HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Despite earlier predictions that snow accumulation could reach over a foot, Christian County was hit with between three to four inches as Winter Storm Fern came through the region and moved to the northeast portion of the United States.
The snow coupled with extreme cold, sleet, and ice accumulation has put the county on pause, while local and state road crews work to restore normal traffic flow. While hazardous conditions have been created by the winter storm, it does not compare to previous snow events that have come through the City of Hopkinsville and Christian County.
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2015 snowstorm impact, most snowfall recorded in Christian County
Snowfall records from the National Weather Service show that on March 11, 1960, 17.8 inches of snow fell over a three-day period in Christian County. This is the highest recorded amount of snowfall over a three-day period since the turn of the century.
The most snowfall recorded in a single day was just over a decade ago on March 5, 2015. On that day, 15.5 inches of snow was recorded with flakes falling heavily during the night, accumulating at the rate of two inches per hour, according to NWS. The highest specific snowfall reports in the region were about 18 inches in Muhlenberg, southern Hopkins, and northern Christian Counties.
During the historic snowstorm, Interstate 24 was closed through most of western Kentucky due to numerous crashes and stranded vehicles blocking traffic. In just Christian County alone, at least 138 motorists required assistance after sliding off roadways and there were around 50 collisions.
A report from NWS about the 2015 snowstorm says, “Two companies of the Kentucky National Guard were deployed to assist hundreds of individuals stranded in their vehicles on Interstate 24, some of them for almost 24 hours. Hundreds of semis were stranded, along with numerous other vehicles. The interstate was blocked or closed for most of the 24-hour period following the snowstorm.”
Most recently, this time last year, light snow made an appearance early in the month, with more snow not showing up until mid-February which was hand in hand with rain, flooding and storms.
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