January 2012 February 13, 2012 An X inside this box indicates that no flooding occurred within this hydrologic service area. January 2012 continued the string of wet months this winter. Rainfall was generally 0.5 to 2 inches above normal across the north and south, but near normal in the central sections. The wettest portions were in Monroe County KY. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 4.15 inches, 0.91 inches above normal; Lexington 3.54 inches, 0.34 inches above normal; Bowling Green 3.81 inches, 0.22 inches above normal; Frankfort 3.13 inches, 0.13 inches below normal. January 2012 January 2012 Departure from Normal The first shot of significant rain fell from the 9 th through the 12 th where most locations collected around an inch. The rain changed over to snow on the next two days and locations in the north picked up around an inch of snow. However, the snow was dry and contained less than a tenth of an inch of liquid. The snow had completely melted by the 16 th. Another quick shot of an inch of rain in the extreme north resulted in minor flooding on the headwaters of the Muscatatuck River in Indiana. Most of the rain during the month fell from the 22 nd through the 28 th. Amounts ranged from one to two inches with the heaviest amounts in the north. This resulted in rises on all rivers with minor flooding recorded on the Muscatatuck again. No damage or injuries were reported. At the end of the month, streamflows and reservoirs were near normal. No problems were reported with water supplies or navigation.
NWS FORM E-3 NOAA, FLOOD STAGE REPORT HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA: MONTH: January YEAR: 2012 RIVER AND STATION FLOOD STAGE (FEET) ABOVE FLOOD STAGE (UTC) FROM TO STAGE (FEET) PRELIMINARY CREST (UTC) TIME (UTC) Muscatatuck River Deputy IN 20 01/18/12 0445 01/18/12 0815 20.15 01/18/12 0600 01/27/12 0520 01/27/12 1955 21.72 01/27/12 1130 After this report, the flood stage at Deputy was raised to 25 feet.
February 2012 March 14, 2012 February 2012 broke the string of wet months this winter. Rainfall was generally one to two inches below normal across the west, but near normal in the east sections. The driest portions were in Simpson County KY. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 1.68 inches, 1.50 inches below normal; Lexington 3.09 inches, 0.11 inches below normal; Bowling Green 2.74 inches, 1.20 inches below normal; Frankfort 2.61 inches, 0.68 inches below normal. February 2012 February 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in small showers much of the month. The only significant rain fell on the last day in severe thunderstorms. On that day, most locations picked up around an inch of rain, which kept this month from being very dry. Again, there was very little snow during February which made this one of the least snowiest years on record. Only Lexington measured an inch on the ground on the morning of the 11 th. The snow melted by the following day. At the end of the month, reservoirs were near normal, but streamflows were slightly higher than normal due to the recent heavy rain. No problems were reported with water supplies or navigation.
March 2012 April 6, 2012 March 2012 rainfall was generally near normal across most of the HAS but there was an area near Louisville which was above. The wettest section was in Jefferson County KY. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 6.22 inches, 2.05 inches above normal; Lexington 3.31 inches, 0.76 inches below normal; Bowling Green 3.97 inches, 0.44 inches below normal; Frankfort 4.10 inches, 0.28 inches below normal. In addition, this was the warmest March on record at all locations except Frankfort where it was the 3 rd warmest. March 2012 Precipitation March 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in showers and thunderstorms during the month. The most significant rain fell from the 15 th through the 18 th where between 2 and 3 inches fell near Louisville. Amounts were about an inch less elsewhere. The most snow of the year occurred on the night of the 4 th where 3 to 6 inches fell quickly over the north. The snow contained up to a half inch of liquid and had melted by the next day. The warm weather has caused vegetation to green-up much faster than normal so runoff was reduced. At the end of the month, reservoirs were near normal. Streamflows were below normal in Kentucky but near normal in Indiana. No problems were reported with water supplies or navigation. Groundwater levels near Louisville were at record levels. However, some reservoirs were already at minimum releases which could cause problems in the future.
April 2012 May 9, 2012 April 2012 rainfall was generally one to two inches below normal across most of the HSA but there was an area in northern Kentucky and south of Lexington which was near or slightly above. The driest section was in Perry County IN. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 3.40 inches, 0.61 inches below normal; Lexington 2.30 inches, 1.30 inches below normal; Bowling Green 3.74 inches, 0.47 inches below normal; Frankfort 2.63 inches, 1.06 inches below normal. April 2012 Precipitation April 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in showers and thunderstorms during the month. The heaviest rains fell during the first week where around an inch fell in the north and the last week when between one and two inches fell in the south with lesser amounts in the north. Only about a half inch fell in between those time periods. At the end of the month, reservoirs in the Green River basin were between 5 and 10 feet below normal and may have difficulty reaching summer pool. The other reservoirs were at summer pool. Streamflows were below normal in Kentucky but near normal in Indiana. No problems were reported with water supplies however some minor dredging was reported on the Ohio River. No areas in the HSA were in a drought but locations in the west and east of Lexington were near drought.
