KENTUCKY MONTHLY AND ANNUAL CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR -- 2020 By: Tom Priddy and Matt Dixon -- UK Agricultural Weather Center * Based on Preliminary Data. Weekly graphs available within the UKAWC Kentucky Weather Information Web site. Sources: UKAWC, NCDC and Midwest Regional Climate Center === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period December 2020 Near Normal Temperatures and Below Normal Precipitation: * Preliminary data from the UK Ag Weather Center shows the state averaged 3.13 inches for the month of December, which is over an inch below normal and marks a second straight month of below normal precipitation. Temperatures were up and down throughout December and ultimately ended near the monthly normal. December started with chilly temperatures in place and even some minor snow accumulations across Eastern Kentucky. Highs were limited to the 30s on the first day of the month, well below normal highs in the upper 40s to low 50s for that time of year. While temperatures did trend warmer over the next couple weeks, precipitation was still lacking. In fact, through the first half of December, the state had seen four straight weeks of below normal precipitation. In doing so, an area of ‘Abnormally Dry’ conditions was introduced across portions of South-Central Kentucky by the US Drought Monitor. Precipitation did increase over the second half of the month with multiple rounds of widespread coverage. One of the more memorable events was a strong cold front that pushed through Kentucky on Christmas Eve. After precipitation type started as rain, temperatures crashing behind the front transitioned any rain over to snow. Snow continued into the night and lingered into Christmas Day. The most significant accumulations were across Eastern Kentucky with 4 to 6 inches common, but some locations topped 8. Very chilly temperatures followed with morning lows on Christmas in the teens and highs on the day only rising into the upper teens to middle 20s. Much of Eastern Kentucky then saw lows in the single digits on the morning of the 26th. During this 48- hour window, wind chills dropped into the single digits and even below zero at times, pushing the livestock cold stress index into the emergency category. Looking at 2020 as a whole, preliminary data from the Ag Weather Center shows the state precipitation average at 57.91 inches and 57.3 for temperature. This would be good for a sixth straight year that state average temperatures and precipitation have ran above normal. While not yet official, the state precipitation average of 57.91 would place in the top 10 wettest years on record with data going back to 1895. Temperatures for the period averaged 38 degrees across the state which was near normal. High temperatures averaged from 48 in the West to 47 in the East. Departure from normal high temperatures ranged from near normal in the West to 1 degree cooler than normal in the East. Low temperatures averaged from 31 degrees in the West to 30 degrees in the East. Departure from normal low temperature ranged from 1 degree warmer than normal in the West to 3 degrees warmer than normal in the East. The extreme high temperature for the period was 71 at FORT CAMPBELL and the extreme low was 1 at BARBOURVILLE 3E. Precipitation (liq. equ.) for the period totaled 3.13 inches statewide which was 1.29 inches below normal and 71% of normal. Precipitation totals by climate division, West 2.88 inches, Central 3.22 inches, Bluegrass 2.39 inches and East 4.02 inches, which was 1.95, 1.58, 1.46 and 0.19 inches below normal. By station, precipitation totals ranged from a low of 1.77 inches at CARLISLE 5SW to a high of 5.50 inches at ALBANY 1N. * = Preliminary Data Summarized and averaged data for the period 20201201 to 20201231(Last 31 Days) (Not for Legal purposes. Departure from Norms based on climate divisional Averages) AIR TEMPERATURE PRECIPITATION ExtremeTemp STATION MAX DEV MIN DEV AVR DEV TOTAL DEV %NORM HI LO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEST(CD1) 48 0 31 1 39 0 2.88 -1.95 60 71 9 CENTRAL(CD2) 47 0 30 1 39 1 3.22 -1.58 67 68 9 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 44 -1 29 1 37 0 2.39 -1.46 62 68 7 EAST(CD4) 47 -1 30 3 38 0 4.02 -0.19 95 68 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATE 46 -1 30 2 38 0 3.13 -1.29 71 71 1 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period November 2020 Above Normal Temperatures and Precipitation: November opened with a strong cold front pushing through the state. While it was a dry passage, winds gusted between 30 and 40 mph from time to time. Behind the boundary, the state saw widespread subfreezing temperatures, bringing an end to the 2020 growing season. Many dropped into the low to middle 20s. While it was a cool start to the month, the first full week of the month featured perfect harvest weather with dry conditions and increasing temperatures in place. In fact, much of the state went about 10 days with dry conditions in place. Towards the end of this period, high temperature records were being broken with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. A couple cold fronts then brought temperatures closer to normal towards the middle