The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews have begun pre-treating activities along highways on Tuesday, anticipating an accumulating snowfall arriving sometime Thursday.
The National Weather Service has predicted one to three inches of snow with extreme cold and high winds Thursday and Friday that are expected to create near-blizzard conditions and lows near zero.
Keith Todd with the Transportation Cabinet said the pre-treating of roads began on Tuesday.
click to download audioMost highway crews in Kentucky’s 12 westernmost counties are already producing brine to top off brine storage tanks and prepping the spray equipment.
Brine is generated by combining water and salt. The brine is sprayed on the pavement where it then dries to leave a fine powder coating of salt that sticks on the roadway driving surface where it is activated by falling snow in the early hours of a winter weather event. Todd said pre-treating initially improves driving conditions as the snow starts to fall, then makes it easier for crews to plow snow by keeping frozen precipitation from bonding to the pavement.
Todd encourages people to be on the lookout for transportation vehicles. especially with increased holiday travel this week.
click to download audioTodd said the District 1 Snow & Ice Team would continue to monitor changing conditions to ensure the highway crews are prepared to respond as the snow arrives on Thursday.
