Good Sunday and Happy Valentine’s Day. Mother nature is certainly giving a heck of a gift to all the snow lovers out there. A moderate snowfall is on the way to the bluegrass state through Monday morning. While this won’t be anything like our previous three historic snowstorms, it is the 4th winter storm to hit the state in the past 12 months.
Snow starts in the west early today and spreads eastward from there, reaching central Kentucky by late morning, and eastern Kentucky during the afternoon. With a frozen ground and road temps below freezing, snow covered roads will become an issue fairly quickly.
Here’s my latest call for snowfall:
There will be spots in that where you’re closer to the low end and spots that are closer to the high end.
Temps slowly rise from southwest to northeast late tonight into Monday morning. This happens as our main storm winds up across the Tennessee Valley. Temps on Monday are around or just above freezing. This is either rain or snow or a mix of the two. I don’t foresee ice being a factor at all.
Can this system produce some dynamic cooling in the heavier bands of precipitation? That’s the question to tackle later today and as we get into the event. If so, heavy bands of snow would develop. If not, you will see today’s snow turn ugly with rain and temps just above freezing.
I will update things later today. Until then, I have you set to track today’s snow…
Hamburg Area from WKYT Studio
Lexington
I-75 @ Winchester Road
Lexington
I-75 @ Iron Works Pike
Lexington
I-75 @ Clays Ferry Bridge South
Between Lexington and Richmond
US 60 @ US 127 Frankfort
US 60 @ US 460
Frankfort
US 60 @ Chenault Road
Near Millville
I-75 MP 127
Georgetown
I-64 MP 97
Winchester
Mountain Parkway near Slade
I-64 Near Morehead
US23 at 119 Near Jenkins
I-71/I-75 at I-275
Near Covington
I-275 at Mineola Pike
Near Covington
I-275 approaching KY 20/Airport
Near Covington
Bluegrass Parkway Bardstown
I-65 MP 32
Downtown Louisville @ 2nd & Broadway
Louisville
I-64 @ I-264
Louisville
I-264 @ Freedom Way
Near Louisville International Airport
I-75 at MP 36
London
I-75 at MP 23
Corbin
Owensboro
-65 @ 234
Near Bowling Green
Natcher Parkway MP 5
Near Bowling Green
US 41A Gate 5 Fort Campbell Entrance
Fort Campbell
I-24 MP 4 @ US 60
Paducah
Louie B Nunn MP 3
Near Glasgow
Enjoy the snow tracking and take care.
Glad to see Bell Co in that 3-6″ range now. 😉
I hope the temp stays below freezing.
I hope it don’t get bad for Rockcastle co ky with the snow and how much and what time
Hoping that the roads are at least ok by 8pm tonight so I can drive home.
I guess I’m a little confused. Like Chris said at the beginning of this post that the ground is frozen wouldn’t this be a freezing rain event if the air temperature did rise Monday. It’s 14 degrees right now as I write this it’s been a cold week so like I said guess I’m confused as to why we wouldn’t have to worry about it turning to freezing rain. I always thought that was what made freezing rain. When you have a frozen ground after lots of cold days and warm air moves in.
No…
what makes freezing rain is cold air at the surface, but warm air higher up……it can be 27 degrees where we live, but not far up in the sky, it can be above freezing, that is freezing rain…..If you have a total cold column (both ground and high above), that is all snow. But obviously, if the ground is frozen and it starts raining but the temp is 35, it will freeze initially until the ground warms, I guess that could be another form of freezing rain….but technically, it’s not the same thing.
Gotcha…Thanks
4 am. It’s sleeting in Paducah!
Meanwhile its sunny and cold in detroit. Lol
Smiley are you in Detroit reading CB’s blog? I think I would probably still be reading it if I ever moved home to Ann Arbor from here in Kentucky. Hi to Michigan for me!
And I sure hope we stay cold enough for all snow but it doesn’t sound like that is what will happen? Here in Frankfort we are just an advisory while Lexington is warning. Sadness. Hope Chris’ call is dead on and we are really in the 3-6″ here. Happy snowy day everyone!
Rain going to ruin it all. Dang it, gonna turn a good one into a dud.
So the tracking map is showing a nice blue snow all over the top of us. So where is it snowing? Not in Frankfort. Is it staying up above us? and what does this mean as far as snow coming?
Alot of dry air to overcome..(virga) looks owensboro had a snow shower and around glasgow as well…hope y’all get what’s forecasted.. Me on the other hand yet again here in se tn .is gonna miss out again..all winter long I’ve watched every snow system miss me to the North..
