Happy Wednesday to one and all. We have a touch of winter out there today, but that’s nothing compared to what was going on 20 years ago today. The “Storm Of The Century” was raging across the eastern half of the country. We’ll take a walk down memory lane in a moment.
Let’s start with a few headlines on the current weather…
- Snow showers and flurries will be noted across the state today. A rooftop duster is possible for a few area. Temps will only reach the low and middle 30s. That’s 20 degrees below normal.
- A system will dive in from northwest to southeast Thursday evening and that may bring a swath of light rain and snow across central and eastern Kentucky.
- Unsettled weather is in store for the weekend as a cold front stalls out across our region. That will lead to periodic showers and a big north-south temp spread.
- Another storm system will roll into the area early next week with rain to begin and the possibility of snow to end.
The Superstorm of 1993 was one for the record books. March 12-14, delivered one of the most potent storms to ever strike the United States. Some of the highlights: 100mph winds, a storm surge and tornadoes in Florida… 5″ of snow in the Florida Panhandle and a shutdown blizzard from Alabama to New England. This
I found some cool images from that storm for you guys. Check em out…
Here in Kentucky… snowfall totals were beyond impressive. Locations near Hazard in Perry county reported 30″. Officially 20″ fell at the NWS in Jackson while London recorded 22″. The Lexington area picked up 3″-12″ of snow as totals quickly dropped to nothing the farther west we went toward the Ohio River.
Winds of 40mph+ whipped the snow into huge drifts that shut down roads, including I-64 and I 75, for several days. Unfortunately, 5 people were killed in Kentucky with nearly 300 lives lost across the eastern US.
Having grown up in eastern Ky… I remember this storm well. It was an amazing sight to behold and it’s a storm that may not see it’s equal anytime soon. Feel free to share your stories from this monster storm.
Take care.
Please, NO SNOT!gross haha …..talk about traffic prolems lol
Make that 2 votes against snot Chris…..this time of year I’d prefer it over snow tho.
Lmbo!!! I read that typo and cracked up!!! I was a freshman in college in93′. Wish my kids could see a storm like that. Never will forget it!!!
I’ll never forget the storm of 93. We measured 30 inches of snow in our yard. It was something else!
That was in Hazard.
Rain and snot sounds like a sticky situation!
I knew Swathman was accused of bringing imaginary snow, but now snot?! Elementary teachers and doctors are cringing, knowing there’s more snot than usual coming their way tomorrow.
I feel your pain….I have a least 3 typos in an email, but this one is memorable. Thanks for the forecasts, all the work, and the laughs.
I remember that storm so well. I was a junior in high school. I lived in Alabama then. We lost power. The winds were horrible and my uncle had made a crank for his wood stove downstairs and we would take turns cranking it so it would blow the heat to us. We stayed warm and that was a good thing. We cooked on our outside grill too. They made thirst that said knee deep in 93. I can still picture the way it looked outside the next day. It’s hard to believe its been 20 years ago. Very historical storm for me. Haven’t seen one come close to it. Where is spring??? Please bring it back if u find it: )
They made shirts not thirst crazy autocorrect.
1987 April storm dumped almost 30 inches here in Leslie Co. 6 years later, 1993 March superstorm dumped close to another 30 inches in the county..I will remember both of these for the rest of my life…
hey I remember the met in Lex TVQ station saying that SE Ky would get flurries to light dusting ….. I went to bed thinking might see a little and woke up to over 24″ in my yard …. still had to dig out and get to work at 6am …. cars were everywhere in ditches, people just standing outside looking around.
Heavy snow in frankfort this morning, winds are howling, crazy march weather?
I remember the “dusting” of 93 well. Was one heck of a storm. How fitting that we get the light snoW on its anniversary! Looking for some more springlike weather soon, hopefully. Chris, thanks for all you do here. We appreciate it….snot and all!
It was more like a reverse dusting, since most people were in Spring mode, in spite of the mets hyping the storm for several days. Hype justified in that case, but went disregarded by many.
Wasn’t expecting to scrape ice off this morning
The only weather I experienced in March of 1993 was blowing dust and 90+ degrees! I did watch the storm on CNN from the Persian Gulf!
On a completely different note… Holy Snow! It came down so hard in Lexington about 30 minutes ago that we picked up a 1/4″ in under 20 minutes! It was beyond impressive!
