Fortunately 2020 was an unusually quiet weather year. Due to COVID-19 and staffing challenges at NWS Louisville, we were very grateful for that! Over the entire year there were only two tornadoes in central Kentucky, and none in southern Indiana. Snowfall was sparse, and we didn't issue a single Winter Storm Warning.
January 10: South winds brought record warmth into the region. It was the warmest January 10 on record at Lexington (57°/67°) and Louisville (58°/67°).
January 11: Strong winds with thunderstorms out ahead of a cold front gusted into the 50-60 mph range. A 63 mph gust was reported in Bowling Green. Temperatures soared into the 70s.
February 7: Cold air on the backside of low pressure moving from Tennessee to Virginia supported snowfall, especially in the Blue Grass where 2 to 4 inches piled up.
February 15: A cold morning in an otherwise mild winter. Temperatures dipped to 8° in Meade County, 9° in Harrison County, KY, and the 10° to 17° range elsewhere.
February 29: Leap Day snows of 1 to 3 inches fell throughout the region, with the heaviest amounts east of Interstate 65.
March 3: Shortly after midnight an EF-2 tornado struck southeast of Alvaton near the Warren/Allen County border. The twister was only on the ground for 2.2 miles and fortunately there were no injuries or deaths.
March 12: A supercell thunderstorm tracked all the way from just southeast of Saint Louis to Lake Cumberland. It produced several instances of large hail and damaging winds.
April 8: Isolated storms developed during the afternoon and produced large hail and damaging winds. Later that evening, a line of severe thunderstorms moved in from the northwest and produced widespread damaging winds and small hail. An EF-1 tornado spun up along the front edge of the line of severe storms and tracked for four miles across Nelson County.
April 15: A three day period of chilly weather peaked today with a hard freeze as temperatures tumbled into the 20s. Breckinridge, Meade, and Harrison (KY) Counties reported lows of 22°.
April 29: A strong spring storm system brought winds of 40 to 50 mph to the region. Lexington recorded a 50 mph gust; Louisville gusted to 52 mph.
May 9: May 5-13 was unusually chilly. On the 9th the mercury fell into the 20s in many locations. Cynthiana bottomed out at 26°. Fortunately agricultural damage was less than was feared.
June 10: The Clark County (KY) Mesonet station recorded an amazing 77 mph wind gust during a severe thunderstorm. Two hundred trees were downed in a three mile swath north of Winchester. Several barns were blown down.
July 5: One of the hottest days of the year. Frankfort soared to 96° and Louisville hit 95° while Lexington and Bowling Green saw 93°. Mammoth Cave reported 94°.
October 28: The combination of low pressure coming up from the lower Mississippi Valley plus the remnants of Hurricane Zeta brought widespread rain to the area. Two to three inches fell on southern Indiana.
November 10: Very unusual warmth for so late in the season. The last of three consecutive days with temperatures in the 80s. Warmest November 10 on record at Lexington (57°/77°) and Louisville (62°/80°).
November 15: A windy day as a strong autumn cold front cruised through. Warren County reported a 59 mph gust, Louisville 56 mph, Orange County 55 mph, and Lexington 54 mph.
| Bowling Green | Frankfort | Lexington | Louisville Bowman | Louisville Ali | |
| Highest Temperature | 95° July 18 and July 21 | 96° July 5 | 93° July 5 and July 25 | 95° July 19 | 95° July 5 and July 19 |
| Lowest Temperature | 16° Feb 15, Dec 25, Dec 26 | 12° Jan 22, Feb 15, Dec 26 | 9° December 26 | 13° December 26 | 15° December 25 and Dec 26 |
| Daily Average Temperature Most Above Normal | +29° January 10 | +30° January 10 | +30° January 11 | +28° January 10 | +28° January 10 |
| Daily Average Temperature Most Below Normal | -16° April 14 and May 9 | -19° May 9 | -20° May 9 and May 11 | -19° May 9 | -18° May 11 |
| Wettest Day | 2.68" June 28 | 2.58" August 18 | 2.24" September 13 | 3.21" July 30 | 2.35" July 30 |
| Snowiest Day | 1.6" February 7 | 2.3" November 30 | 1.1" February 7 | ||
| Deepest Snow Cover | 1" February 7 | 2" December 1 | 1" February 7 |
Kentucky Derby weather, September 5: Sunny, no precipitation, high 84°, low 59°, fast track
(All data here are considered preliminary. For official final data, contact the National Centers for Environmental Information.)
