Season's first snowfall blankets Kentuckiana, impacts Tuesday travel

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Residents on both sides of the Ohio River woke up to a blanket of snow across Kentuckiana Tuesday morning.

Some areas are seeing up to 4 inches, with downtown Louisville seeing right at 3 inches.

IMAGES | The first snowfall of the season blankets over Kentuckiana

A Winter Weather Advisory was issued around 10 a.m. Monday for portions of south central Indiana and east central, north central, northwest and south central Kentucky.

The advisory was set to end at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It called for snow accumulations up to two inches in some areas and "ice accumulations around a light gaze," according to WDRB meteorologists.

Drivers are encouraged to exercise caution, slow down, and allow for extra travel time. Monday's advisory forecasted slippery road conditions that could impact Tuesday morning's commute and make roads, especially bridges and overpasses, slick.

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Crews spent much of Monday pre-treating major routes in preparation for the season's first measurable snowfall. They began brining roads around 9 a.m., taking advantage of the favorable conditions with road surface temperatures around 31 degrees. Officials said that allows the brine to remain effective, though it works down to roughly 20 degrees.

Louisville Metro Public Works said 14 trucks were deployed Monday for pre-treatment, with another 100 trucks on standby should conditions deteriorate overnight before the Tuesday morning commute.

After a disruptive storm last January, Louisville Metro said it's increased communication with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to ensure brining begins earlier and covers more ground. Still, not every neighborhood will see pre-treatment, particularly streets governed by homeowners associations or those in smaller municipalities.

Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation said all 148 state-maintained routes in the Southeast District were being treated Monday as crews worked districtwide.

The first measurable snowfall of the season arriving early means there's already some pressure on the local salt supply.

To look at road conditions in Indiana, click here. For Kentucky, click here.

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Winter Weather Advisory Issued