Winter WX Facts

This Week is Winter Awareness Week.

Today NWS is talking about Extreme Cold and Wind Chill and steps on how to deal with it.

NWS is forecasting A warmer than normal winter but still expects cold waves to penetrate the Southern US. Way it looks some of these looking at the pattern look to be quite sig. I think.

I am forecasting due to a pot. very cold Dec. which can still be in the cards. The West KY blogspot calls for overall cooler than normal winter because of Dec. With pot. of above average snow in NW KY and Jackson Purchase and just average snowfall in Hopkinsville and Elkton Ky area. Even though above normal temps look pretty good for jan or feb or both.

Today: i will do winter wx facts.

Main Analogs: (1989-90) (2000-01) (1950-51)
Secondary Analogs: (1985-86) (1976-77)

• Average Mean Temp is around low 40's in Winter Time.
• Nov and Mar highs average in the upper 50's. Lows in the mid to upper 30's
• Jan. is the coldest Month
• Feb. is the snowiest month close behind is January
• Snow has occurred as early as Oct 29th and as late as April 25th in West KY
• Record Coldest Temp in West KY was -32 record at Princeton on 2/2/1951 (after the historic 1951 Ice/Snow Storm) -37 occurring in Shelbyville KY and was states all time record low back in the Epic Jan 1994 Cold Snap
• Paducah averages 10.3 inches of snow a year
• Hopkinsville averages 9.2 inches of snow a year
• Owensboro averages 11.9 inches of snow a year
• Nashville Tn averages 9.1 inches of snow a year
• Jamestown Tn averages 21 inches of snow a year
• Coldest Month on Record was Jan 1977
• Snowiest Month on Record was either Jan 1918, Mar 1960, or Dec 2004 depending on where you are at in West KY
• White Christmas has a 9% probability of occurring east of the Lakes and South of the West Ky Parkway and 10-15% of occurring north of the West Ky parkway and west of the Lakes.
• http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=wwawareness this is a great link
• 70% deaths in winter WX are traffic most males over 40
• Wind chill is a very underestimated threat even in Kentucky

A neutral or weak la nina is forecasted for this winter. Some fall back nina may retain propertes of a la nina even if we have a neutral winter.

- West KY weather

- Winter WX awareness 2008