of November, along with about an inch of rainfall accumulations. The bigger story with the frontal passage on the 15th was the breezy conditions in place as most across Kentucky saw peak gusts between 40 and 50 mph. Below normal rainfall followed for the second half of the month. Overall, preliminary data shows the state averaged 2.12 inches for November, which broke a streak of 13 straight months with above normal rainfall. === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period October 2020 Above Normal Temperatures and Precipitation: The first half of October featured a drier pattern that carried over from the second half of September. In fact, the state had gone five straight weeks of seeing below normal rainfall. That trend came to an abrupt end over the second half of the month as the state saw several rounds of widespread soaking rainfall. One of those rounds included the passage of yet another tropical system through the state. This time, it was the remnants of Hurricane Zeta that combined with a strong disturbance aloft to produce widespread rainfall. Most of Kentucky saw 1 to 3 inches with this round. Overall, the Bluegrass State averaged 4.60 inches for the month, which marked a 13th straight month of above normal precipitation. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 58.0 58.6 -0.6 5.48 3.67 1.81 149 CENTRAL(CD2) 58.0 57.4 0.6 4.54 3.51 1.03 130 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 56.7 56.2 0.5 5.20 3.29 1.91 158 EAST(CD4) 58.1 56.1 2.0 3.59 3.03 0.56 118 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 57.8 57.0 0.8 4.60 3.35 1.25 137 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period September 2020 Above Normal Temperatures and Precipitation: The state averaged 3.70 inches for the month of September, which is about a third of an inch above normal for this time of year. This now marks 12 straight months that the state precipitation average has run above normal. Over that span, dating back to October 2019, the state has averaged 64.65 inches. Most of the rain in September fell over the first work week of the month with daily rounds of showers and storms, even leading to some localized flooding. Overall, the state averaged 2.11 inches for this week alone. Luckily, conditions turned dry for the weekend and the running of the COVID-19 delayed Kentucky Derby. Rainfall returned the second weekend of September as the state averaged about an inch. This event proved to be the most impactful for some areas. This was the case for Jackson, Morgan, Lincoln, and Casey Counties, where portions of these counties saw 4 to 5+ inches, leading to significant flash flooding. Precipitation then went in the opposite direction for the second half of the month as rainfall ran scarce. Only SE Kentucky received a brush from the remnants of a couple tropical systems, Sally and Beta. Temperatures only ran slightly above normal for the month, quite different from 2019 when the state saw its second warmest September on record. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 69.7 69.8 -0.1 3.38 3.40 -0.02 99 CENTRAL(CD2) 68.6 68.5 0.1 3.60 3.59 0.01 100 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 67.3 67.4 -0.1 3.57 3.12 0.45 115 EAST(CD4) 67.2 67.0 0.2 4.09 3.32 0.77 123 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 68.2 68.1 0.1 3.70 3.36 0.34 110 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period August 2020 Below Normal Temperatures and Well Above Normal Precipitation: The trend of above normal precipitation continued for Kentucky throughout August 2020. The state averaged a little over five inches, which makes an 11th straight month that the state average has ran above normal. Despite the excessive rainfall, there were some spots across the Southern Bluegrass and NE Kentucky that were upgraded into a Moderate Drought towards the end of July. By the update on August 18th, the US Drought Monitor removed any mention of drought or abnormally dry conditions across the state. Scattered to numerous coverage of storms was common over the first half of the month with heavy rainfall and slow storm movements opening the door to some localized flooding. The month closed with the remnants of Hurricane Laura tracking through the Lower Ohio Valley, bringing widespread rainfall to the area. The extra rainfall benefited crops across the area with the August 30th edition of the Kentucky Crop Progress and Condition report showing 87% of corn and 84% of soybeans in the good to excellent category for crop condition. In fact, Kentucky was leading all states in these categories on the national report. