ST. LOUIS – Winter may settle in earlier than usual across Kentucky and eastern Missouri this year, with La Niña driving a wetter, stormier pattern that could deliver snow and ice well into February. Forecasters caution that flakes could appear as early as late September in northern areas, while the peak winter season may bring frequent mixed precipitation events.
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, La Niña will steer storm systems directly into the Ohio Valley and lower Midwest, raising the risk of heavy snow north of Louisville and St. Louis while increasing the odds of freezing rain across central Kentucky and southeastern Missouri. The Farmers’ Almanac describes the upcoming season with three blunt words: “Chill, Snow, Repeat.”
Travel disruptions are a major concern on I-64, I-70, and I-55, where icy stretches and quick bursts of snow could cause dangerous driving conditions. Flight schedules at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport and St. Louis Lambert are also likely to be impacted by freezing rain and snow during peak systems. Power outages remain a heightened risk in rural Kentucky, where ice storms frequently weigh down trees and lines.
The La Niña influence is expected to persist through February, keeping both Kentucky and eastern Missouri in line for a long winter with repeated threats of snow, ice, and dangerous travel.
