LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear says three Kentuckians have died due to the arctic blast.
He said one person died in a car accident in western Kentucky, one person died from a car accident at an unknown location in Kentucky and one person died from exposure to the cold in Louisville. No other details are available.
"Please stay home, stay safe, stay off the roads, stay alive," Beshear said in a morning briefing in Frankfort.
He says since Thursday night Kentucky has had three "major accidents" on the same stretch on I-71.
Beshear says the Department of Public Works is working "tirelessly" to plow the roads, but they are still "treacherous."
Friday's garbage pickups were suspended due to the weather advisory. This gave snow and garbage teams time to focus on plowing roads. While they work, officials advise traveling at a distance and leaving enough room for their vehicles.
Beshear says a "Wind Chill Advisory" in in effect through early Saturday afternoon. Officials say the wind chill hasn't been like this since the 1980s.
"The good news is tomorrow temperatures will be coming up, road conditions ought to get a lot better tomorrow when temperatures reach a level that the salt actually works on," Beshear said.
He stated that light snowfall is possible Monday into early Tuesday. Minor accumulations, 1 to 2 inches of snow, are anticipated across northern/western Kentucky with lesser amounts toward the south and east.
In addition, he says just over 43,000 homes are without power across Kentucky. He stated that the crews are working "as quickly as they can" to resolve this.
"The greatest impact we have been seeing is this LG&E service area in the Highlands, Lyndon and Valley Station areas," Mayor Greg Fischer said about power outages in a different winter advisory meeting.
Due to the extremely cold temperatures, Kentucky officials are asking the public to reduce unnecessary use of electricity.
Some ways you can cut your power usage include:
- Adjusting your thermostat
- Shutting off non-essential lighting and equipment
- Avoiding using appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers
He added that in the Bluegrass region its -17 or -19 degrees below zero in windchill.
"That is frostbite in 30 to 40 minutes, but it's going to hurt really bad before that," Beshear said. "If you're out 10 minutes, even less, you will really feel it."
John Gordon, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says Kentucky had a 54 degree temperature change from the high on Thursday to the low Friday morning.
Gordon added that highs by Thursday, Dec. 29 are expected to be back in the 50s.
For the houseless community or those in need of shelter, please click here for more information.
Visit SnowKY.KY.gov for travel resources including traffic information, priority route maps and winter safety tips. In addition, download the free WAZE app or visit GoKy.KY.gov to check traffic conditions before traveling.
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