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 75.8 77.1 -1.3 5.28 3.11 2.17 170 CENTRAL(CD2) 75.4 75.6 -0.2 5.61 3.49 2.12 161 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 74.0 74.5 -0.5 4.89 3.45 1.44 142 EAST(CD4) 74.2 73.9 0.3 4.94 3.76 1.18 131 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 74.8 75.2 -0.4 5.17 3.48 1.69 149 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period July 2020 Above Normal Temperatures and Precipitation: After a wet July, Kentucky saw a tenth straight month of above normal rainfall. Overall, the state averaged 5.13 inches. Other than one week during the middle of July, the active pattern carried through most of the month. July started with Western Kentucky averaging 2 inches over the first week. Summer heat really ramped over the middle of the month with highs consistently jumping into the upper 80s to middle 90s. One of the hottest days was on the 19th when elevated humidity pushed heat indices into the 100 to 105 degree range. This heat produced stressful conditions for animals as the livestock heat stress index rose into the danger/emergency category during the afternoon and evening hours. The heat was accompanied by some dry conditions but was short-lived as activity really ramped up over the latter couple weeks of July. Daily rounds of rainfall were common with a typical summertime pattern in place. The rainfall was especially welcome to some select locations. While the month did see above normal rainfall, there were some localized areas in SE/NE Kentucky and the southern Bluegrass that missed out and were actually seeing abnormally dry or even drought conditions. Overall though, crop conditions were all running overwhelmingly in the fair/good/excellent categories as of the closing July Crop Progress and Condition Report. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 80.0 78.3 1.7 5.99 4.09 1.90 146 CENTRAL(CD2) 79.0 76.6 2.4 4.91 4.45 0.46 110 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 78.3 75.5 2.8 4.93 4.45 0.48 111 EAST(CD4) 77.6 74.8 2.8 4.77 4.67 0.10 102 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 78.7 76.2 2.5 5.13 4.43 0.70 116 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period June 2020 Near Normal Temperatures and Above Normal Precipitation: June 2020 continued the wet trend that Kentucky has seen for quite some time. In fact, the state has now saw 9 straight months of above normal rainfall. While the state ended up the month above normal, most of June was not that way. In fact, through the third week of the month, the state average ran below normal for four straight weeks, dating back into late May. The remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal tracked just west of the state over the second week of the month and took any higher accumulations with it. The extended period of dry weather led the US Drought Monitor to introduce an area of ‘Abnormally Dry conditions’ across Western/West Central KY. It was not abnormally dry for very long as the weather pattern flipped over the last week of June. Kentucky averaged 2.25 inches over the last week of June as the state saw numerous rounds of showers and storms. Torrential rainfall was common with some substantial flooding on Sunday the 28th across North Central Kentucky. The three highest accumulations according to the Kentucky Mesonet were Ohio, Muhlenberg, and McLean Counties with totals of 4 to 6+ inches. This wave carried southeast into South Central Kentucky with numerous stations over two inches for the day. Overall, the state averaged 4.83 inches for June, which is about a half inch above normal. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 74.8 74.7 0.1 5.13 4.06 1.07 126 CENTRAL(CD2) 73.3 73.1 0.2 5.82 4.21 1.61 138 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 72.0 71.8 0.2 3.84 4.30 -0.46 89 EAST(CD4) 70.7 71.2 -0.5 4.54 4.40 0.14 103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 72.6 72.6 0.0 4.83 4.25 0.58 114 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period May 2020 Below Normal Temperatures and Above Normal Precipitation: * Well below normal temperatures was the norm for much of the first half of May. Late- season frosts were prevalent throughout. The most significant event came on the morning of the 9th. Record-breaking temperatures were seen across much of the state as lows dipped into the upper 20s to middle 30s, lowest across the eastern half of Kentucky. Putting these numbers in perspective, normal lows for this time of year run in the low to middle 50s. This event was quite rare for Kentucky. Frost occurrence data shows that having a temperature of 32 degrees or lower at this time of year is less than a 10% probability. Damage was variable across the state, mainly the eastern half. According to the Kentukcy crop report, wheat freeze damage was rated 3% severe and 12% moderate, 40% light, and 45% with no damage. Corn and beans were spared most damage and came through in relatively good condition by the end of the month. Alfalfa damage was rated as 5% severe, 14% moderate, 36% light, and 45 with no damage. Horticulture took a much larger hit, taking into account this was the second major impactful freeze event on the crop this year (mid-April). 