Highway crews across the 11 counties of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 2 plan to pre-treat area roadways in anticipation of a winter weather event with possible snow accumulation sometime Sunday. At this time, there are indications of at least ½ inch of snow and possibly more as the forecast firms up.
Highway crews will start pre-treating activities on Friday morning. Crews will initially focus their efforts on “B” and “C” Snow Priority Routes on Friday. On Saturday, they will move to pre-treating “A” Snow Priority Routes such as Interstates, parkways, and U.S. Highways.
Motorists should be alert for slow-moving trucks and support vehicles going about pre-treating activities.
Pre-treating involves spraying brine on road surfaces. The salt solution dries to leave a fine powder that sticks to the driving surface for several days and is available to be activated by falling precipitation in the early hours of a winter weather event. The salt powder also helps keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement making it easier to plow off after it accumulates.
Generally, pre-treating requires temperatures to be above about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Crews do not pre-treat when rain is expected to move in ahead of snow because the rain will wash the salt from the roadway. It takes about two full days for all 3,300 miles of highway in the district to be pre-treated.
In addition to pre-treating on Friday and Saturday, crews will be preparing a few trucks in each county to be available to roll out and respond quickly to whatever arrives on Sunday.
Motorists are advised to closely monitor area news media outlets and the National Weather Service for forecast updates as the next round of snow and ice approaches. The KYTC District 2 Snow and Ice Team will be monitoring the approaching weather system and directing personnel to prepare appropriately as the forecast is updated.