Judge/Executive Thanks County for Patience, Understanding During Winter Storm Driving Conditions

School Supt. Says Day-by-Day Basis for School Decisions

A portion of Kyrock Road in Sweeden remains frozen on Feb. 2, 2026 as sunlight is hidden for much of the road.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Schools in Edmonson County are headed for the seventh consecutive day of closings after the latest winter storm that came a week ago, Saturday.

Countywide, at least 2.5 - 3in of snow fell with an additional quarter inch of ice on top, with some areas receiving more. A couple dustings of snow followed the ice as the week went on. With the addition of the bitter temps that kept the frozen stuff around, many places in the county still look like an ice rink nine days later. 

Fortunately for Edmonson County, power outages were minute, unlike our neighbors to the south, where in some areas of Nashville, folks are still without power and clear traffic lanes. Still, the weather has made traveling on many secondary and back roads difficult, which has resulted in school closings.

County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey said county crews have been working nonstop since before the precipitation fell on Saturday.

"We've had all crews on deck for the entirety of the weather, which includes the supervisor and assistant supervisor," Lindsey said. "They took one day off this weekend with hopes that the sun would help melt some of it before plowing again."

Lindsey said that all 250 miles of county roads were salt-treated prior to the storm coming last Saturday, January 24th.

He said each member of the road crew has an area for which they are responsible for treating and plowing. According to Lindsey, the county currently has 5 plow trucks, each with salting capabilities, and a regular pickup. Crew members plow one side of each road, then return back on the opposite lane. It has been more challenging to clear roads after this storm because he said the rain penetrated the asphalt and created a layer that county trucks had difficulty plowing.

"It was more like shaving ice, and in some places, it was even making it more slick," he said.

A cleared portion of Beaver Dam Church Road on Feb. 2, 2026.

The worst roads as of today are those mostly in the northern portion of the county in places where little sunlight shines on the blacktop this time of year. With temperatures below freezing, there is not much melting, despite salt. However, many county roads are not only clear, but also dry in numerous areas. 

For example, Kyrock Road currently has some impassable areas for school buses, along with other areas near Nolin Dam Road. In contrast, just a few miles away, Poplar Springs Road is in very good shape after crews plowed again. South side roads are in better shape as a whole, but there are still subdivisions south of Brownsville and other county roads that are still very slick. 

Superintendent of Edmonson County Schools Brian Alexander said the school system is on a day-to-day basis of deciding whether or not school will be closed.

"Our kids need to be back in school, but we have to look at it from a school bus safety perspective," said Alexander. "Many people see their own roads that might be clear and don't understand why we keep closing school. Well, it was a perfect storm, so to speak, with the combination of ice and snow we got. It's very difficult to clear and we've been working on our school parking lots since Wednesday of last week with our skid steer, and it's still not finished."

Alexander said bus turnarounds are still full of snow all over the county, which is another factor. 

"Ninety percent of our back roads still have hazardous traveling conditions and we can't take those chances when it comes to school bus routes and the safety of our students and staff."

Today was the first day in over a week that temperatures broke above freezing.

We asked Judge Lindsey what his reply would be to those that wonder why the state roads are much clearer than most of the county roads. Most all state roads in Edmonson County are clear and dry.

"The state roads don't have near as much tree cover and shading on them as our county roads do," he answered. "Plus, state crews are able to get large graders on those roads. A lot of the county roads aren't wide enough to get a grader down them and that's why we don't have one. It makes it a lot more difficult. We've always had good luck with plow trucks, and they have the salters on them as well. Typically, after a snow, a couple days and it starts to melt off. That wasn't the case this time. Temperatures stayed in the teens and even lower."

He also noted that anything that softened during the day refroze at night and caused more problems.

He said he had hopes that higher temps and maybe even some rain might start to loosen the ice cap on the most heavily covered roads.

He also added that state crews have offered their assistance where they could, and despite a few complaints, most residents have been understanding.

"We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding during this process," he said. "I know it gets frustrating at times but our crews are working right now and they are working very hard."

Today is February 2nd, and according to those in Punxsutawny, PA, the groundhog saw his shadow this morning, which is supposed to mean six more weeks of winter. 

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone.