlines that iced over. The other thing making the number go up and down, is sometimes the utility has to turn off power to a certain part of their grid to safely repair different lines and get them back up.”

Beshear said there are currently 208 warming centers around the state that are open or on standby, where residents whose homes are without power can go. Go to kyem.ky.gov, for a map of the locations near you. He urged people to contact their local emergency management office before heading to a warning center, if possible.

He also noted to be careful when having to use alternative heat sources.

“Remember, generator safety is incredibly important. We’ve already had one fire. In events like this, we’ve seen carbon monoxide poisoning. The generator needs to be outside, at least 20 feet from your home. Make sure you have an extension cord that is rated for outdoors use. Never use your oven or stove to heat your home. If you ‘re using open flames, be very careful about where your heater is located.”

Temperatures over the next several days will be bitterly cold, with lows in the teens or even single digits, especially Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The next snow event is expected to occur Friday into Saturday, but this is currently forecast to be a snow event with no icing expected.

The storm track and amount of accumulation is still to be determined, but likely won’t be on the same scale as the last one.