Logan County woke up to a blanket of snow on the ground Thursday morning and while it wasn’t as much as had been predicted, it was still enough to make the roads a little hazardous and give the kids a day off of school.

Weather forecasts had predicted one to two inches would be on the ground by Thursday morning, but the snow didn’t begin falling until as early as first predicted.

Both Logan County and Russellville Independent schools closed Thursday because of the snow.

Leon Smith, Russellville schools superintendent said they made the call to close a little after 5 a.m. Thursday morning.

“We make the call as soon as we can,” Smith said.

Logan County schools maintenance and transportation director Mike Hurt said they also made the call to close early Thursday morning.

Hurt said they assess weather situations in the afternoon, then before 10 p.m. and then again in the early morning hours if need be.

“We try to do it by 10 o’clock at night if possible,” Hurt said.

Hurt explained that they have spotters all over the county who give reports of road conditions in their areas.

At press time, neither school district had closed for Friday, but administrators of both said they would be assessing the situation and make a decision as soon as possible. For up-to-date information about school closings in Logan County, visit the News-Democrat & Leader website at www.newsdemocratleader.com.

Highway crews began preparing for the snow before it even started. Trucks began pre-treating roads with brine and Thursday morning trucks were out spreading salt on the roads.

“Our crews are prepared to work around the clock throughout this storm and until roads are clear,” Acting Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock said.

Statewide, the Transportation Cabinet has a fleet of more than 1,000 snowplows and ample stockpiles of salt and other snow-fighting chemicals. Contract crews are also helping battle the storm.

Motorists should always use extra caution when driving in winter weather and remember that bridges and overpasses typically freeze before surface-level roadways.

During significant snow and ice events, staffing in the cabinet's 24-hour Traffic Operations Center is increased to coordinate and distribute information throughout the state.

The public can access updated travel and weather information online at www.511.ky.gov or by dialing 511.

More snow was expected to fall Thursday night and on into Friday, with some areas seeing accumulation of one to three inches.

The snow brought with a front that mean very cold temperatures throughout the area. Highs over the weekend are only expected to be in the 20s with lows in the single digits and wind chills below zero. Snow showers were expected to end Saturday.