Those are among the findings of the National Weather Service in their monthly summary.
Precipitation finished wetter than normal across the region. Amounts ranged from 5 to 9 inches, compared to an average range of 3 to 4 inches for western Kentucky.
The highest single amount was a total of 9.6 inches at a remote station in Hickman County west of Fulton.
Our first measurable snow of the winter season occurred on the 14th and 15th, with amounts of 1 to 3 inches across the region. Due to the frigid temperatures in place, the snow remained on the ground for a solid week, with Paducah officially registering a snow depth of at least a trace for 8 consecutive days.
The coldest conditions were observed as that snow fell from the 14th through the morning of the 17th with temperatures 15 to 30 degrees below normal. Highs were only in the teens for much of this time with lows in the single digits. Wind chills fell well below 0, with the coldest being -19 degrees in Mount Vernon, IL.
Several locations failed to rise above freezing for 8 or 9 consecutive days, including Paducah. But along with the invasion of the polar vortex, several days of warmer than normal temperatures also occurred, to as warm as 60 degrees.
On the Net:
January Climate Summary page
