A major winter storm impacted eastern Kentucky from January 24 through January 25, 2026, delivering a combination of heavy snow, sleet, and significant ice accretion. The event began with heavy snow on the afternoon of the 24th, but a potent warm nose of air aloft moved over the region overnight, transitioning precipitation into a prolonged period of freezing rain and sleet for much of the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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 major winter storm impacted eastern Kentucky from January 24 through January 25, 2026, delivering a combination of heavy snow, sleet, and significant ice accretion. The event began with heavy snow on the afternoon of the 24th, but a potent warm nose of air aloft moved over the region overnight, transitioning precipitation into a prolonged period of freezing rain and sleet for much of the area.
The most severe icing impacts occurred in the Cumberland Basin and south-central Kentucky, where significant ice accumulations up to 0.78 inches were measured. This ice loading led to significant power outages: South Kentucky RECC reported outages peaking at over 28,000 members, while Jackson Energy peaked at 12,156 members. In many areas, the weight of the ice snapped large trees and downed power lines. Restoration efforts continued through January 31 due to the scale of the damage and hazardous terrain. As the system exited on January 26, an Arctic airmass surged into the region, causing the sloppy snow, sleet, ice to freeze into a glacier-like pack that persisted into February. This led an extended period of icy roadways. With a total liquid of 1.5 to 4.0 inches, some flooding also occurred in far southeastern Kentucky where more of the precipitation fell as rain.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
22 winter storm, 1 heavy snow, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Significant mixed precipitation and ice accretion impacted the county on the 25th. Pictures on social media showed up to an estimated 0.4 inches of ice accretion in the Monticello area.
Following 1.5 inches of snow reported at Keavy via amateur radio at 1930 EST on the 24th, freezing rain resulted 0.35 inches of flat ice accretion at KLOZ by 653 EST on the 25th. Additionally, 0.52 inches of measured flat ice was reported in London at 1131EST and an estimated 0.50 inches of flat ice was observed on utility lines in East Bernstadt, as per a social media picture report from 1158 EST on the 25th.
Significant icing followed initial snow. A trained spotter estimated 1.5 inches of snow had fallen at Whitley City by 1849EST on the 24th by which time the precipitation had changed to sleet and freezing rain. A measured 0.47 inches of flat ice was reported in Honeybee at 1130EST on the 25th. Total flat ice of 0.41 inches was reported by the public in Whitley City around 1430EST. Heavy ice loading snapped numerous trees and lines.
A significant ice storm occurred on January 25th following initial snow. The public measured 0.78 inches of flat ice in Pointer at 1650EST and 0.40 inches in Somerset at 1204EST. Widespread tree damage was reported. This county alone accounted for nearly half of South Kentucky RECC's 28,000 outages.
Freezing rain caused significant impacts near Corbin, where the public reported an estimated 0.31 inches of ice accretion at 1305EST on the 25th.
Heavy icing was observed across portions of the county on the 25th. Social media reports from 1639EST showed tree damage and estimated icing of at least 0.25 inches.
Mixed precipitation occurred throughout the 25th. A member of the public reported 2.0 inches of snow and sleet by 0730EST. An estimated 0.25 inches of flat icing was noted in social media from the Broadhead area at 1011EST. Multiple photos showed pine trees drooping heavily under the ice load.
A picture on social media showed an estimated 0.3 to 0.5 inch of icing in Clay County. Many power outages occurred in the county.
A complex mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain fell across Jackson County beginning as all snow on the afternoon of the 24th and continuing for most of the 25th. A picture from just past 0900EST on the 25th showed an estimated 0.3 inches of flat ice accretion in Annville with trees starting to snap.
A messy mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain fell across the county, beginning initially as snow on the afternoon of the 24th. A picture on social media shows at least an estimated 0.25 inches of flat ice accretion in the Sizerock area at 857EST on the 25th.
