Home » Sleet advisory in effect this evening, beginning at 5

Sleet advisory in effect this evening, beginning at 5

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2013) — A winter weather advisory for sleet has been issued for central and western Kentucky beginning at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. CST). It is in effect until 5 a.m. EST/4 a.m. CST on Wednesday.

From a distance, sleet may look like snow on a road, but is more granular, similar to gravel and sand.
From a distance, sleet may look like snow on a road, but is more granular, similar to gravel and sand.

Light precipitation will begin across the area this afternoon, the National Weather Service in Louisville said, and the intensity will pick up this evening and continue until a few hours after midnight.

“A narrow east to west oriented band of two- to four-inch sleet totals currently is forecast from around and east of the Harrodsburg and Danville areas,” the NWS said. “Elsewhere, one to two inches of sleet are forecast.”

The heaviest band of frozen precipitation may shift north or south of its current forecast position, depending on subtle changes in temperatures at and just above the surface, the NWS said. A northward shift would bring heavier sleet into the Lexington Metro area.

A winter weather advisory for sleet means periods of sleet are imminent or occurring, according to the NWS. Sleet may cause driving to become dangerous.

The affected counties include: Grayson, Hardin, Anderson, Woodford, Fayette, Bourbon, Nicholas, Nelson, Washington, Mercer, Jessamine, Clark, Larue, Marion, Boyle, Garrard, Madison, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Green, Taylor, Casey, Lincoln, Logan, Warren, Simpson, Allen and Barren. Cities mentioned in the advisory include: Leitchfield, Elizabethtown, Fort Knox, Lawrenceburg, Versailles, Lexington, Paris, Carlisle, Bardstown, Springfield, Harrodsburg, Nicholasville, Winchester, Hodgenville, Lebanon, Danville, Lancaster, Richmond, Morgantown, Brownsville, Munfordville, Greensburg, Campbellsville, Liberty, Stanford, Russellville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Scottsville and Glasgow.

The Kentucky State Police offers the following winter weather driving safety tips:

♦ Avoid travel unless necessary when winter weather is in your area.

♦ Decrease speed.

♦ Wear your seat belt.

Driving considerations

♦ Leave early – allow more travel time; expect delays.

♦ Increase distance between vehicles – it takes significantly longer to stop on snow covered or icy roadways.

♦ Clear all windows on your vehicle prior to travel – having unobstructed vision is vital to avoid running off of the road or having a collision.

♦ Illuminate your vehicles headlamps.

♦ Use caution on bridges and overpasses as they susceptible to freezing before roadways.

♦ Avoid using cruise control – cruise can cause the vehicle’s wheels to continue turning on a slippery surface when speed needs to be decreased.

Be prepared

♦ Ensure your vehicle has a full tank of gas in the event you are stranded for an extended period of time.

♦ Charge your cellular phone prior to departure.

♦ Take a blanket.

♦ Notify a family member or a friend of your travel plans prior to departure – if you travel is interrupted, someone will know.

Collision information

♦ Be patient – weather also limits our capabilities and increases our response time; also, keep in mind that we will be experiencing a high volume of requests for service.

♦ Attempt to move your vehicle out of the roadway if you are involved in a minor, non-injury traffic collision; especially if you are in a dangerous area such as a curve or a blind hill.

♦ If your vehicle is stranded or wrecked but not in the roadway, attempts to recover your vehicle will have to wait until conditions improve for safety considerations.