| Bowling Green | ||||||
| Average Temperature | Departure from Normal | Precipitation | Departure from Normal | Snow | Departure from Normal | |
| January | 42.6° | +6.9° | 4.76" | +1.15" | T | -3.3" |
| February | 42.1° | +2.3° | 6.12" | +2.16" | 2.3" | -0.7" |
| Winter | 43.3° | +5.3° | 16.34" | +3.96" | 2.3" | -5.3" |
| March | 53.9° | +5.5° | 8.38" | +3.97" | 0 | -1.1" |
| April | 55.9° | -1.8° | 4.19" | -0.15" | T | -0.2" |
| May | 65.1° | -1.3° | 3.22" | -2.22" | 0 | 0 |
| Spring | 58.3° | +0.8° | 15.79" | +1.43" | 0 | -1.3" |
| June | 75.5° | +0.5° | 5.03" | +0.83" | 0 | 0 |
| July | 81.6° | +2.9° | 5.60" | +1.50" | 0 | 0 |
| August | 77.7° | +0.2° | 6.64" | +3.31" | 0 | 0 |
| Summer | 78.3° | +1.2° | 17.27" | +5.64" | 0 | 0 |
| September | 70.5° | +0.4° | 1.87" | -2.06" | 0 | 0 |
| October | 59.7° | +0.9° | 3.68" | +0.30" | 0 | 0 |
| November | 51.5° | +3.1° | 1.89" | -2.33" | T | -0.1" |
| Autumn | 60.6° | +1.5° | 7.44" | -4.09" | T | +T |
| December | 39.5° | +0.9° | 3.02" | -1.78" | T | -1.2" |
| ANNUAL | 59.6° | +1.6° | 54.40" | +4.51" | 2.3" | -6.9" |
| Frankfort | ||||
| Average Temperature | Departure from Normal | Precipitation | Departure from Normal | |
| January | 40.2° | +7.6° | 3.90" | +0.64" |
| February | 38.2° | +1.8° | 4.17" | +0.88" |
| Winter | 40.1° | +5.4° | 12.39" | +1.83" |
| March | 51.3° | +6.4° | 4.60" | +0.22" |
| April | 52.7° | -2.5° | 5.04" | +1.35" |
| May | 62.9° | -1.0° | 6.25" | +1.54" |
| Spring | 55.6° | +0.9° | 15.89" | +2.97" |
| June | 73.8° | +1.2° | 3.88" | -0.21" |
| July | 79.7° | +3.4° | 3.43" | -0.96" |
| August | 75.7° | +0.5° | 7.63" | +4.27" |
| Summer | 76.4° | +1.7° | 14.94" | +3.10" |
| September | 68.8° | +1.2° | 1.77" | -1.56" |
| October | 57.4° | +1.0° | 5.13" | +1.89" |
| November | 49.7° | +3.7° | 2.34" | -1.39" |
| Autumn | 58.6° | +1.9° | 9.24" | -1.06" |
| December | 36.8° | +1.5° | 2.19" | -1.82" |
| ANNUAL | 57.3° | +2.0° | 50.33" | +4.71" |
| Lexington | ||||||
| Average Temperature | Departure from Normal | Precipitation | Departure from Normal | Snow | Departure from Normal | |
| January | 41.5° | +8.6° | 3.61" | +0.41" | T | -3.9" |
| February | 36.7° | -0.2° | 4.88" | +1.68" | 3.6" | -1.0" |
| Winter | 40.7° | +5.5° | 14.46" | +4.13" | 3.6" | -7.4" |
| March | 49.7° | +4.2° | 4.96" | +0.89" | T | -1.4" |
| April | 50.9° | -4.4° | 4.92" | +1.32" | T | -0.3" |
| May | 61.4° | -2.8° | 5.12" | +0.04" | 0 | 0 |
| Spring | 54.0° | -1.0° | 15.00" | +2.07" | T | -1.7" |
| June | 72.1° | -0.6° | 2.93" | -1.51" | 0 | 0 |
| July | 78.2° | +2.0° | 4.08" | -0.57" | 0 | 0 |
| August | 74.1° | -1.2° | 3.57" | +0.32" | 0 | 0 |
| Summer | 74.8° | +0.1° | 10.58" | -1.76" | 0 | 0 |
| September | 66.8° | -1.3° | 4.21" | +1.30" | 0 | 0 |
| October | 56.2° | -0.8° | 4.35" | +1.22" | 0 | 0 |
| November | 48.4° | +2.1° | 2.31" | -1.22" | 2.3" | +2.0" |
| Autumn | 57.1° | -0.1° | 10.87" | +1.30" | 2.3" | +2.0" |
| December | 35.5° | -0.5° | 2.59" | -1.34" | 3.6" | +1.1" |
| ANNUAL | 56.0° | +0.4° | 47.53" | +2.36" | 9.5" | -3.5" |
| Louisville Ali | ||||||
