2014 – Kentucky Weather Year in Review
Kentucky experienced its second consecutive cooler than normal year in 2014. The year ranked as the
16th coolest statewide since 1895, making it the coolest year since 1979. The two-year cool stretch
follows the 2011-2012 period which ranks as the 3rd warmest two year stretch on record. Five months of
the year recorded well-below normal (bottom quartile) temperatures, including the first three months
of the year, which led to the coldest January to March since 1979 and the 9th coldest start to the year on
record. The colder than normal temperatures contributed to above average snowfall across the state,
continuing a trend of snowier than normal winters since 2009-10. The biggest winter storm of the year
occurred on March 2-3, when around five inches of sleet and snow fell across central Kentucky. After a
warmer than normal April through June period the month of July brought the unusual combination of
dry and cool conditions to the state. July ranked as the 4th coolest on record and was the coolest since
2009. The biggest difference between July 2009 and July 2014 was the rainfall. July 2009 was among the
wettest ever while July 2014 was drier than normal. The unusual combination of well below average
temperatures and rainfall had only occurred once before in 120 years in Kentucky. The drier than normal
July was the third consecutive dry month which pushed the growing season rainfall deficit to around six
inches, prompting the U.S. Drought Monitor to declare a moderate drought across western and southcentral Kentucky by the end of July. This was the first time since 1945 that drought conditions developed
during a cooler than normal July. The drought conditions were short lived however, as August was one
of the ten wettest on record, including the wettest August ever in Bowling Green. In all, the summer of
2014 was the 2nd consecutive cooler than normal summer and the second straight summer without a
100 degree reading. The fall of 2014 was the coolest since 1997, primarily due to the near-record
breaking cold of November. A series of early-season arctic outbreaks brought a week of near-record
breaking temperatures and accumulating snowfall to Kentucky mid-month in what turned out to be the
4th coldest November on record and the coldest November since 1976. December turned out to be the
warmest month of the year relative to normal and was the only month to rank in the top quartile
historically. Precipitation for the year was slightly below normal although there was quite a bit of
variability. Lexington had well above normal rainfall while Frankfort, only 30 miles away, had nine inches
less and was below average. The cooler than normal temperatures and near normal rainfall combined to
prevent drought from being a major concern for the second straight year. However the brief drought in
July across western and south-central Kentucky in July did contribute to a smaller corn yield in 2014
compared to 2013.