Winter storm brings heavy snow, sleet and bitter cold to Kentucky, southern Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Winter Storm Fern brought heavy snow and sleet to the Louisville area and southern Indiana this weekend.

The snow began coming down Saturday afternoon and has no plans to stop through Sunday afternoon as bitter cold temperatures follow close behind.

Kentucky gets less snow but more sleet overnight 

On Sunday morning, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said crews were working all night and will continue all day to get roads in the best conditions possible for a storm like this.

"We're going to continue at it all day long so we want to continue to encourage folks to stay off the roads," Greenberg said. "Stay inside. Stay warm. It's incredibly cold outside."

Greenberg said crews are working 12-hour shifts around the clock with over 70 trucks on the road.

One of Louisville's snow plow drivers found a man unconscious on Saturday night while working his route, then identified him and "was able to save his life," Greenberg said.

Greenberg said crews will need time after snow stops to continue clearing roads. To view the latest snow plow progress in Louisville, click here.

Louisville police said as of Sunday afternoon, they've had 61 crashes in the area with only nine reported as having injuries.

In a Sunday briefing, Gov. Andy Beshear said, "the forecast is proving to be as treacherous" as it was reported to be.

According to Beshear, there was no "major issue" reported overnight from Saturday into Sunday but he's still concerned about the weather that's still working its way through the state.

As of 10 a.m., there was 25,000 additional power outages reported across Kentucky in just the last two hours.

"Make sure you're looking out for your neighbor and everybody stay inside," Beshear said. "It's pretty much unsafe in any part of Kentucky right now to be out on the roads."

There's more than 112 warming centers set up across Kentucky. For a live map of every warming center location, click here.

Beshear said some fuel availability is low in parts of Kentucky because gas tankers aren't able to make it through the conditions.

There are over 1,500 state-owned plow trucks that have been deployed across Kentucky.

But officials believe the next 24 hours could prove to be the toughest as the storm continues and the temperatures drop.

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Heavy snow hits southern Indiana

With Kentucky experiencing a little less snow than expected due to sleet, southern Indiana was hit with heavy snow that blanketed areas.

WDRB crews made their way on the roads in southern Indiana on Sunday morning but experienced difficulties multiple times with the conditions.

According to Indiana State Police, most of the state and southern areas are under a red travel advisory.

To check your county's travel advisory, click here.

INDOT crews have been out since the start trying to clear the roads but snow continues to fall and the inches are piling up.

The Floyd County Sheriff's Office posted on social media asking residents to stay home and stay safe if they can.

"Our crews are out in a full callout working to plow these roadways," INDOT said Sunday. "We are starting to see that accumulation continue."

The National Weather Service also issued an extreme cold warning starting at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday until Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. for southern Indiana and parts of Kentucky including the Louisville area.

Make sure to take precautions as the even colder wind chills begin.