Updated 9:57 p.m.: School Closings, Delays
As noted earlier, Jefferson County Public Schools will be closed Thursday because less-traveled roads in Louisville are still covered in snow and ice. Other Louisville area school systems have also made calls for Thursday.
They include:
- New Albany-Floyd County Schools: 2-Hour Delay
- Greater Clark Schools: 2-Hour Delay
- West Clark Schools: 2-Hour Delay
- Clarksville Community Schools: 2-Hour Delay
- Bullitt County Public Schools: Closed
- Jefferson County Catholic Schools: Closed
- Shelby County Public Schools: Closed
- Oldham County Schools: Closed
- Nelson County Schools: Closed
Update 3:52 p.m.: JCPS Closed Thursday
Because neighborhood roads are likely to remain slick, Jefferson County Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, JCPS chief operations officer Michael Raisor said.
He said buses were driven Wednesday through sections of Louisville and had issues on back road and neighborhood streets. Temperatures are forecast to remain freezing through the day, meaning those roads will be difficult for buses to pass on Thursday morning, Raisor said.
A second, larger storm is expected Thursday night into Friday. That storm is forecast to drop as much as six inches onto Louisville, according to a Louisville Emergency Management Agency official.
Raisor said JCPS is watching the forecast for the Thursday evening storm, but no call on classes will be made on Friday classes until potentially Friday morning.
Nelson County Schools and Bullitt County Public Schools will also be closed on Thursday.
Update 11:55 a.m.: 'It's Going To Be A Bigger Storm'
The snow has mostly ended in the Louisville area on Wednesday, and city crews are working to clean it up, said Doug Hamilton, chief of public services.
Speaking at a late morning news conference, Hamilton said Louisville Metro Public Works crews were making a second pass at plowing.
Light freezing drizzle could still fall on the area, but it shouldn't cause much of an issue, said Joe Sullivan, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Louisville.
"Today is pretty much over, for the most part," he said.
Louisville got about three inches of snow, he said.
The city had an uptick in traffic accidents during the morning commute, said Jody Duncan, a spokeswoman for Louisville Metro Emergency Services. Louisville had 29 non-injury traffic accidents from the time the snow started falling until 9 a.m. That's up from 17 last Wednesday.
Louisville officials also noted that property owners are responsible for shoveling the sidewalks on their land.
With cleanup underway, city officials are beginning to look to Thursday night, when the next round of winter weather is expected.
"It's going to be a bigger storm," Sullivan said.
He said ice may pose problems for the region, though it's too early to know whether that includes Louisville. Regardless, the city may see five inches of snow or more through Friday.
Update 7:50 a.m.: Motorists Urged To Drive Slowly
Louisville area road conditions are expected to improve as the Wednesday morning commute ramps up and the temperature and sun rise, according to the state transportation cabinet.
But on early Wednesday, transportation officials are urging motorists to drive slowly because of roadways made slick with snow. Road crews around Louisville are reporting as much as two inches of snow, the transportation cabinet said.
Louisville Metro Public Works crews had treated most of the city by 7:30 a.m., except for pockets of West Louisville and the southeast, according to the city's snow map.
Here are some major Louisville roads just after 7:30 a.m., via Trimarc:
Update 6:50 a.m.: Snow-Covered Roads
Louisville commuters departing early Wednesday morning are finding many roads covered with snow and potentially slick.
Here's a look at a couple well-traveled parts of Louisville via Trimarc:
Interstate 65
Second Street and Broadway
Louisville Metro Public Works and state roads crews have been treating roads through early Wednesday.
The condition of treated roads should improve as they carry more traffic in the morning. Public Works had treated downtown and some, but not close to all, suburban areas at about 6:30 a.m., according to its snow map.
Earlier: Overnight snow has led Jefferson County Public Schools and other school systems in the Louisville area to close on Wednesday.
Other school systems to close on Wednesday include:
- New Albany-Floyd County Schools
- Greater Clark County Schools
- Bullitt County Public Schools
- Oldham County Schools
- Shelby County Public Schools
- Jefferson County Catholic Schools
- Nelson County Schools
- University of Louisville
This story will be updated.
Early Wednesday, the National Weather Service was forecasting about three inches of snow for Louisville and most of the surrounding area through the day. The snow was expected to dwindle in the late morning, but flurries and freezing drizzle were possible through the day.
Roads will be largely snow-covered and potentially slick Wednesday morning, but the weather service said main roads should improve by the afternoon. But the freezing drizzle could add a "light glaze" to Louisville roads Wednesday afternoon.
A winter storm expected Thursday night into Friday is expected to be bigger, the National Weather Service said.
Louisville Metro Public Works and state crews have been out treating roads early Wednesday. At 5 a.m., state crews are reporting mostly snow-covered highways through the region, according to the state transportation cabinet.
This story has been updated. More updates will follow through the day.
(Caption: Snow in the Clifton neighborhood on Wednesday, via Jacob Ryan/WFPL News)