Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency ahead of a winter storm expected to hit Kentucky Thursday and Friday, producing significant amounts of sleet, snow, and ice.
Beshear is warning that the storm will create dangerous travel conditions across much of Kentucky, along with tree damage and power outages caused by wind and ice. The National Weather Service in Louisville has issued an ice storm warning for the Jackson Purchase and Pennyrile regions, and most other parts of Kentucky north of the Cumberland Parkway.
Ice accumulations are expected to range from one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch. All state office buildings will be closed Thursday, and Beshear asked that Kentuckians stay off the roadways Thursday and Friday if possible.
A number of Kentucky school systems announced that they'd be closed Thursday, or move to non-traditional instruction due to the impending winter storm.
Breckinridge, Edmonson, Hart, and Ohio County schools will be closed Thursday.
Hopkins County schools and Caverna Independent will both be closed through Friday. Grayson County schools will move to virtual learning Thursday.
Western Kentucky University announced that its campuses in Owensboro and Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox will be closed Thursday.
