4:12 p.m.: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says major problem areas in the state include Hart and Rockcastle counties:
With nightfall quickly approaching, snow and ice crews will remain on the job for the rest of evening and into Saturday.
Today’s heavy snow storm dumped over 14 inches of snow in some parts of the state causing many delays, service disruption, impassable roadways and overturned semis along the interstates.
The most problematic areas for traffic included I-65 near Hart County; I-75 in Rockcastle County and spots of U.S. 23 in Lawrence County. Extra resources have been dedicated to clear these priority routes.
4:01 p.m.: Truck driver Mike Edmonds has been stuck at a Kentucky truck stop all day as the snow piles up around him.
Edmonds told the Associated Press that the parking lot is so slick that vehicles spin out when trying to get back on Interstate 75 in Rockcastle County. And even if they leave the truck stop, they're stuck in traffic due to numerous wrecks in both directions.
Edmonds says he doesn't expect to get back on the road until Saturday. He's hauling a load of carpet to Michigan.
Rockcastle County has received a foot of snow, with higher accumulations possible.
Asked how he's spent his day, Edmonds replied: "Talking with the other drivers about how screwed up the weather is."
3:10 p.m.: Kentucky State Police is reporting an accident on I-65 North in Hardin County near mile point 88. The state Transportation Cabinet websitealso reports a "major accident" on I-65 South at mile point 94.
2:11 p.m.: Two crashes on southbound I-65 are causing major delays.
All lanes are blocked near mile point 74 in Hart County due to a crash.
One lane is currently open near mile point 84 following an accident there.
1:40 p.m.: Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon following the winter storm that has impacted the commonwealth.
According to a news release from the Governor's office, the move will "provide local officials immediate access to state resources for public safety and assistance."
1:37 p.m.: The WKU women's basketball game vs. CharlotteSaturday at E.A. Diddle Arena is being delayed until 4 pm. Admission and parking will be free.
1:32 p.m.: The latest on road conditions from the Elizabethtown branch of the state Transportation Cabinet:
We have two crashes impacting traffic on Southbound I-65. One crash is in Hardin County near the Exit 94 interchange in Elizabethtown. One lane is open. We are being advised by KSP to expect 45 minutes to an hour to completely clear. The second crash is at the 74 Mile Marker in Hart County. All lanes are blocked at this location but workers are trying to clear and reopen as soon as possible.
Snow is will falling but intensity is decreased in many areas. Still, we expect accumulating snow to continue through the afternoon and into the evening.
As we lose daylight, it will be even more important that motorists who must travel slow down and maintain plenty of space for maneuverability. As we've been saying all along, travel is not advised.
1:09 p.m.: A semi off the road on I-65 south near mile point 48 in Barren County is causing major traffic slowdowns.
1:01 p.m.: Traffic flow on I-65 north in Simpson County has been restored, after several vehicles slid off the road this morning.
12:56 p.m.: Here's a big picture look at road conditions throughout Kentucky from the state Transportation Cabinet office in Frankfort:
Currently, bands of heavy snow continue to blanket most parts of the Bluegrass with as much as 8 inches of snow accumulating in some areas. Other locations including Jackson, Pikeville and Bowling Green continue to see snow fall at a rate of 1-3 inches per hour. Whiteout conditions have been reported in many of these areas.
Transportation crews are having a difficult time keeping roads passable as the storm continue to dump large amounts of snow. Wind gusts of up to 35 mph have complicated matters by scattering fallen snow over freshly-plowed roadways. Other complications including downed trees, power outages, stranded motorists and jackknifed tractor trailers have been reported throughout the state.
As the storm lingers into Saturday, road conditions will continue to deteriorate rapidly. This evening, slush on roadways may refreeze as temperatures hover around the low-20’s. Crews will make several passes along high priority routes until they return to normal conditions.
12:48 p.m.: A disabled truck is slowing traffic near Exit 2 A-B South on the William Natcher Parkway in Warren County. The exit ramp on to I-65 is blocked. The problem is expected to last until about 1:15pm central.
12:30 p.m.: Here's the latest update on road conditions from the Elizabethtown office of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet:
There are few changes since our last update. Snow and ice teams continue plowing across all counties.
Moderate to heavy snow continues over the entire region.
No major incidents have been reported since the previous update. Numerous vehicles have been involved in minor incidents.
We are continuing to closely monitor I-65 through the construction zone between Munfordville and Elizabethtown.
12:28 p.m.: The Warren County Emergency Management Agency sent out the following:
Jackknifed trailor @ 7500 blk of KY101 between 68/80+HWY 127. Avoid area, accident won't be cleared for several hrs due to Wx conditions
11:49 a.m.: Trooper BJ Eaton with the Kentucky State Police post in Bowling Green says some sections on I-65 are shut down due to accidents.
I-65 South at mile marker 58 in Hart County is shut down, and the northbound lanes in Simpson County are shut down at mile marker 13 because of a jack-knifed semi.
There are lots of issues on the roads and state police are asking everyone to stay off the roads. Roads are extremely dangerous.
11:43 a.m.: The Bowling Green Daily News reports 7-8 inches of snowhas fallen in the city and nearby Auburn, with 8-10 inches already reported in Hart County and Elizabethtown.