I’ll never forget the storm of 1993 here in Perry Co. Howling winds, thunder and lightning, and whiteout conditions. I had to shovel a path through the deep (27″) of snow so an elderly neighbor could be brought out of her home to come and stay with us. That was a life-threatening event for many.
I remember the storm very well. I lived in London & was on SPRING BREAK from Alice Lloyd College. I had stayed home for spring break & had planned to get a little bit of sun. Well, that certainly didn’t happen. We had no groceries in the house & there was no way we could get out on the road. Mom, my sister & I had to walk about a half mile to the grocery store in almost waist deep snow to get food to last until the roads cleared. You had better believe that when my kids complain about it being cold or taking the trash out in the snow that I tell this story… over & over! LOL
I missed it completely — spent all of the 90s living in England… Oh well, I’m back and will catch the next one!
Ok Mr bailey it’s pouring the snow at my house in Morehead. We had whiteout conditions and ground is almost completely covered. Where oh where is Mr Spring. Chirping birds and beautiful sunshine.
Knox County
Heaviest snow squall of the winter just came through Leslie Co. Quick 1/2 inch to 1 inch … Everything covered
I remembered it so well, I was 6 when that happened. It’s still fresh like it was yesterday!
Lived in New Orleans then. We had about 3 inches of snow, first measurable snow there since 1966.
I still have the picture of a foot of snow on my ’87 Honda Civic from that storm. I had just moved here from FL so for me it was quite a sight.
That was the biggest snow I had ever been in, in my life. I won’t never forget it.
I’m enjoying the snow this morning, knowing it could be some of the last for the season. Spring is on our heels. I love the four seasons.
Every one have a good day!
The 1993 storm was a bust in Frankfort a whopping 1 or 2 inches, so that storms is forgetable for me, east KY loved it though!
Another 1/2 inch of snow in east Frankfort this morning, a snow shower now with a temp of 30, SPRING where are you?
Richmond got almost 12″.
And you still said, “meh”.
That was when the SEC tournament was held at Rupp Arena, the last year an SEC tournament was held at a school’s home floor. The snow was deep and it made getting to the arena tough, but it didn’t stop anyone.
Yep I was their, cats thumped LSU by 30 in the championship game
Yet it’s ok to hold the SEC tournament in Bridgestone Arena, within long walking distance of Vanderbilt’s campus.
Right.
I was in Louisville during the 93 Superstorm. Lots and lots of wind, very cold, but little snow.
But I was amazed at the huge snowfall totals elsewhere. The company I worked for had a company airplane snowed in at Birmingham, a city unaccustomed to even minor snows yet here was central Alabama of all places with well over a foot of wind driven snow.
However, Louisville would make up for missing out on the 93 Superstorm by experiencing the January 94 event (15 inches snow, then minus 22 degree temps although a week later it was back in the 60s).
Ah memories….The one in 87 i was dating my soon to be wife and got snowed in at her parents house..That was not too enjoyable..lol
The 93 storm i had to drive my now wife to work at Hazard..Had an old jeep CJ-5 that would go anywhere..Divorced now,I sure miss and loved that Jeep..lol… joking..
My family, best friend & I all intertubed for days after this snow hit. We had around 2 feet and it was AWESOME! I would walk next door to my cousins’ house and we played UNO every single day. It may not sound like much to anyone else, but this blizzard helped create one of my fondest memories.
Talk about a brutal start to March 2013. Just wanted to check some facts about how cold this March has been. According to KY Mesonet here is how it compares to previous years in Knox County.
Avg. High Temp through first 13 days of month
2009 56
2010 54
2011 58
2012 62
2013 47
Days of 60 + degree Weather through first 13 days
2009 (7 days) 2010 (5 days) 2011 (6 days) 2012 (9 days) 2013 (3 days)
Days of 50+ degree Weather through first 13 days
2009 (8 days) 2010 (7 days) 2011 (10 days) 2012 (11 days) 2013 (5 days)
This has been a cold start compared to other years. My personal criteria for a good temperature for March is anything above 60 degrees and as you can see this year has not been good. Even being generous and saying 50 degrees is decent weather (which I think is good for February but not so much March) this year has only produced 5 days hitting the 50′s and yesterday was one of those days and it barely met the criteria at 50.1 degrees. Enough of the cold, spring needs to get here.
We had the 30 inches, I didnt have any electricity for 11 days, we had to put our milk outside in the snow, and cook on a camp stove. It sure was an experience!
I was 12 living in Tennessee at the time. I have a picture of me outside in thigh-high snow!