LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) -- Hurricane Sandy slammed the east coast last night bringing very strong winds, rain, and unprecedented damage for much of the highly populated Northeast. For central and eastern Kentucky, snow was the main concern.
Throughout the early morning and into the afternoon, snow fell heavily in the mountain region of the Bluegrass State. Some areas with higher elevations received up to 10" of snow. Thousands remain without power due to the blanket of heavy snow and wind gusts that topped out around 50mph in some areas.
“I don’t recall ever having schools calling off because of snow in October,” says Chief Meteorologist Chris Bailey. “We had approximately 20 school districts cancel classes this morning.”
Gov. Steve Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday, directing the Kentucky transportation Cabinet to expedite the transportation of emergency supplies to victims of superstorm Sandy. The order directs the cabinet to waive special registration and permit requirements for vehicles carrying relief supplies such as food, water and medicine.
Temperatures struggled to rise out of the 30s through the afternoon Tuesday. For Tuesday night, they will dip once again to a low near 33 degrees, with rain and possibly a few flakes lasting through the early morning hours.
Conditions are expected to begin improving across central and eastern Kentucky through Tuesday night and into the later part of the week.
Halloween brings another chance for a rain/snow mix in eastern Kentucky. High temperatures will barely cross into the lower 40s across the region, with wind gusts occasionally reaching 25mph.
Elsewhere, WKYT meteorologists say expect gusty winds, cloudy skies, and light rain.
The rest of the week will feature a gradual warm up and fair skies, with temperatures steadily climbing back into the lower 50s.