LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The holiday season and most of December brought relatively mild winter temperatures, but now a much larger pattern shift is coming into play as a storm system brews to our west.

A combination of accumulating to plowing snow and dangerous amounts of freezing rain will make for extremely difficult travel across central Kentucky and southern Indiana beginning Sunday and into early next week. Details about how much snow we will receive are still being refined, but we know that some locations in our region could see at least a half-foot of snow or more.

Tuesday through at least Thursday will be freezing cold temperatures (highs in the 20s and lows in the single digits). This makes it dangerous and life-threatening if you get stuck in a ditch or in your vehicle after the snow and ice storm.

If you need to get away at the last minute to celebrate New Year’s Eve, we recommend doing so sooner rather than later. A severe winter storm will move across the Midwest and Ohio River Valley later Sunday and Monday.

Most of the snow and freezing rain will develop to our west and move through during the daylight hours on Sunday. The snow will not be heavy at first, but we expect snow to be heaviest Sunday evening into Monday morning. When temperatures directly above the surface are at or just above freezing, some freezing rain mixes in.

The National Weather Service in Louisville called this a “potentially significant winter storm” on social media.

We are still analyzing the upcoming severe winter storm, but a half-foot or more of snow will likely impact spots along and north of I-64. That means at least a few inches of snow will likely fall in Louisville. Please note, however, that the forecast is subject to change as the low pressure system moves in from the northwest.

Lower amounts of snow are forecast for cities south of I-64. If you live in southern and central Kentucky, expect major travel issues related to ice accumulation. Keep in mind that the forecast can still change. As the storm system moves further south, it will bring more snow than ice to southern Kentucky.

Currently, models suggest there will likely be a half-inch or more of ice in certain locations. It doesn’t take a lot of ice for branches to fall or for power outages to occur.

Additionally, just a tenth of an inch layer of ice is enough to cause vehicles to slide, making driving very difficult.

Be sure to avoid traveling during this winter storm! If you get stuck, you are putting yourself at risk or endangering those who are trying to help you.

Continue to stay tuned and follow the latest information from the Weather Impact team forecast.

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