Actual March Temperatures in Sight

So it's March. The Vernal Equinox is in a couple weeks. Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday. The signs point to weather that ought to feel more and more like spring. So where is it? South-central Kentucky residents had themselves convinced they'd never see such a snow event again after the "President's Day Storm" a few weeks ago. Bowling Green received 9.6 inches of snow, and places farther north measured a foot, even a bit more in isolated areas. That was the last of it, right? Well...

The snow cover is back, this time with 7" in Bowling Green and mind-numbing totals along the Western Kentucky Parkway. Some places were just shy of two feet. This fell on top of an icy glaze of sleet, which fused car doors in place and made driving even more hazardous. The span of three weeks, encompassing two snowstorms which largely over-achieved from the forecasts, will be remembered in these parts for quite some time.

Snowfall totals across the state from the recent storm (from NWS Jackson)

Just like the first event, crazy cold air flowed in from the northwest after the snow fell. The situation was exaggerated by the dense snow radiating heat energy back into the atmosphere. Some locations in south-central Kentucky this morning sank back into double digits below zero. In fact, the majority of the mesonet stations were below zero last night. The two mesonet stations in Bowling Green were just under 0°, and the airport reached 1°, which tied the daily record low. If you think that's cold, just be glad you weren't in Fleming County. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the state of Kentucky during the month of March occurred there, with -16° at Hillsboro.

If you're hoping there's a change in sight, you're in luck. The weather pattern for the next several days will find us slowly climbing out of the icebox. There is high pressure located to our south and that will keep the skies clear through tonight and tomorrow. Temperatures will have to fight an uphill battle with all the snow on the ground but it looks like the snow will lose as we head into next week. Some clouds may return for Sunday but by then we'll be in the upper-40s for highs (keep in mind the average is in the mid-50s).

Temperature anomaly on Wednesday afternoon according to the GFS

And what's this? Could we actually be above normal by sometime next week? Long-range guidance certainly seems to think so. It would certainly be a welcome break. Some 60s are in the seven-day forecast. Given the mood swings that the weather can exhibit around here (proof being the past few weeks), this probably does not come as a surprise to anyone.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a low of 18° and a light southwest wind.
Saturday: Sunny and 47°. Winds pick up from the southwest around 5-15 mph.
Saturday night: Some clouds build in with a low near 28°. Calm winds.

Thanks for reading!
- Caleb Chevalier