KENTUCKY — Although Kentucky is not among the snowiest states, historical climate records and past winter events show that measurable snow in February is a real possibility across much of the state, even if some years see little or none, according to the National Weather Service.
Climate normals indicate that February typically brings measurable snowfall in Kentucky. Average February snowfall amounts range from around 0.7 inches in London to more than 3.8 inches in Lexington and Monticello, with other locations such as Louisville averaging over 3 inches of snow for the month historically.
In some years, substantial snow has fallen in February. Climatological data for Louisville shows that the maximum recorded snowfall for a single February day was 11.6 inches on Feb. 4, 1998, and maximum snow depth in the month reached 18 inches on Feb. 6 of the same year in the Louisville area. These figures illustrate that strong winter systems can produce significant snow even in a state where February conditions often fluctuate between cold rain, mixed precipitation and snow.
Other individual storm events have delivered 3–5 inches of snow across central Kentucky during February, such as during notable mid-February winter storms in recent decades. Even if heavy snowstorms are not annual events, these documented occurrences demonstrate that measurable snowfall — from modest amounts to several inches — has occurred repeatedly across the state in February.
Climatologists note that Kentucky’s wintry precipitation season extends into February and even early March, with measurable snow recorded well beyond January in many years. Because average temperatures in February still often hover near or below freezing in much of the state, conditions can support snow accumulation when precipitation arrives as snow rather than rain.
In contrast, some Februaries see little snow at major climate sites; for example, one historical February saw only trace snow with just 0.1 inch reported at an observer site despite typical patterns that favor wintry precipitation. This reflects the natural variability of winter weather in Kentucky.
In summary, historical snowfall records and climate averages make it clear that measurable snow in February is well within Kentucky’s winter climate variability — most years see at least some snow, and stronger winter systems have produced several inches in past Februaries.
