A pair of cold fronts sweeping through the area overnight brought rain initially to eastern Kentucky, before heavy snow eventually blanketed the region. This rain moved in from the northwest in the evening of March 11, but then transitioned to snow during the evening and into the nighttime hours.
Every event with a place to put it; 33 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS JKL wrote it up.
A pair of cold fronts sweeping through the area overnight brought rain initially to eastern Kentucky, before heavy snow eventually blanketed the region. This rain moved in from the northwest in the evening of March 11, but then transitioned to snow during the evening and into the nighttime hours. The snow initially fell on warm ground, leading to accumulations mainly on elevated and grassy surfaces. However, snowfall rates increased overnight to an inch or greater per hour, and led to quicker accumulations that overcame the warmer ground temperatures. Many areas throughout eastern Kentucky reported snowfall totals between 6 and 8 inches, with a few isolated reports of between 8 and 10 inches.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
33 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A total of 5.7 inches was reported by a CoCoRaHS observer in northwest Fleming County at 7am EST on March 12, while a total of 7.9 inches was reported by a trained spotter near Flemingsburg later in the day at 12:55pm EST.
Totals of 6.8 and 7.3 inches were reported by the public and a CoCoRaHS observer, respectively at 5:50 AM and 8:00 AM EST.
After the event had concluded, the emergency manager reported an estimated 5.0 inches in Mount Sterling. He also estimated that areas north of Interstate 64 received 4.0-6.0 inches while locations near the border with Powell County received closer to 6 inches or more. Reports from a CoCoRaHS observer as well as a NWS employee backed up these totals. A COOP observer just north of Mount Sterling did report a smaller total of 3.0 inches as of 7 AM EST.
A total of 6.0 inches was reported by the public at 6:15 AM EST in southern Menifee County.
At 7:00 AM EST, a COOP Observer near Cave Run Lake reported a total of 6.0 inches. Two more reports were received near the same time, listing totals of 8.0 and 8.1 inches. The former was a public report from near Haldeman and the latter was a CoCoRaHS observer located 6 miles northeast of Morehead.
One report was given overnight from a trained spotter that measured 2.8 inches near 3 am EST on the 12th. Storm totals were reported by COOP observers, with 3.3 inches near Stanton at 8am EST, and 5.0 inches further into the western third of the county near Clay City as of 7:00am EST.
Heavier snowfall rates were confirmed near the beginning of the event, with one trained spotter giving a report of 2.2 inches near 2 am EST on the 12th. 1.9 inches of that total was reported to have fallen since midnight EST on the 12th. Another trained spotter in central Estill County, measured 3.1 inches at 2:20 am EST on the 12th. A COOP observer in northern Estill County reported a storm total of 6.0 inches at 8am EST.
At 7:30 AM EST, a public report was received listing an estimated 6.0 inches near West Liberty.
A public report listed a total snowfall of 7.0 inches near Farley at 10:50am EST.
A public report from overnight stated 3.5 inches of snow had been measured at 2:10am EST in Mount Vernon, central Rockcastle County.
A report was received from 8 miles west of McKee at 8am EST with a storm total snowfall of 5.1 inches.
A storm total snowfall of 6.1 inches was reported from the public near Tallega at 10:45am EST.
One CoCoRaHS report was received near the beginning of the event. This report stated that 2 inches of snow fell within a 75 minute period ending at 12:28am EST, revealing parts of the county were experiencing higher snowfall rates around this time. Storm total reports 15 miles WSW of Somerset and in the community of Science Hill ranged from 4.5 to 5 inches by the morning hours.
A NWS employee reported a storm total of 5.6 inches in the northeastern part of Wolfe County at 9:37am EST.
Received one report giving a storm total of 4.5 inches near Monticello as of 7am EST.
A COOP observer reported a total of 6.0 inches near Paintsville at 7am EST.
A storm total snowfall of 5.0 inches was reported in Blue Heron at 9am EST.
One report from 6:20 EST gave 7.0 inches of snow in Williamsburg. Two more reports came in over the next couple of hours, one from the public and one from a CoCoRaHS observer, with storm total snowfall amounts of 5.3 inches (2 miles south of Walden) and 6.1 inches (7 miles SW of Corbin), respectively.
