A big snowstorm, the first one this winter season, is approaching Lexington, Kentucky. This fact strongly suggests that the city is expecting significant snowfall and enduring travel difficulties, so the city officials, as well as the citizens, are preparing the city for these issues. The National Weather Service has released a Winter Storm Warning notice for the city of Lexington and its nearby places, with a time between 4 a.m. Tuesday, February 11, and 7 a.m. Wednesday, February 12. The weather forecast team has told us that we will most likely get from 3 to 6 inches of snow, but some places may which will have more snow than that.

Regarding the upcoming extreme weather event, the urban government of Lexington-Fayette is proactive in carrying out measures to keep the public safe and to reduce the magnitude of disruptions. The City of Lexington Mayor Gorton informed before about the things the city was doing to get ready for winter, among them the addition of some snow plows, the shifting of people to those places where they are needed the most, and the salting of the roads and the application of Beet Heet. The city’s workers have been pretreating the roads already and will most likely continue the preparation all night for the severe weather.

While the officers will ensure via broadcast that you have the best information on what to do in the event of flooding and road closures, the police are advising the citizens to avoid unnecessary driving during the storm. Keeping in mind the ones venturing out, the officials suggest that they allocate some extra time for travel and that they should obey the speed limit and avoid slushy roads. The department also reminds the public not to call 911 for road condition updates, as this information can be found through other channels. In addition to road safety measures, the Lexington Fire Department’s Technical Swiftwater team will be ready to act as the situation worsens, which can cause potential flooding from winter-related actions.

The Emergency Winter Weather Plan, an initiative of the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention, is now operational and is set to last from Sunday to Tuesday, February 11, with a likelihood of a continuation if necessary. The outreach staff is going to look for people living outside, inform them of the weather forecast, and at the same time, they will facilitate access to emergency shelters and give them essential things for better living. Other people who are in need of shelter are invited to call LexCall at 311 to get assistance and to know the information on the available resources during severe weather conditions.

The decision of the University of Kentucky to close the main campus on Tuesday, February 11, due to the bad weather has been made public. Meanwhile, the in-person classes and activities are canceled, but the medical facilities of UK HealthCare continue to be open and follow a schedule. The severe weather policies of the university are in place, where the Plan B employees who are designated to come to work on campus are the ones who are expected to come to work, while the ones who can have remote access are instructed to work from home. The facilities crew members are making an effort to clean the roads, parking lots, and sidewalks, and they are putting the students, faculty, and staff who might need to be at the school first.

As the winter storm is getting near, the inhabitants of Lexington are requested to keep getting notes about the weather news and to act on the directives given by local leaders. The city’s prevention strategies and also the cooperation of its inhabitants shall be the reason that makes this winter weather event possible. People are advised to check in with poor neighbors, put together emergency kits, and stay inside during the storm to avoid the worst to protect themselves and their health.