| Average Temperature | Departure from Normal | Precipitation | Departure from Normal | Snow | Departure from Normal | |
| January | 41.7° | +6.8° | 4.05" | +0.81" | 0.2" | -3.5" |
| February | 40.4° | +1.6° | 3.46" | +0.28" | 1.9" | -2.6" |
| Winter | 42.1° | +4.9° | 11.14" | +0.89" | 2.4" | -8.4" |
| March | 53.3° | +5.5° | 4.69" | +0.52" | T | -1.4" |
| April | 55.9° | -2.1° | 4.08" | +0.07" | 0 | -0.1" |
| May | 65.4° | -1.7° | 5.93" | +0.82" | 0 | 0 |
| Spring | 58.2° | +0.6° | 14.70" | +1.25" | T | -1.5" |
| June | 76.8° | +1.2° | 6.52" | +2.73" | 0 | 0 |
| July | 82.2° | +2.9° | 5.03" | +0.80" | 0 | 0 |
| August | 77.9° | -0.5° | 5.56" | +2.23" | 0 | 0 |
| Summer | 79.0° | +1.2° | 17.11" | +5.76" | 0 | 0 |
| September | 71.3° | +0.3° | 3.18" | +0.13" | 0 | 0 |
| October | 60.0° | +0.5° | 5.21" | +1.99" | 0 | 0 |
| November | 52.9° | +4.2° | 2.67" | -0.92" | 0.1" | 0 |
| Autumn | 61.4° | +1.7° | 11.06" | +1.20" | 0.1" | -0.1" |
| December | 39.8° | +1.9° | 2.52" | -1.31" | 0.6" | -2.0" |
| ANNUAL | 59.8° | +1.6° | 52.90" | +7.99" | 2.8" | -9.7" |
| Louisville Bowman | ||||
| Average Temperature | Departure from Normal | Precipitation | Departure from Normal | |
| January | 41.2° | +6.7° | 3.85 | +0.47" |
| February | 39.7° | +1.6° | 3.61" | +0.43" |
| Winter | 41.4° | +4.8° | 11.05" | +0.48" |
| March | 52.2° | +5.2° | 5.09" | +0.93" |
| April | 54.5° | -2.6° | 4.36" | +0.28" |
| May | 64.1° | -2.2° | 4.83" | -0.15" |
| Spring | 56.9° | +0.1° | 14.28" | +0.92" |
| June | 75.1° | 0° | 4.29" | +0.15" |
| July | 80.7° | +2.9° | 6.75" | +2.58" |
| August | 76.7° | -0.8° | 4.97" | +1.66" |
| Summer | 77.5° | +0.7° | 16.01" | +4.39" |
| September | 69.8° | +0.2° | 2.41" | -0.75" |
| October | 58.6° | +0.3° | 5.39" | +2.17" |
| November | 51.1° | +3.6° | 2.90" | -0.71" |
| Autumn | 59.8° | +1.4° | 10.70" | +0.71" |
| December | 38.8° | +1.6 | 2.45" | -1.56" |
| ANNUAL | 58.5° | +1.3° | 50.90" | +5.36" |
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| Wind damage in Tompkinsville, KY, on January 11. CJ Padgett | Louisville flooding on February 16. Dan McKemy | Spring flowers on April 1. CJ Padgett | Storm entering Louisville on April 8. Dan McKemy | ||||
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| A rainbow over the weather office on June 27. CJ Padgett | Stormy skies over Louisville on July 11. Dan McKemy | Comet Neowise over Patoka Lake, Indiana on July 18. Dan McKemy | McNeely Lake in Louisville on July 21. Dan McKemy | ||||
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| Sunset in Lyndon, KY on July 23. Ted Funk | National Weather Service office in Louisville on July 24. Ted Funk | Fog on August 23. CJ Padgett | Lewis and Clark Bridge between Louisville KY and Utica IN on September 26. Ted Funk | ||||
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| Utica, IN on September 26. Ted Funk | Utica, IN on October 5. Ted Funk | Halo over the weather office on October 9. CJ Padgett | Snow in Louisville on the morning of December 25. Dan McKemy | ||||
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