Snow began on the 24th, with the Elizaville COOP observer recording 2.5 inches by 0700EST on the 25th. An additional 2.6 inches of snow fell by the morning of the 26th, bringing the event total for Elizaville to over 5.1 inches. A light glaze of ice (0.02 inches) was also measured at that reporting site. An emergency manager reported 3.8 inches of snow in Flemingsburg on the morning of the 25th.
A complex mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain impacted Breathitt County. An initial 1.2 inches of snow was reported at WFO Jackson by midnight of January 25th. A half inch of sleet then feel between midnight and 220EST. Freezing rain then fell for much of the day on the 25th, leaving a flat ice accretion total of 0.45 inches measured at 1909EST. Additional light snow occurred on the back of the system. The combined weight downed a large tree across KY Highway 205 near Paxton at 1100EST on the 25th.
A complex mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain fell across the county. The Prestonsburg 3WSW COOP observer reported 2.8 inches of solid winter precipitation accumulation at 700EST with a least 0.5 to 0.75 inches being sleet. Freezing rain occurred on Sunday along with another 0.5 inch of snowfall through the end of the event. Kentucky Highway 194 was closed between MM6 and MM7 due a down tree and powerlines.
A complex mess of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain fell across the county, beginning as all snow on the afternoon of the 24th. By 700EST on the 25th, 2.0 inches of snow had fallen at the Paintsville 1E COOP site. Another 3.0 inches fell through the remainder of the event at that station, bringing storm total snowfall to 5.0 inches.
A messy precipitation sandwich fell in Letcher County between the afternoon of the 24th and the early morning hours of the 26th. The Mayking 1.4 ENE CoCoRaHS observer measured 2.0 inches of snow with the front slice of the system an another 2.0 inches on the backside of the system ending on the 26th. A period of mixed precipitation occurred in the middle. In the southern part of the county, the Skyline COOP reported a 3.0 inch storm total snowfall.
A messy mix of wintry precipitation fell across Magoffin County. An NWS employee estimated 0.5 inch of flat ice accretion along the Mountain Parkway with particularly heavy loading noted near MM 70.
A messy mix of wintry precipitation fell across Wolfe County. An NWS employee estimated 0.5 inch of flat ice accretion along the Mountain Parkway corridor east of Helechawa.
A former CO-OP observer measured 0.25 inches of flat ice accretion in Island City at 1825EST on the 25th. The icing followed a period of mixed precipitation, leading to slick roads and drooping trees.
Heavy snow accumulation was reported by a CO-OP observer Inez 2E, measuring 3.0 inches on the 25th. An additional 1.0 inch was recorded on the 26th, bringing the event total to 4.0 inches. A mix of other wintry precipitation types also occurred.
Snowfall began on the 24th with 3.0 inches of snow and sleet reported in Frenchburg by 0730EST on the 25th. A CoCoRaHS observer near Means estimated at least 1 inch of sleet.
Heavy snow and sleet dominated the county, with total accumulations reaching 4.0 inches measured by the Mount Sterling 5N COOP at 0700EST on the 25th. Mount Sterling reported 3.0 inches by 0730EST. The heavy snow led to hazardous travel conditions.
This county experienced a heavy mix of wintry precipitation. Morehead received 3.2 inches of snow and 0.50 inches of sleet by 0745EST on the 25th. At Hilda, 0.8 inches of sleet was measured at 930EST. In the southeastern corner of the county, 0.32 inches of freezing rain accretion was measured in Elliottville at 1756EST.
A messy mix of wintry precipitation fell across Morgan County. An NWS employee estimated 0.5 inch of flat ice accretion along the Mountain Parkway in the far southern portion of the county.
KYTC reported at 654 EST that KY-2013 had been closed due to high water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2026
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: 1314402, 1314384, 1314395, 1314399, 1314403, 1314404, 1314401, 1314380, 1314382, 1314387, 1314374, 1314379, 1314381, 1314383, 1314390, 1314391, 1314393, 1314398, 1314394, 1314396, 1314397, 1314400, 1314392, 1314405.