The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews have started efforts to restock supplies of salt and other ice-fighting chemicals to be prepared for the next round of winter weather.

The District 1 Snow & Ice Team reports they have placed orders for 13,500 tons of salt with a price tag of $770,000. District 1 counties have also ordered 45,000 gallons of calcium chloride at about 86 cents per gallon. Crews used about 75% of their available salt supply over the last week. That's more that District 1 crews used during all of the mild winter of 2016-2017. KYTC District 1 headquartered in Paducah includes Kentucky's 12-westernmost counties: Trigg, Lyon, Crittenden, Livingston, Marshall, Calloway, Graves, McCracken, Ballard, Carlisle, Hickman, and Fulton.

The District 2 Snow & Ice Team reports they have placed orders for 9,500 tons of salt with a price tag of $535,000. District 2 counties have also ordered 64,450 gallons of calcium chloride at about 86 cents per gallon. That's more that District 2 crews used during all of the mild winter of 2016-2017. KYTC District 2 headquartered at Madisonville includes 11 counties: Christian, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Hancock, Daviess, McLean, Hopkins, Webster, Henderson, Union, and Caldwell.

In addition to directing deliveries to central salt supply domes in each district, suppliers can make direct deliveries to individual county storage facilities. This helps reduce the time KYTC crews spend hauling salt supplies out to individual counties.

Salt deliveries are expected to start arriving as early as Friday, with most of the deliveries expected by the end of next week. It normally takes about a week to restock and get supplies distributed for the next winter weather event.

Meanwhile, crews got another boost from rising temperatures today. High temperatures helped crews in the efforts to finish clearing rural secondary highways across the region. Crews expected even more help on Friday as high temperatures bump up above the freezing mark. Road surfaces in areas that do not get direct sunlight will likely continue to have slick spots into Friday.

Highway crews are also watching the potential for rainfall over the weekend that could create the opportunity for localized flooding. Substantial rain is not expected until Sunday evening. By then, most snow and ice that might block storm drains in urban areas should be melted. However, there may be an opportunity for localized street flooding in some areas.