SE KY hasn’t faired much better than you but we have had a little. I want the storms from the 90s where you get over a foot and are (REALLY) snowed in for a few days. Winter’s not over but I feel bad for you all down In East TN as you all really haven’t had even a 6 inch + since the 90s, have you?
Todd Howell, WBIR, is calling for 2-4″ for you guys (East TN, depending on where you are and not too far south)
Snowing in Knox County
The only saving grace would be a Pandora like situation last year where enough cold air stays trapped to get wet snow and sleet for a longer duration than forecasted. I know Harlan went from 2-4 forecasted the morning of the storm to a total of 11 inches later the same day with up to 18 in the higher elevations, but it certainly looks dreadful for sure:(
Imagine if it never turned to rain tomorrow and stayed snow all the way into Tuesday morning–20 inch snow wish casting right here:P
Looks like significant north west shot in Track of low is going to happen.I would look for winter storm warnings to be downgraded . All rain for monday.looks like ohio will get the wet snow.
Yeah 😉 They are going to downgrade the warnings they just put out a few hrs ago. Sounds legit
That’s not remotely happening Winter Storm Warnings will absolutely remain in place today and justifiably so.
Yeah, I think some will see at least 8 inches before the rain tomorrow morning and agree with you 100% here. The roads want improve until the middle of tomorrow either!
As of now, a giant donut hole is on the radar in western KY.
Might be optimistic to see the higher map totals for a lot of areas. Considering we had a much bigger snow pack with the last system and warm air still bullied its way through, cold rain seems a given tomorrow.
Agreed, no way we get close to that high end here in Frankfort, the way things are shaping up. Oh well, maybe we have a shot again in the last few weeks of winter.
Will all the rain on Monday quickly melt all of the snow from tonight?
Thanks Chris. Two questions …. We already have snow falling in Somerset…. Is this an appetizer or is the storm moving in a bit quicker? Just askin. And why is it now a winter storm warning? Due to 4+ inches possible or what? Totals are same as last night. Be safe today everyone and stat warm. Thanks Chris, for all you do. Have a great Sunday.
I’m happy to see you now include Owensboro in your pics of areas across the state.
Dont know about the forecast but its already pouring snow in Corbin lol. Once again the Jackson NWS dropped the ball.
Yeah, Jackson tried to keep this as a light snow event, even through last night. I think Jackson has always kept the totals lower than reality for fear of being wrong (LOL).
Yeah, Jackson tried to keep this as a light snow event, even through last night. I think Jackson has always kept the totals lower than reality for fear of being wrong (LOL). Jim Caldwell would even up the totals in his personal forecast before moving to Lexington a few years back; he was often fairly good with his forecasts too!
99% of the time I would agree with your statement, however, I don’t see how they dropped the ball this time around…their forecast is virtually the same as Chris’. lol
Already a coating in Barbourville
Appetizer snow now
Main course snow later today
Slushies for desert tomorrow
dessert
Hmmm….anyone else wondering if this might be an over achiever? Looks like a healthy band coming in and not too much mention of tomorrow. With the snow pack wondering if Temps w tend colder and snow totals will go up? Won’t be too surprised. WW
Already. A dusting in Middlesboro. Snow is picking up now.
Wsaz is giving very light snow mixed with rain and sleet for tonight and no snow for tomorrow. saying it will be a rain event for us that will wash away and melt the existing snow we get.
As much as I hate to admit it. That will probably be the case. The initial line of snow will dry up or miss to the southwest. Then the warm air will roll in with the rain. But you are right the Chas/Hunt stations always low ball the predictions.
http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/A_48hrsfc.gif
What exactly is this map showing us? Thanks!
Lows developing.
Ok, Thanks.
I know everyone on here loves the NW trend, but a SE trend would be very favorable for us to have less rain and warmth tomorrow as the current track shows the low almost reaching KY–way too far north for our hopeful storm three days ago but we will enjoy the several inches tonight!
Holy cow, Jackson saying up to 2 inches of rain tomorrow! Didn’t realize there was that much quantitative with this system.. If it was all snow we’d be looking at another historic winter storm.
I think temps are dropping. Its 20 outside and i know it wasnt 2 hours ago
So I am in St. Louis and the band of snow moving into Kentucky dropped about 1.5 inches here over a two hour period. I don’t see Louisville area getting much more than that out of this first wave. South of Louisville might pick up 2-4. I don’t see any six inch totals coming out of this first wave.
I agree. It’s moving quickSand won’t last long. Unless another wave comes in later, this will be a non-event.