32% of the apple crop was rated under the moderate/severe damage categories and 45% for peaches. The thermometer really shifted over the midsection of May. On the 11th, highs struggled in the upper 40s to middle 50s, but were back in the upper 70s to middle 80s by the 14th. By the end of the month, summer heat returned with multiple bouts of highs in the middle 80s to around 90. Dewpoints jumping into the middle 60s to low 70s gave a much muggier feel to the air. Preliminary data for the month shows the state saw a second straight month of below normal temperatures. Rainfall was prevalent throughout May as farmers had a hard time getting back in the fields. The most extreme rainfall event for the month came over the course of the 18th and 19th as a seemingly stalled disturbance aloft kept cloudy and wet weather over the Bluegrass State. Accumulations were most extreme cross the eastern half of Kentucky, especially-so just east of a line from Pulaski, Fayette, and Boone Counties. Totals ranged from 2 to 5+ inches for much of this region. Saturated soils and exceptional runoff led to moderate/major flooding for portions of the Bluegrass Region and Eastern Kentucky. The summer-like pattern toward the end of the month resulted in near daily rounds of scattered showers and storms. Luckily, the month ended with a couple dry days with sunny skies and low humidity, which carried into the month of June. This allowed farmers an extended dry period to finish planting or cut hay for the first time. Overall, rainfall for May was only slightly above normal when looking at the state average. Saying that, areas within the significant rainfall event on the 18th and 19th were mostly in the 8 to 10+ inch range for the month. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 64.0 66.4 -2.4 4.65 5.44 -0.79 85 CENTRAL(CD2) 62.7 64.8 -2.1 4.37 5.55 -1.18 79 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 61.2 63.4 -2.2 6.41 5.24 1.17 122 EAST(CD4) 60.7 63.1 -2.4 6.57 5.02 1.55 131 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 62.1 64.3 -2.2 5.57 5.29 0.28 105 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period April 2020 Below Normal Temperatures and Above Normal Precipitation: * After an exceptionally wet March, farmers welcomed a much drier first half of April. While Kentucky did see occasional rounds of widespread showers, breaks in rainfall were extended. According to data at the Ag Weather Center, the state averaged 2.14 inches through the 19th, which was roughly a half inch below normal. The tide changed over the latter couple weeks of April as the state saw numerous rounds of widespread showers. By the end of the month, the state average sat at 4.76 inches, which was about a half inch above normal. Despite planting progress slowing down over the latter half of the month, the Kentucky Crop Progress and Condition Report on May 4th showed 57% of corn was in the ground, well ahead of the 5-year average of 41%. In addition, 25% of beans were planted, ahead of the 5-year average of 6%. While the weather seemed to cooperate looking at precipitation, the same cannot be said in regards to temperatures. Overall, April 2020 was a cool month with the state average temperature about three degrees below normal. Looking back, this is the first month with below normal temperatures since November of last year. The state saw numerous instances of frost and subfreezing temperatures. The most significant period came on the morning of April 15th. The majority of Kentucky fell into the middle to upper 20s. Some of the typical cool spots dipped into the low 20s. Following this freeze event, 43% of peaches and 46% of the apple crop was reported on the Kentucky Crop Report as experiencing moderate to severe damage. Alfalfa and winter wheat damage was spotty across the state. Only 11% of alfalfa was reported with moderate to severe damage and 9% for winter wheat. Most saw light or no damage. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 54.5 57.5 -3.0 3.44 4.53 -1.09 76 CENTRAL(CD2) 53.0 56.2 -3.2 4.61 4.22 0.39 109 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 51.2 54.6 -3.4 4.78 3.84 0.94 124 EAST(CD4) 52.0 55.0 -3.0 5.87 3.86 2.01 152 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 52.7 55.8 -3.1 4.76 4.10 0.66 116 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period March 2020 Above Normal Temperatures and Precipitation: * Exceptionally wet conditions kept grounds moist across Kentucky for much of March 2020. In fact, the state has now went four straights weeks with state average rainfall running above normal. Through March 30th, data at the UK Ag Weather Center shows the state has averaged 6.50 inches, which is over two inches above normal. The brunt of this rainfall fell over the first half of the month, highest between the 9th and 15th as the state averaged 2.29 inches. Despite a couple more widespread rainfall events towards the end of March, the state saw more in the way of breaks, in addition to above normal temperatures, sunshine, and breezy conditions attempting to dry out soils. Rain throughout the month was accompanied by occasional bouts of severe weather, most all situated across the western half of Kentucky. Severe weather came in all forms, including damaging winds, large hail, and even some tornadoes. Temperatures ran above normal for most of March 2020, peaking towards the end of the month. Between the 26th and 28th, highs consistently jumped into the middle 70s to middle 80s. Overall, this will be a sixth straight month of above average precipitation and fourth straight month with above normal temperatures. Temperatures for the period averaged 52 degrees across the state which was 6 degrees warmer than normal. High temperatures averaged from 61 in the West to 62 in the East. Departure from normal high temperatures ranged from 1 degree