11:04 a.m: The southbound entrance ramp to the William Natcher Parkway is shut down temporarily while a semi is removed.
10:40 a.m.: This photo taken by Kyle King shows traffic at a standstill on I-65 northbound at mile point 13:
Semis and other vehicles slid off the road this morning due to the ice and snow.
9:40 a.m.: Traffic advisory for I-65 in southern Kentucky, from Kentucky State Police:
I-65 Southbound at mile point 25 and I-65 Northbound at mile point 10 are blocked due to multiple slide offs involving semi trucks/cars.
9:20 a.m.: From Bowling Green Municipal Utilities:
We are aware of an outage affecting Newton, Clayton, and Herrington. A tree has tore down power lines and crews are working to repair.
And Warren RECC is closing at noon today. Their dispatch center is open 24/7, however. To report an outage call 270-843-9710.
8:55 a.m.: Here's the latest update on road conditions from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in Elizabethtown:
Heavy snow continues across the KYTC District 4 region. Crews are continually plowing I-65, Western Kentucky Parkway, Bluegrass Parkway and other primary routes. Snow and ice teams will have to focus on these routes for an extended period of time. We are asking folks on secondary routes to be patient. Plows will get to them as quickly as possible.
There are a number of vehicle run-offs reported across the area but at this time there are no major road blockages reported within our 11 counties. Traffic volumes seem to be light.
Several additional inches of snow will accumulate through the day along with the possibility of drifting snow. With these factors and near white-out conditions, we continue to discourage travel.
District 4 is comprised of Breckinridge, Grayson, Green, Hardin, Hart, LaRue, Meade, Marion, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties.
8:35 a.m.: Here's what driving conditions are like this morning on I-65 near the Natcher Parkway, courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet post in Bowling Green:
8:15 a.m.: From the Glasgow Electric Plant Board:
Some cable channels are going to be a problem today as our satellite dish is constantly filling with snow and ice. Please be patient.
7:53 a.m.: Warren RECC says they’ve restored power to 600 customers who lost their electricity this morning. The utility says they’re still addressing some smaller “scattered” outages in Warren County.
7:36 a.m.: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet office in Bowling Green is diverting extra resources to I-65 in southern Kentucky, as heavy snowfall enters the region. Strong wind gusts, the snow, and ice are combining to make road conditions very dangerous across our listening area.
7:26 a.m.: Here's photo of a vehicle that rolled over this morning on Glasgow Road in Bowling Green. Photo courtesy of Steven Wilson: pic.twitter.com/p2n7xYYL2g
7:11 a.m.: Warren RECC says 600 customers are without power--down from the more than 7,000 who had lost power earlier Friday morning.
The utility says their crews are working to fix the problems as quickly and safely as possible.
6:55 a.m.: The Warren County Sheriff's Department is responding to a rollover collision involving vehicles on Glasgow Road. Road conditions continue to worsen due to the ice and snow. Law enforcement groups throughout the region are asking people to stay off the roads unless they absolutely have to get out.
6:41 a.m.: Warren RECC says power has been restored to customers in Edmonson County.
6:32 a.m.: Traffic is blocked at Russellville Road and the Natcher Parkway in Bowling Green because traffic lights have fallen down due to ice.
6:08 a.m.: Warren RECC says at least 7,000 customers are without power this morning. The utility has notified crews and they are trying to fix the problem.
5:40 a.m.: The Weather Channel is now predicting 8-12 inches of snow Friday for the Bowling Green area, along with wind gusts of over 40 miles per hour.
Snowfall predictions for other parts of our listening area:
Owensboro: 3-5 inches
Elizabethtown: 8-12 inches
Somerset: 8-12 inches
5:29 a.m. WKU has announced that all of its campuses will be closed Friday.
5:20 a.m.: Motorists looking for the latest information on road conditions can check out the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's website.
You can also call 511 or 1-866-737-3767.
5:10 a.m.: The WKU campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtown, and Ft. Knox are closed Friday.
The school says a decision about the Bowling Green and Owensboro campuses will be made later Friday morning.
Lindsey Wilson College and Campbellsville University have canceled classes for Friday.
5:00 a.m: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet office in Elizabethtown issued the following statement on road conditions:
A semi crash on Southbound I65 near Bonnieville has been cleared and traffic is moving again. We do not currently have any other crashes on I65, however traffic is slow south of Elizabethtown. We are prepared to close the left lane of I-65 Northbound from Munfordville to Sonora if necessary to prevent motorists from becoming stranded in the construction zone. We are diligently working to maintain this stretch of road to prevent stoppage of traffic.
Crews in all of District 4 counties have been patrolling since midnight (Eastern).
Grayson, Green, Taylor, Hardin, Hart and Larue began treating roads after 2am. Most of these counties are now experiencing freezing rain and/or sleet. There is a narrow region of snow on the northern edge of the northward advancing precipitation, basically along the WK/Bluegrass parkways.
With temperatures at the surface in the upper 20’s, and a long period of precipitation still in the forecast, road conditions will continue to deteriorate.
We strongly discourage travel through these areas.