Paducah, Kentucky – The National Weather Service has released its 2025 annual climate summary for the Paducah region, showing near to slightly above normal temperatures and widespread above-normal rainfall across much of the area.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, temperatures across western Kentucky, southern Illinois, and southeast Missouri generally finished close to long-term averages. Several locations recorded slightly warmer-than-normal annual temperatures, with notable heat during the summer months and brief but sharp cold outbreaks in winter.
Precipitation was the dominant feature of the year. Much of the region experienced a wet year, particularly across west Kentucky where multiple locations recorded between 60 and 70 inches of rain. Evansville, Indiana finished 2025 as its eighth wettest year on record, while Paducah, Kentucky recorded nearly 54 inches of precipitation, more than three inches above normal.
Rainfall totals varied across the region but consistently exceeded normal values in many communities. Several CoCoRaHS and cooperative observing sites reported annual totals above 65 inches, with the highest localized totals exceeding 70 inches.
Monthly climate records reflected the variability of the year. Some locations experienced top-10 wettest months in spring and early summer, while several sites recorded among their driest Decembers on record. Temperature records also showed periods of unusual warmth during March and July at select locations.
The National Weather Service emphasized that while temperatures were largely near normal, the persistence and frequency of heavy rainfall events defined the region’s overall climate pattern in 2025.
