Lexington prepares for unusually early winter weather

On average, the first snowfall in Lexington doesn't happen until Nov. 29. The first inch of snow comes in around Dec. 20.

"This is quite a surprise, but we're prepared for it to the best of our ability and we'll deal with whatever comes tonight," said JR Brandenburg with the Scott County Road Department.

Brandenburg says his plows and spreaders are sitting ready to go.

Along with the new barn, road crews will be using a new technique this year, which will hopefully save salt and money for not only this year but for years to come.

"This year we're going to pre-wet our salt,” explains Deputy Director of Lexington Streets and Roads Rob Allen. “That's been a technique for a long time, but we anticipate using 20 percent less salt just using this technique."

With a winter system coming in early this year, it's crucial for drivers to take extra caution on potentially slick roads.

"You want to leave at least six to ten seconds between you and the car ahead of you and be careful, especially on bridges and overpasses," said Lori Weaver Hawkins with AAA Bluegrass Division. "That's where you're going to see the road slick up earliest, even before you think there's any trouble out there."

Ground temperatures have been sitting around 40 degrees, which could help keep roads from getting slick. Bridges and overpasses will likely freeze much faster.

Looking back at records, Lexington had a trace of snow as early as Oct. 6 in 1952, and the earliest measurable snow on Oct. 9, 1972.

The deepest snow depth during a November in Lexington was eight inches recorded on Nov. 27, 1950.