Afternoon rush hour could be a mess today, thanks to the first winter storm of the season.

        The National Weather Service says snow will begin falling this afternoon, and up to 6 inches could be on the ground by midnight. Sleet and freezing rain also are possible today, the weather service predicted, with temperatures struggling to get out of the 20s.

        AccuWeather predicts ice accumulation in Northern and Central Kentucky.

        More than 30,000 Tristate residents, and 300,000 homes across Ohio, were without power Tuesday because of Monday night's winds, which hit 80 mph in some places. In some cases, crews restored power only to have lines knocked down again by tree limbs damaged by the high winds.

        As the Tristate braced against bitter temperatures overnight, homeless shelters here turned no one away — even at double capacity.

        Wanda Fisher, a supervisor at the Drop-Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine, said there were 170 more people than usual at the shelter, a staggering total of 294.

        “We are full to capacity,” she said. “We're packed. We're afraid of losing someone out there in the cold.

        “We're turning no one away at this point.”

        Jeff Caldwell, direct care supervisor at Hope House Homeless Shelter in Middletown, said his center was packed, too, with about 30 people. That's about twice the usual number.

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