Kentucky, 2010

Heavy Snow in Kentucky, December 24 to 25, 2010

December 24 to 25, 2010 · NWS LMK · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

An upper air trough dropping southward from the Great Lakes combined with a weak surface low across lower Mississippi Valley to spread an area of light to moderate snow across much of the Lower Ohio Valley. Snow began by late afternoon on Christmas Eve and continued into the very early morning hours the 25th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LMK wrote it up.

An upper air trough dropping southward from the Great Lakes combined with a weak surface low across lower Mississippi Valley to spread an area of light to moderate snow across much of the Lower Ohio Valley. Snow began by late afternoon on Christmas Eve and continued into the very early morning hours the 25th. Widespread snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches developed over much of western and south central Kentucky, with lesser amounts of up to 2 inches across southern Indiana and the Bluegrass Region. Four to 5 inches of snow fell across a small area between Butler and Clinton Counties near the Tennessee border.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Larue

When
December 24, 6:00 PM EST to December 25, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Larue forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.546, -85.698 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four inches of snow fell near Hodgenville.

Heavy Snow, Barren

When
December 24, 6:00 PM EST to December 25, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Barren forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
36.966, -85.934 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five inches of snow fell at Cave City near the Barren Hart County line.

Heavy Snow, Clinton

When
December 24, 6:00 PM EST to December 25, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Clinton forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
36.728, -85.136 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four inches of snow fell near New Albany.

Heavy Snow, Metcalfe

When
December 24, 6:00 PM EST to December 25, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Metcalfe forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.991, -85.629 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four inches of snow fell near Knob Lick.

Heavy Snow, Hart

When
December 24, 6:00 PM EST to December 25, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Hart forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
37.300, -85.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four to five inches of snow fell countywide.

Heavy Snow, Warren

When
December 24, 6:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.994, -86.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four inches of snow fell near Smith's Grove. At the Bowling Green Airport, an observer measured 3.8 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Butler

When
December 24, 6:00 PM CST to December 25, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
37.207, -86.682 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Four and one half inches of snow was measured near Morgantown.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, December 2010

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 265874, 265876, 265877, 265878, 265880, 265879, 265881.