The National Weather Service’s Paducah office has issued an ice storm warning for parts of western Kentucky and southern Illinois this weekend.
The agency issues an ice storm warning when weather systems are expected to produce at least one-quarter of an inch of ice.
Counties that are affected by this ice storm warning, which will be in effect from 2 a.m. CT Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday, include:
- Kentucky: Livingston, Crittenden, Union, Henderson, Webster, Caldwell, Hopkins, McLean, Daviess
- Illinois: Jackson, Union, Alexander, Pulaski, Johnson, Williamson, Saline, Pope, Massac, Hardin, Gallatin
These areas are expected to get between one-quarter and three-quarters of an inch of ice accumulation on flat surfaces. According to the weather service, trees and power line ice amounts are typically one-third of flat surface accumulations.
Precipitation is expected to roll into the region late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. The worst of the storm is expected to come between Sunday morning and Sunday night, and it’s projected to wind down going into Monday morning.
However, the NWS Paducah office is still advising people to prepare for major travel impacts in southern Illinois and Kentucky counties under an ice storm warning from the mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow. Other parts of western Kentucky could also experience mild to moderate travel impacts, especially on Sunday morning.
In counties under the ice storm warning, NWS Paducah Lead Meteorologist Derrick Snyder said the office is expecting “scattered to widespread power outages,” some of which could last multiple days. The incoming storm could also damage trees from the gusty winds that the weather service is predicting.
Additionally, NWS Paducah has issued a winter weather advisory in effect Sunday from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT. In these counties, forecasters project the storm to initially bring freezing rain and sleet, eventually changing to all rain. Some snow is possible Monday morning. Snyder said another winter weather advisory could be issued if forecasters think the potential snow could impact travel conditions on Monday morning.
Kentucky counties under a winter weather advisory on Sunday include Ballard, Carlisle, Calloway, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Lyon, McCracken, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Trigg and Todd.
NWS Nashville has also issued a winter weather advisory in effect Sunday from 3 a.m. to noon CT in Montgomery and Stewart counties. NWS Memphis has a winter weather advisory in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday in Lake, Obion, Weakley, Henry and Benton counties.
Snyder said that a blast of arctic air following this storm into the region could bring some of the coldest temperatures of the season so far in the coming days.
A full weather briefing from NWS Paducah discussing the winter storm impacts in parts of Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Indiana can be streamed on Facebook.
