Forecast calls for up to 6 inches of snow. How much has fallen in Lexington this winter?
With heavy snow in the forecast Friday night – including accumulations between 3 to 6 inches in Lexington – the latest round of winter weather could push the area over the snowfall total it saw last winter.
This time last year, the snowfall total was 20.8 inches for Lexington, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Jarvis.
So far this winter, Lexington is sitting at 18.4 inches total, and with La Niña expected to dump more precipitation than usual, the area could easily meet or surpass last year.
“We have the potential to surpass it,” Jarvis told the Herald-Leader Thursday.
Old Man Winter may try to land one last knock-out punch this weekend, but still, there’s hope for a speedy return of consistent, warmer temperatures, he said.
“This may very well be the last hurrah of winter,” Jarvis said.
How much snow does Lexington typically get?
In a normal year, Lexington sees 12.7 inches, Jarvis said. However, you have to factor in the back-to-back La Niñas the area has experienced and know the second is typically more significant than the first, he said.
It’s also “a little unusual” how much snow Lexington and the eastern half of the state in general has gotten compared to western Kentucky.
Typically snowfall is more uniform across the state, but Louisville is 4 inches behind its usual snowfall total for this time of year. Out in Paducah, far to the west, there’s only been 5 inches of snow so far. Normally, they see 8 inches, but last year they got 13, Jarvis said.
What to expect as the winter storm moves through Lexington
Jarvis anticipates the Lexington area could get up to 6 inches of snow overnight Friday, with the key window being between midnight and 7 a.m. Saturday morning.
Even though there will be higher temperatures during the day Friday, leaving the ground warmer before the snow moves in at around midnight, that’s not expected to halt accumulation because of the sheer pace of the storm, Jarvis said.
WKYT chief meteorologist Chris Bailey echoed that assessment, stating in his forecast that snow should begin to fall Friday night at a rate of more than 1 inch per hour. Bailey said several inches of snow are expected to fall during that span.
The storm won’t impact Friday’s afternoon commute, Jarvis said, but drivers should be wary of travel in the early morning hours Saturday, especially along the I-75 and I-64 corridors.
Weather watchers should also expect the NWS to upgrade its current winter storm watch to a winter storm warning overnight Thursday.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 1:48 PM.