National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms Likely to Bring Tornadoes and Areas of Flooding Today/Tonight in the Central and Southern Plains

Numerous severe thunderstorms are likely to produce multiple intense, long-track tornadoes, very large to giant hail, damaging winds this afternoon into tonight across parts of the southern/central Plains. A Moderate Risk (Level 4/5) has been issued. Excessive rainfall from thunderstorms over the same time and locations may bring areas of flooding. A Slight Risk (Level 2/4) has been issued. Read More >

After a wet January and wet February, the region turned drier in March, and much of the month's rain fell on the 6th-7th in conjunction with a slow-moving cold front. Warm temperatures prevailed for much of the month, but a cold snap from the 8th to the 13th brought sub-freezing readings and the month's most significant snowfall when up to half a foot of snow fell on the 11th-12th. With fresh snow on the ground, temperatures tumbled into the teens on the 12th and 13th.

The only significant severe weather event of the month took place on the evening of the 18th. Low pressure moving from Missouri to Indiana generated scattered thunderstorms. There was enough shear in the atmosphere to allow for rotation in some of the storms, and that rotation led to five brief, weak tornadoes.

On the 30th an impressively strong spring storm system centered over the Great Lakes created extremely strong non-thunderstorm winds throughout the Ohio Valley. Wind gusts of 45-50 mph were common, and the Franklin County Mesonet site hit 72 mph! In Louisville, Bowman Field topped out at 68 mph and Louisville International at 63 mph. Fortunately damage was relatively minor.

  Average Temperature Departure from Normal Precipitation Departure from Normal Snow Departure from Normal
Bowling Green 51.7° +2.5° 2.96" -1.58" 5.1" +3.7"
Frankfort 48.6° +2.4° 3.42" -1.30"    
Lexington 48.5° +2.6° 4.27" -0.21" 5.5" +2.7"
Louisville Ali (SDF) 51.7° +3.3° 2.37" -2.23" 1.5" -0.7"
Louisville Bowman (LOU) 50.2° +2.8° 2.44" -1.93"    

 

Records

5th: High of 77° at Louisville
11th: Snowfall of 4.7" at Bowling Green, snowfall of 4.5" at Lexington
12th: Cold high of 30° at Bowling Green, cold high of 28° at Frankfort, cold high of 24° at Lexington, cold high of 30° at Louisville
30th: High of 84° at Louisville

 

Peak winds March 30-31, 2022