warmer than normal in the West to 3 degrees warmer than normal in the East. Low temperatures averaged from 44 degrees in the West to 44 degrees in the East. Departure from normal low temperature ranged from 7 degrees warmer than normal in the West to 11 degrees warmer than normal in the East. The extreme high temperature for the period was 88 at LOUISA 1S and the extreme low was 17 at BRANDENBURG 4SW. Precipitation (liq. equ.) for the period totaled 6.50 inches statewide which was 2.33 inches above normal and 156% of normal. Precipitation totals by climate division, West 6.58 inches, Central 7.49 inches, Bluegrass 5.04 inches and East 6.89 inches, which was 2.15, 3.1, 1.28 and 2.81 inches above normal. By station, precipitation totals ranged from a low of 2.95 inches at TRIANGLE MOUNTAIN to a high of 10.53 inches at EDMONTON 5W. * = Based on preliminary data Summarized and averaged data for the period 20200301 to 20200329(Last 29 Days) (Not for Legal purposes. Departure from Norms based on climate divisional Averages) AIR TEMPERATURE PRECIPITATION ExtremeTemp STATION MAX DEV MIN DEV AVR DEV TOTAL DEV %NORM HI LO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEST(CD1) 61 1 44 7 53 5 6.58 2.15 149 85 19 CENTRAL(CD2) 61 3 44 8 52 5 7.49 3.10 171 84 17 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 59 3 42 8 51 6 5.04 1.28 134 82 17 EAST(CD4) 62 3 44 11 53 7 6.89 2.81 169 88 17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATE 61 3 44 9 52 6 6.50 2.33 156 88 17 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period February 2020 Above Normal Temperatures and Much Above Normal Precipitation: * The story through the majority of February was the amount of precipitation. Overall, the state averaged 6.25 inches for the month of February, which is over 3.5 inches above normal. Rainfall was exceptional to start the month with the state averaging more than two inches in back to back weeks. A combination of intense rainfall with saturated soils led to periods of flooding across the state. The most significant flooding occurred across Southeastern Kentucky. While the state has averaged over 6 inches for February, Eastern Kentucky in itself, is closer to 7.5! This was the 5th straight month of above normal rainfall for Kentucky since the drought in September. While it has been a wet month, snow continues to be noticeably absent for much of Kentucky. The only significant event in February came on the morning of the 7th when much of the state saw 1 to 2 inches. Looking at temperatures, despite having some short-lived bouts of winter cold, for the most part, it was an unseasonably warm February. The warmest period occurred between the 2nd and 4th as highs jumped into the 60s and even 70s. This continued a warm trend that Kentucky has seen throughout the winter. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the coldest temperatures were seen on the mornings of the 14th and 15th as lows across Kentucky dipped into the teens. Some even hitting the single digits. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 39.9 38.9 1.0 5.55 3.96 1.59 140 CENTRAL(CD2) 40.1 38.2 1.9 6.40 3.94 2.46 162 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 37.3 36.1 1.2 5.02 3.22 1.80 156 EAST(CD4) 40.3 37.6 2.7 7.48 3.57 3.91 210 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 39.5 37.8 1.7 6.25 3.67 2.58 170 === Kentucky Climate Summary For the Period January 2020 Well Above Normal Temperatures and Above Normal Precipitation: After a very warm end to 2019, the start of 2020 has followed suit. The year started with three straight weeks of well above normal temperatures. Temperatures in the 50s and 60s were common. Numerous locations even jumped well into the 70s on the 11th. The Kentucky Mesonet station in Lawrence County was the highest with a temperature of 79 degrees! After the warm start, a couple cold fronts brought seasonable winter temperatures back into the fold. Highs struggled in the 20s on the 19th and began a period of seasonably cool weather over the next week. In fact, the livestock cold stress dipped into the danger to emergency categories at times for the first time this year. Despite the temporary cooler weather, warm temperatures early in the month led the way to the 13th warmest January ever recorded in Kentucky. Rainfall was exceptional early in the month as Kentucky averaged over 1.5 inches on back to back weeks. The most significant round arrived on the 10th and 11th as very strong winds accompanied 1 to 2+ inches of rainfall. Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph were common, which did lead to some damage and power outages. Luckily, the state saw some breaks from the rainfall over the second half of the month. It was definitely not dry, but total accumulations were much lower. Temp Norm Dep Prcp Norm Dep %Norm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEST(CD1) 40.3 34.6 5.7 4.92 3.57 1.35 138 CENTRAL(CD2) 40.7 34.2 6.5 4.71 3.68 1.03 128 BLUEGRASS(CD3) 39.3 32.2 7.1 3.67 3.28 0.39 112 EAST(CD4) 40.4 33.8 6.6 4.07 3.56 0.51 114 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statewide KY 40.2 33.7 6.5 4.34 3.53 0.81 123 === pFad - Phonifier reborn

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