May 2012 June 6, 2012 May 2012 rainfall was generally near normal to two inches above normal in the eastern half of the HSA but one to two inches below normal in the west. In the Louisville Metro area spots were 3 to 4 inches above normal. The driest section of the HSA was in Dubois County IN. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 7.87 inches, 2.60 inches above normal; Lexington 3.60 inches, 1.66 inches below normal; Bowling Green 3.31 inches, 2.32 inches below normal; Frankfort 5.07 inches, 0.22 inches above normal. May 2012 Precipitation May 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in showers and thunderstorms during the month. The heaviest rains fell during the 12 th through the 14 th where between one and two inches fell. Another wet period was from the 29 th through the 31 st where between one and three inches fell over the north. Louisville had a flash flood on the 29 th and parts of the city collected up to 4 inches in three hours. At the end of the month, reservoirs in the Green River basin were less than 5 feet shy of normal while other reservoirs were at summer pool. Streamflows were near normal in eastern and central Kentucky and in Indiana but below normal in western Kentucky. No problems were reported with water supplies or navigation. Only extreme southwest Dubois County was in a moderate drought but many areas in the west were near drought.
June 2012 July 5, 2012 June 2012 rainfall was generally three to four inches below normal across the HSA. There were a few small areas near normal just east of Louisville Metro. The driest section of the HSA was in Hardin County KY. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 0.79 inches, 3.00 inches below normal; Lexington 1.61 inches, 2.83 inches below normal; Bowling Green 0.65 inches, 3.50 inches below normal; Frankfort 1.22 inches, 2.87 inches below normal. This was the fifth driest June on record in Louisville, the sixth driest in Lexington, the third driest in Bowling Green, and eighth driest in Frankfort. June 2012 Precipitation June 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in light showers and thunderstorms during the first half of the month and patterns were difficult to discern. Little, if any, rain fell during the second half of the month. In addition, record high temperatures of values exceeding 100 also occurred during this period. At the end of the month, reservoirs were having difficulty holding summer pool and Rough and Barren River Reservoirs never made it, both being around 4 feet shy. Streamflows were well below normal in most locations and a few spots in Kentucky were at record lows for the date. A few water supply systems were having concerns and were asking for voluntary restrictions. No problems were reported with navigation, yet. Half of the corn crop in both states was poor or worse. The western and southern halves of the HSA were in a severe drought with the extreme western counties in an extreme drought. The rest of the area was in a moderate drought except for the regions around Louisville and Lexington
which were not in a drought. Some grass fires have been reported and all Indiana counties were under a burn ban. Kentucky counties which were in severe drought also had burn bans.
July 2012 August 7, 2012 July 2012 rainfall varied greatly across the HSA. The range ran from 2 to 4 inches above normal with some spots of over 5 inches in the southeast to around an inch below normal with some locations even worse in the northwest. The wettest spot was in Larue County in Kentucky. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 4.00 inches, 0.23 inches below normal; Lexington 8.01 inches, 3.36 inches above normal; Bowling Green 5.82 inches, 1.71 inches above normal; Frankfort 5.64 inches, 1.25 inches above normal. It was also an extremely hot month, especially during the first week when afternoon highs exceeded 100. It was the warmest July on record in Louisville, the second hottest in Lexington and Bowling Green. July 2012 Precipitation July 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in showers and thunderstorms during the month and patterns were difficult to discern. Some thunderstorms were quite heavy dropping as much as three inches in a few hours. However, coverage was very spotty. At the end of the month, reservoirs were near summer pool except for Rough and Barren River Reservoirs, both being around 4 feet shy. Streamflows were near normal in Kentucky but below normal in Indiana. A few water supply systems were having concerns and were asking for voluntary restrictions with some farm wells going dry in the west. No problems were reported with navigation. The corn crop in both states was almost a total lost with three-quarters rated poor or worse. Half of the soybeans in both states were also poor or worse. Most of the HSA except for the extreme east and south were in some kind of drought. Most of the western counties were in a severe or extreme drought and much of
Dubois County in Indiana dropped into exceptional, the highest category. There was some improvement in the east from June s levels. Some grass fires have been reported and all Indiana counties were under a burn ban. Just a handful of Kentucky counties remain under burn bans.
August 2012 September 12, 2012 August 2012 rainfall varied greatly across the HSA. The western half of Kentucky was generally one to two inches above normal while the eastern half and South Central Indiana generally one to three inches below. The wettest spot was in Hardin County in Kentucky. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 1.46 inches, 1.87 inches below normal; Lexington 2.15 inches, 1.10 inches below normal; Bowling Green 2.78 inches, 0.55 inches below normal; Frankfort 1.15 inches, 2.21 inches below normal. August 2012 Precipitation August 2012 Departure from Normal The rainfall was distributed in showers and thunderstorms during the month and patterns were difficult to discern. Some thunderstorms were quite heavy dropping as much as three inches in a few hours. However, coverage was very spotty. The most drought stricken areas did receive the heaviest rain. Also, the intense heat of July was broken this month with temperatures near normal. At the end of the month, reservoirs were near summer pool except for Rough River and Patoka Reservoirs, both being around 4 feet shy. Streamflows were below normal across the area. No problems were reported with navigation. Drought conditions had improved across the HSA. Only Indiana and extreme western Kentucky remained in a severe drought. The areas of extreme and exceptional drought had vanished. Only 3 counties in Indiana and one in Kentucky remain under a burn ban as grass fire activity had reduced.