A storm total snowfall of 5.0 inches was reported both in London and in Keavy (public observation) at the end of the event.
A public report out of Bimble stated 4.3 inches of snow had fallen by 3:56 am EST. A little further to the west, in Barbourville, a public report of 5.8 inches came in around two hours later at 5:57 am EST.
Two reports were received in the northern part of the county from the public and a CoCoRaHS observer. The public report was made at 10:20am EST, with a storm total snowfall of 6.0 inches. The CoCoRaHS report was made at 7am EST, with a storm total snowfall of 6.7 inches.
A COOP observer reported a 24-hour snowfall total of 6.8 inches at 7:00am EST in Oneida.
At 8:40am EST, an NWS employee reported 5.5 inches of snow in the community of Dumont. Light snow continued to fall after this point. By the end of the event, multiple reports of between 6.3 and 6.7 inches of storm total snowfall were reported (NWS Office, Quicksand, and northern Breathitt County - 9 SE of Campton).
Two public reports were received listing 6.0 and 8.5 inches of snowfall. The 6.0 inches was reported in the community of Thousandsticks at 8:35am EST, and the 8.5 inch report was measured in the community of Essie at 5:55am EST.
Two snowfall reports were received in the middle of the event. One report was for 4.5 inches (4:44am EST) in the northern portion of the county, and the other gave 5.5 inches (5:43am EST) in the southern sections of the county. More reports came later in the morning with storm totals from across the county ranging from 5.8 to 7.0 inches.
Received a report of 3.0 inches (2 SSW of Lakesville) at 3:21am EST and a report of 6.0 inches (Salyersville) at 5:33am EST from the public out of central Magoffin County. A COOP observer at the Salyersville Water Works reported a storm total snowfall of 4.5 inches at 8am EST.
One of the earliest reports came from the public in northern Perry County, where 3.0 inches had fallen as of 3:35am EST. By 5:33am EST, a report came from broadcast media that 6.0 inches had fallen at their studios in Hazard. The highest snowfall amounts reported, between 8.0 and 8.2 inches near Hazard, came from a COOP observer and a trained spotter at 7 and 8am EST, respectively.
Early morning snowfall reports ranged from 3.8 inches as of 6:15am EST in Regina, to 5.5 inches at 5:27am EST in Canada. By 9am EST, 6.0 inches was reported WSW of Mouthcard.
A public report given around 6:30am EST in the community of Cordia listed an estimated 7.5 inches of snowfall.
A trained spotter located in the Beverly area of Bell County gave more than one report while the event was ongoing. These reports indicated higher snowfall rates were experienced in that area, with the snowfall total going from 1.8 inches to 3.3 inches between 2:00 AM EST and 2:59 AM EST. In addition, the spotter gave a storm total snowfall amount of 8.0 inches at the end of the most impactful snowfall later in the morning, at 8:15 AM EST.
Between 7:00am and 9:00am EST, totals ranging from 6.0 to 10.0 inches were reported across central and southeast Letcher County by the public and COOP observers. The 10-inch report was measured 2 miles SSE of Whitesburg. An additional public report of 7.8 inches of storm total snowfall in the community of Thorton was received around 12:30 PM EST.
A Cooperative Observer reported 7.3 inches of storm total snowfall at 8:06am EST. Later in the hour, at 8:52am EST, a member of the public reported 7.0 inches of snow having fallen in the community of Coldiron.
As of 7am EST, snowfall amounts ranged from 3.0 inches 1 mile ENE of Inez, to 7.1 inches 5 WSW of Pilgrim. Later in the morning, at 11:30am EST, another report was sent in from Inez proper, with a measurement of 7.5 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, March 2022
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1013678, 1014096, 1012358, 1013679, 1013744, 1012176, 1012171, 1013753, 1014102, 1012532, 1013612, 1014092, 1012165, 1013662, 1012868, 1013716, 1012874, 1013616, 1012878, 1012534, 1013930, 1014093, 1013656, 1013924, 1012864, 1012349, 1012350, 1012533, 1014103, 1010688, 1013927, 1014101, 1012380.