Good Monday evening, gang. Today is one of those “wow” days of weather across the bluegrass state. The North Pole has basically taken up residence across the midwest and Ohio Valley. This is complete with absurd temps and wind chill and arctic snow showers that continue this evening.
The term “polar vortex” is all over the place today as the weather world tracks this incredible blast of cold. That’s a term you read about on the blog well before Christmas. I pointed to the fact I was seeing signs of the Polar Vortex diving into the country during the first week or so of the new year. It’s good when a long range plan comes together. I know… first time for everything. 🙂
Exactly what is the polar vortex?
I don’t think we have seen the last of the polar vortex this winter. I think the pattern is reloading for another arctic assault on the country later this month and likely into February. As bad as this pattern has been of late across this region… I would not be surprised to see something even more extreme develop before all is said and done.
This is taking nothing away from what we have now because it’s brutal and we continue to have dangerous wind chills. If you are looking for something cool to do when it’s this cold… my buddy Chris Reece has an idea…
Stay safe and take care.
Great info! Thanks!!
thanks, Chris for all you do!
we ended up with about an inch of snow in downtown lexington. I didn’t think the cold was that bad early in the AM but it certainly got worse. had a bit of outside work…brrrr. cutting cold!
a great job to Chris Reece on the video. a fine young man!
Thank you very much for the compliments. It means a lot. 🙂
thanks for the post Chris.
I have an excellent idea when its real cold sit inside entertain urself with Kentucky Bourbon.
and while you’re drinking start moaning and complaing to Chris about the central Kentucky snowless curse.
its very important to keep stressing the point that it never snows here anymore.
I saw a comment earlier about what -0 was and I wondered the same thing. So when the temp is lets say for example, the high for a day was 49.9°, the high is considered 49° and not 50° right? (the non-decimal temps that the NWS use in data) It rounds down, so if the low goes to -0.9°, it should be rounded to -1° according to how it’s set (or the rule)? Anybody know this?
I would say an 80% chance of another PV invading the region, but even safer to say about 0% chance we will see a snow beyond 5″. Take it to the bank, cash it and go somewhere for vacation that actually gets snow 😉
The “megalopolis” area of CKY (Berea, Lexington, Richmond, Winchester) and areas adjacent are cursed by the river. Let he/she who doubts these bold words of self delusion-wisdom doubt at their snow loving peril. 😉
Considering most of us have not seen a snow above 4″ in several years, the 5″ seems a very safe & secure monetary note. More stable than gold (especially lately).
South of the river is dinged by the river and folks just to the north get more ice, so in a way- double curse powa’ !
Your preaching to the. Hour brother.
Dang iPhone keypads. Let me try again.
Your preaching to the choir brother.
Get a Galaxy S4. More room 🙂
The choir
I can handle the video above with boiling water, but if anybody does that with a brewsky, that would be pure savagery wasting the amber nectar. Cat juggling would be less obscene!
Loaded up my son’s Super Soaker’s this evening and created my own snowstorm on the back patio! It was a show stopper! Tried bubbles also! They freeze, fall straight to the deck and shatter into pieces! Pretty rad stuff!
cool-you should post that!
Our power went off last night around 11 PM. Back on early this afternoon. Hats off to the guys that get out in this brutal weather and get lines and poles back in order. Not an easy job.. I experienced the thunder snow last night as it plowed through southeast Ky. There was literally a lightning strike right above my house, Talk about LOUD.
I love days like these reminds me of winters growing up except we had snow to go along with the cold 🙂
Dodger says the cold is impressive but Mr Bailey, what are the chances to get a storm track favorable for heavy KY snow in the coming weeks?
That is the funniest comment I have read all year…LMAO…. (yeah i know the year is only a few days old)
The answer is 0000000%
Thanks for all you do Chris Bailey!!
You are greatly, greatly appreciated!!!
Tried the boiling water trick and it worked well! I probably was entertained more than I should have been.
Yeah what are the chances for a significant snow the rest of this
Month?
Wow….You people really ask questions that are very easy to answer…..
Once again….00000000%
-4 now in Lawrenceburg. Coldest temp since January of 2004 (-6).
Now -5. It hasn’t been lower than -7 since February of 1996. Might bust that by midnight. I can never remember it being this cold with a bare ground.
It’s snowing in Paintsville and there is nothing on radar? It’s coming down at a pretty good clip and covering the roads again
Can someone tell me if it ever snows in CKY? No one ever talks about it on this site.
Snowing in Frankfort right now, sugar coating and -4, strange!
4.7 here at Topmost in Knott County…brrrrrr
-6 ° in Lexington now. Forecast was for -4° with tomorrow mornings record of -7° Interesting!!!
Still not as cold as it was on jan of 2003 and 2004 in Lexington, third time we’ve been this cold in the 14 years I’ve lived here. Maybe we will get below -7 but my electric bill will be happier if we don’t.
Mine too Michael
Michael it is actually colder tonight than in either of those years.
Imagine if we had a decent snow pack. -11 easily.
I remember in February of 1998, Lexington had a terrible snow storm. My father inlaw was in the hospital there. There were several inches on the ground the streets were terrible.
This is is the coldest I remember it ever being and it is COLD. I tried to start my car earlier and it is completely dead. Ran just fine yesterday too. Oy. Just glad that these schools decided to go ahead and call off and not risk parents sending their kids off to the bus stops in windbreakers like the little guy down the street who was out running around in one earlier with no hat, gloves, or other winter gear. He told my dad, “My mom said I need some exercise.” Ugh.
End of the month is going to be wicked for the entire united states. Especially east of the Miss. River…..
And north of the Ohio river 😉 No, really. 🙁
Down to -7° already and only 25 minutes after midnight. Already 3° colder than forecast. I am going by Weatherbug,so may be unofficial. If it is official then we tied the old record of -7° already and barely into the day.
Snow pack would get us about 5 degrees colder than now.
I remember a dry no snow cold spell in 1983 or. 84 it was around Christmas the Wildcats were playing Kansas . The temps were below zero if I’m not mistaken. It is -4 here in London now anyways everyone try to stay warm.
Chris Reece great Job!!!!!!