September 2012 October 17, 2012 September 2012 was a wet month across the HSA. Rainfall totals ranged from one to four inches above normal with a few spots exceeding five inches above. The wettest spot was in Meade County in Kentucky. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 5.83 inches, 2.78 inches above normal; Lexington 5.42 inches, 2.51 inches above normal; Bowling Green 4.66 inches, 0.73 inches above normal; Frankfort 6.05 inches, 2.72 inches above normal. September 2012 September 2012 Departure from Normal The month started out wet with the remnants of Hurricane Issac moving across the Ohio Valley on the 2 nd and 3 rd. A few days later, a cold front moved across the same region on the 7 th and 8 th. These systems added up to 3 to 4 inches of rain across the area which was a welcome relief from the drought. The highest amounts were in the north and west. There was another weak system that passed south of Kentucky on the 17 th and 18 th which gave southern and eastern portions another inch. Finally, on the last three days of the month a strong cold front granted an additional inch to most locations. At the end of the month, reservoirs were near summer pool except for Patoka Reservoir, staying around 4 feet shy. Streamflows had improved to near normal across the area. No problems were reported with navigation. Drought conditions almost disappeared with only a few spots in moderate drought in the north and west. All burn bans had been dropped. The rain was too late to help the corn crop but was some help to soybeans and pasture. Concerns with forest fires had been greatly reduced moving into the fall fire season.
October 2012 November 6, 2012 October 2012 was a dry month across most of the HSA. Rainfall totals ranged from near normal in Southern Indiana to 3 inches below normal in the Bluegrass. The driest spot was in Woodford County in Kentucky. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 2.39 inches, 0.83 inches below normal; Lexington 1.28 inches, 1.85 inches below normal; Bowling Green 2.94 inches, 0.44 inches below normal; Frankfort 1.83 inches, 1.41 inches below normal. October 2012 October 2012 Departure from Normal The month started out wet in the west with most locations collecting around an inch during the first two days of the month. The east received much of their rain in the final week. Scattered showers filled up the rest of the month with patterns difficult to discern. At the end of the month, reservoirs were drawing down levels toward winter pool and were near normal. Streamflows remained near normal across the area. No problems were reported with navigation or water supplies. No areas remained in a drought.
November 2012 December 4, 2012 x An X inside this box indicates that no flooding occurred within this hydrologic service area. November 2012 was an unusually dry month across the lower Ohio Valley. Precipitation only fell on only 7 days and most of the region saw rainfall totals of near or less than half of normal. This was the 5 th driest November in Frankfort, tied for the 7 th driest in Louisville, and was the 9 th driest November in Bowling Green. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 0.75 inches, 2.84 inches below normal; Lexington 1.76 inches, 1.77 inches below normal; Frankfort 1.16 inches, 2.57 inches below normal; Bowling Green 1.11 inches, 3.11 inches below normal. November 2012 November 2012 Departure from Normal Three systems brought most of the rainfall. On the third, a warm front hung up across central Kentucky bringing up to half an inch of rain to north central Kentucky and southern Indiana. A strong cold front on the 12 th brought widespread half to one inch amounts. A low pressure system on the 26-27 th brought one half to one inch of rain along the Western Kentucky and Bluegrass Parkways. With the lack of rainfall for the month, much of the region is in a D0 drought. The area stretching from Bullitt and Jefferson counties to Harrison and Nicholas counties in Kentucky is in a D1 drought. Reservoir levels were drawing down toward winter pools. Streamflow was below normal for most locations in the HSA. No problems were reported with navigation or water supplies.
December 2012 January 5, 2013 x An X inside this box indicates that no flooding occurred within this hydrologic service area. December 2012 was a wet month across the area, which was needed. Precipitation was one to three inches above normal with a few spots exceeding 8 inches total. The wettest spot was in Fayette County. Here are specific values for major airports: Louisville 7.14 inches, 3.31 inches above normal; Lexington 6.55 inches, 2.62 inches above normal; Frankfort 6.58 inches, 2.57 inches above normal; Bowling Green 5.41 inches, 0.61 inches above normal. This was the 7 th wettest December on record in Louisville and Frankfort. December 2012 December 2012 Departure from Normal Several systems brought rain to the area this month, but the heaviest amounts fell from the 7 th through the 10 th. Near bankfull rises were observed on small streams on the 10 th. Most locations collected between two and four inches with the heaviest amounts in the north. Another prolonged period of rain stretched from the 15 th through the 20 th where locations added an additional inch or two. Winds were intense on the night of the 20 th with many locations having 50 MPH gusts. An intense winter storm a day after Christmas brought blizzard conditions to the extreme north and piled up to 9 inches in Dubois County. South of that location snowfall and winds were lighter, and south of the Bluegrass and Western Kentucky Parkways, the precipitation was all rain. The rain moved most of the region out of drought with only the extreme west still in D0. Reservoir levels were near winter pool. Streamflows were near normal. No problems were reported with navigation or water supplies.