Down the Lane: Kentucky weather keeps you on your toes

Published 9:28 am Thursday, March 14, 2019

Kentucky’s weather is unpredictable, to say the leas.

At least that is the way I have viewed it this past year.

I have heard some other words used this year when describing our weather in Kentucky, but some of the descriptions are unprintable here.

Email newsletter signup

Nonetheless, it is irregular.

Some of the printable descriptions I have heard and have used myself have been, crazy, unbelievable, weird and sickening.

I think most of us are tired of all the days of rain we have experienced this year.

I think we have had the right to feel that way since Lexington had nearly 70 inches of rain last year, which broke all records for Lexington.

Since Winchester is only 18 miles away from Lexington, I think we probably shared or made our record of rain last year.

As I am writing this, take a guess what it is doing? Yep, you guessed it, raining hard, but we are also getting a thunderstorm as you would typically get in the late spring or in July.

The weather is getting weirder by the minute.

Even the school children and some teachers have been angry, instead of seeing rain, they wanted to see snow. They wanted to have a few days off from school like they have done every winter thus far, but all they seemed to get was rain. They have not even had snow to stay on long enough to make a proper snowman.

If I am correct, I think they have only missed two days of school due to snow in Clark County and one day was because of flooding.

Winchester’s, College Park has not seen the happy faces coming down its hillside like it usually does in the winter.

Living in central Kentucky, we are spared from getting some of the heavier snows at times, but it seems no place in Kentucky was exempt from record-breaking rainfalls this past year, and the beginning of 2019 is not looking too promising by the amount of rain we already have had.

Derby Day in Louisville was the wettest in history at Churchill Downs in 2018. I feel confident it dampened the spirits for the first time Derby-goers who had imagined a beautiful, sunshiny day as “My Old Kentucky Home” played in the background.

I could only imagine how many fancy derby hats, dresses and shoes were ruined. I remember feeling sad for the attendees, the horses and the jockeys as the rain poured down.

I will never forget watching and being aghast as it snowed once on Derby Day. What was happening to Kentucky weather?

Take this week, for example as someone put on Facebook, “We have had all four seasons this week in Kentucky.”

Is it any wonder so many people are sick with the cold or the flu? I tend to think the weather plays some part in how we feel and if we end up sick.

It has been comical to see things shared on Facebook of the groundhog singing, ”I ain’t nothin’ but a groundhog, just a lyin’ all the time.”

I have learned over the years you can’t believe “Puxatawney Phil” in Kentucky. After all his prognosis was early spring this year. We are waiting, Puxatawney Phil, and it is hard to be patient.

I also laugh listening to the weathermen trying to cover their steps when giving the weather anymore. It seems they do not know what kind of weather central Kentucky is going to receive much better than the average viewer.

This past year the weather we received has made a laughing stock out of some of the weather reports.

If nothing else, this weather certainly makes us more appreciative of those sunny days.

The first time we had two whole days with sun, I could hardly believe it. The only thing was I think the high was not above the teens on one of the days.

I can’t help but be reminded of the verse in the Bible that says “In the end times you will not be able to distinguish one season from another.”

Every year, spring eventually gets here and lately it seems it goes right into the summer heat.

Even though we always have something to talk about in Kentucky, if nothing more than the weather, I am tired of this unusual weather.

When spring does arrive, there is not a more beautiful place to be than in Kentucky! So, I’m begging, “Come quickly Spring. Come Quickly!”

Sue Staton is a Clark County native who grew up in the Kiddville area. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who is active in her church, First United Methodist Church, and her homemakers group, Towne and Country Homemakers.