Largest Single-Day Snowfalls in Owensboro History

As we prepare for a massive winter storm that could drop up to a foot of snow on Owensboro this weekend, I want to look back at the largest single-day snowfalls in our history.

Owensboro Snowstorms

I have first cousins in New Mexico whose visits to Owensboro you could count on one hand. For this reason, they know little about our area, especially when it comes to the weather. They certainly know we're not in the deep south, but maybe because we're not on the Canadian border, they always found it surprising how much snow we can get around here.

And, boy, can we ever.

Largest Single-Day Owensboro Snowfalls

Our snowstorms usually deliver in one blunt-force jolt during which we get the bulk of our accumulations. Because of the impending winter storm, I did a little research into our largest single-day snowfalls in Owensboro, and I learned that none of us will remember three of the top four.

The storms that gave us snow amounts that rank two through four are either in a tie or an inch off. Considering how long ago two of them happened, I can understand the fluctuation.

On December 14th, 1847, Owensboro got 16 inches of snow. Think about that. No snow plows, only wagons and horses. And it's the cold that may have been of bigger concern at that time. Almost exactly 70 years later, on December 7th, 1917, another 16 inches fell.

Fast forward (way forward) to December 24th, 2004, and it's another 16-inch snowfall; 15 inches in some areas. That's the one that sticks in my mind.

I was a late Christmas shopper that year, and my old Chevy Corsica got stuck in a snow bank. I had to borrow a four-wheel-drive company vehicle to finish up. Yes, most of us like snow for Christmas, but that was ridiculous.

The Largest Single-Day Snowfall in Owensboro's History

As for the largest single-day snowfall, it happened during the Civil War, on January 15, 1863. I couldn't find any news stories from that time, but I did locate the Essential Civil War Curriculum which tells us that the war happened during the very end of the "Little Ice Age."

'Snowy Morning on Picket' Harper's Weekly [Public Domain][/caption]That would explain the shocking 18-inch snowfall that would seem to have paralyzed this entire area.

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I hope you've enjoyed our snowy little history lesson, and I hope you have all the groceries you need for this weekend and are prepared for a deep-freeze. Hopefully, we'll keep any further snowfall records at bay.