Good Tuesday and Happy New Year. Let me start out by thanking each of you for every single thing you guys do for our weather family that is KWC. The site is more than 10 years old now and we have never gone a day without an update. Here’s hoping 2019 gives you the most magical year of weather, yet.
As we look back at 2018, rain was by far and away the dominant weather headline. Many cities recorded their wettest year on record, establishing a new bar that may live for a long, long time. If we look back at rainfall numbers for the year, some areas topped out at better than 80″…
Just look at how much real estate hit 70″ or more! Just… WOW!
As far as temps for the year, our high temps were actually below normal across much of the region…
With lots of clouds and water vapor filling the air from the soggy ground, overnight lows were MUCH above normal….
Those lows skewed our yearly average temp to a little above normal…
How do we roll into the first few days of the new year? The next system rolls at us in waves, with the main low on Friday. One band of rain increases on Wednesday into Wednesday night with the bowling ball low following that up with heavy rain the chance for a little mix or snow from Thursday night through Friday night…
I have a lot of football to watch today, but I’m still going to try and throw you an update at some point. Have a fantastic start to 2019 and take care.
70.05 was my final annual total…rain stopped 5 minutes before midnight which made it easy to start fresh by erasing to 0 for the new year. December total was 7.67 in.
It was a nail biter for sure as I hit the 70 in mark with less than a hour of the last day of the year. My area of Harlan Co. doesn’t seem representative on the map above as it shows around 60 inches but I made the 70 inches, barely!
Here is high hope that everyone on this blog has a wonderful 2019 with better health, happiness and some snow to boot:)
As if we need more rain records…. 🙁
In the last hours of the year, 2018 became the wettest year on record for Crossville TN (74.88 inches).
Maybe, we set some different records this year. I don’t want a drought, but some change would be good. This winter season is not starting out like I would have thought but the Lord will let it do what it is going to and I am only here for the ride:)
That map shows my area in the >=70″ shading. Yet, my final total for the year was 67.84″, nearly an inch shy of the official reading 10 miles NE of my house at Louisville International (68.83″).
And that little speck at the eastern end of Harlan county, I presume is Black Mountain region, should have had a different shading than the 70-80″ category, because they were clearly way above 80″.
By the way, off of the weather topic, there was a town east of
Evarts called Dizney. The name is so closely related to the Walt Disney theme parks/attractions I found it funny. We always say let’s go to Disney when going on vacation. If I ever get the time to come through Middlesboro again, I’ll try to remember to take the roads toward Harlan and see how far I can get.
Yeah, the map is strange above as it appears fairly close on an overall range of precip on a broad scale but off in certain, smaller scale areas. Additional factors like isolated t-storms, dry shadowing and up sloping (SE KY for these two), can skew the data some on a micro level. Literally. A small area can receive a quick hitting tiny but hefty producing t-storm or shower in the warm season with rain only in a few mile radius with all other areas missing out. Oh well, I go by my personal data! It is official if I experience…lol…I recorded over 70.00 and that is what I recorded for the year:)
If only Dizney in Harlan Co. was an attraction like the theme park! It is basically a tiny community of about 100 or so people.
Wishing everybody a happy and safe 2019!
Weather History. On this date 55 years ago (late Dec 31 1963 to New Year’s Day 1964) was a rather hard hitting winter storm that buried Kentucky and especially Tennessee along with much of the Deep South. While Louisville got five inches and Bowling Green eight, areas along the Tennessee-Alabama line had up to 18 inches of snow if not more. Nashville TN received nearly a foot. Huntsville AL experienced its biggest single snowstorm on record with 17.1 inches.
Even the Gulf Coast was not spared with New Orleans of all places being virtually shut down by over four inches of wet heavy snow. Even Mobile had two inches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve_1963_snowstorm
I know some who post on here don’t like winter or snow too much, but I for one am on board for a storm like that!
Shoot, at this point, I am about on board for sunny and dry winter…getting antsy as this season hasn’t worked out like I thought so far and the rain has been non-stop!
I would love a big snow like that. I don’t why we dont get them any more.
What happen to all the cold and snow guess it’s rain rain rain I’m so sick of rain Chris nothing at you because you know I think you are great at what you do but I think this winter is going to be a big let down
Well I haven’t had a drop of rain since midnight so I’m on pace for the driest year on record.
Splendid post…loved the annual charts. Will save them.
If it is not going to snow, I prefer the moderate temperatures.
Of course, I wish the weather was drier.
Happy New Year Chris and all of my KWC friends! Had lots of rain and wind even in Strongsville, OH yesterday. Travelling today so glad it is calmer! I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years Day and a great year! Now, Go CATS!!!
My home weather station tabulates a total of 89.6 inches of rain for 2018 in my area of the county.
Looks like no sunshine until the weekend maybe? Still a couple more months of this dark dreary stuff..
excuse me for asking but where is all this cold and snow and potentially harsh winter weather at?……….i see a lot of 40s and 50s for highs showing up well into next week…….people in my book that is just about normal or slightly above normal around here.
Did someone mention us having the “potential “ for a harsh winter? Why, I do not know what you speak of haha
Happy New Chris! I hope that you have a blessed 2019. Thanks for all you do! I never miss a post.
Teleconnections like AO going negative but NAO trending positive signals any cold shots here regionally will be brief and the coldest air mainly confined north and northeast of our region. Wraparound snows is the best we can do for now at least through January 10 and maybe beyond. CPC has our region in a likely chance for above normal temperatures overall through January 14. I still believe a significant cooldown will commence later this month but am not so confident of the longevity of any cold air intrusion.
If it is not going to snow, I am down with normal temps.
I would like a little more sunshine.
PNA is still positive and trending to stay positive. Maybe it works out soon:)…well, that is if you want snow like I do!
The latest GEFS says the colder pattern returns mid Jan. But the model verification at that range has been rubbish for all the models, so we can only take it one week at a time, I guess. In that regard, nothing but rain and warm temps for now. It’s ok, if we get a clear day or two it’s nice to be out.
Chris,
Do we have any hope for snow this winter anymore? I just looked at weather.com and there is nothing but mild temperatures on there in sight through much of this month.. Just curious if you think we will get any or will the rest of winter basically be a bust…. Go ahead and give it to me. I’m ready for the cold, er I mean warm hard truth. lol
Almost there???
“You serious Clark”
I think what we are seeing now is what we are going to get. I think this is going to be like the Winter before last when I received about 6 inches of snow for the season. At this point it looks like 6 inches will be tough reach.
I’m giving it to the third week in January. Till then stay thirsty my friends.
I read an article last night from NOAA. It said the first 15 days would definitely be above normal, not January like. And the rest of the month normal to a bit above. Didn’t mention precip but I would suspect with those numbers, the rain train will continue roll.
Never fear Jimbo…the great (in his own mind) Joe Bastardi says 2nd half of January forward equals worse than normal winter, however, unfortunately that’s as good a sign as anything to throw in the towel….lol 🙂 🙂 🙂
He isn’t the only one. Most Mets I follow are saying 2md half of Jan things should flip
I think it flips too…but, can we cash in on it or just suffer colder air???
Fake news
The eps is horrifying and now the gefs seems to be trending towards it..Really looking bad at this point..Oh well all one can do is laugh and cry..
Happy New Year Chris! Thanks for all you do. Hoping for a good snowstorm soon!
MARCH will probably be the snow month, several inches of snow then it melts the same day!