February 2022 Summary

Groundhog Day this year was cloudy and wet, and according to tradition that means we'll have an early spring. With as warm and, especially, wet as this February turned out to be, perhaps the groundhog's prediction has come true!

A slow-moving low pressure system moved through the Tennessee Valley early in the month, bringing many of us 2-4 inches of rain from the 3rd through the 5th. The storm also brought a wintry mix to the region, especially in southern Indiana. A CoCoRaHS observer northwest of Plattsburg, Indiana, reported nearly four inches of snow.

The next significant system blew through the region on the 17th, bringing generally 1 to 3 inches of rain. However, the bigger story with this event was the straight-line winds out ahead of it, gusting to 50-60mph!

Additional rains came in from the 22nd through the 25th, adding moisture to already wet ground and sending some rivers, including the Ohio at Tell City, into flood.

	Average Temperature	Departure from Normal	Precipitation	Departure from Normal	Snow	Departure from Normal
Bowling Green	40.6°	-0.5°	6.10"	+2.03"	0.1"	-2.8"
Frankfort	38.4°	+0.6°	7.29"	+3.89"
Lexington	37.9°	+0.4°	7.69"	+4.05"	1.3"	-3.2"
Louisville Ali	39.6°	+0.1°	6.74"	+3.33"	1.6"	-2.5"
Louisville Bowman	38.8°	+0.1°	6.81"	+3.54"

Records

3rd: Precipitation of 1.93" at Frankfort, precipitation of 1.92" at Lexington, precipitation of 1.51" at Louisville
17th: Precipitation of 2.41" at Frankfort, precipitation of 2.31" at Louisville

5th wettest February on record at Frankfort and Lexington

Icy branches in Edmonson County, KY February 24, 2022

Icy conditions in Edmonson County on the 24th. Photo courtesy Johnny Merideth via Twitter