Heavy Snow — Rockcastle, Kentucky

2025-01-10 · Rockcastle, Kentucky

Event narrative

Snow fell somewhat intermittently in Rockcastle County, beginning around midday on January 10th and continuing through much of the afternoon and evening. Following the event, a social media report noted 4 inches of snow 1 mile east-southeast of Gauley, while the Department of Highways reported approximately 4 inches of snow 1 mile west of Burr.

Wider weather episode

A complex winter storm impacted eastern Kentucky on January 10th and 11th, 2025. The event featured the interaction of a northern stream weather system with a plume of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Snow began to spread across the region on the morning of the 10th, becoming widespread and significant by the afternoon. The peak of the event occurred during the evening of the 10th, with bands of heavy snow producing snowfall rates of up to one inch per hour at times, particularly across southern and southeastern counties. By the morning of the 11th, the steady snow had tapered off from west to east, ending as flurries. The storm produced a widespread snowfall of 3 to 5 inches, with the highest totals of up to 7 inches amplified by orographic lift in the highest terrain of the southeastern mountains.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1283117. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.