A look back at weather highlights of 2024

We always like to talk about the weather, but this year definitely made for some interesting conversation.

This week, the National Weather Service office in Paducah took a look back at their 2024 headlines.

Paducah began the year with its 4th-warmest winter on record, with just a few inches of snow for most locations.

Spring kept our meteorologists on their toes with three tornado outbreaks and dozens of severe weather announcements.  April 2 included 19 tornadoes, the most in a single day for the Quad State in over a decade. There were 18 more observed on May 26. 

Over the past summer and fall, remnants of three tropical systems impacted the region. In July, Beryl produced the strongest tornado on record in our area in the month of July. 

Tropical storms Francine and Helene both hit us in September with torrential rains, most of which were beneficial after a summer of drought conditions. In October, the Mississippi River was at an extreme low level that allowed visitors to walk to the Tower Rock island for the third year in a row. 

Paducah observed our lowest barometric pressure on record for September on the 27th, along with 5.33" of rain that day, which was the second wettest September day ever for Paducah. (Record: 7.49 in 1985)

As soon as Helene and our soaking September departed, October became the 2nd driest 30-day stretch on record in Paducah with only 0.07" of rain. Rain finally returned to the region on Halloween, and November temperatures were what October usually feels like. Overall, it was the second-warmest fall ever for Paducah; in fact, only the months of January and July were cooler than average all year.

A total of 59 tornadoes touched down across our area in 2024, the 2nd most on record for a year only behind 79 in 2011.

You can read the full details of 2024's weather wrap-up on the National Weather Service website .


PHOTOS: 2024 tornadoes in Lake of Egypt, IL; Princeton, KY; and Mt. Vernon, IN (National Weather Service)