Paducah averages about 49 inches of precipitation each year, but it received more than 60 inches over the past year. The total comes in as the tenth-wettest year since records were first kept in 1937. Cape Girardeau and Evansville also cracked their top ten list for rainfall.
Several communities saw even more rain than Paducah in 2018. Carbondale, Murray and Hickman exceeded 62 inches; Cape Girardeau caught more than 64 inches; and Kevil and Rosiclaire both received about 67 inches of rain. But 2018's rainiest spot in our region was Cadiz, at 71.44 inches.
Many other local communities received 8-12 inches more rain than normal.
As far as temperatures went, Paducah never reached triple digits in the past year. The hottest days of the summer were 98 degrees on July 5th and 14th.
Paducah thermometers also never ventured into negative territory in 2018. The coldest morning low of the year was 2 degrees, on January 2nd and 14th.
The past year was also notable for the lack of comfortable spring and fall days in the 60s and 70s, but sudden shifts from cold to hot in the spring, and a quick plunge from summerlike temperatures in October. This is apparent in the fact that in Paducah, April was the 3rd-coldest ever, but May was the warmest in history. In addition, September was the 3rd-warmest for Paducah, but November was the 7th-coldest.
On the Net:
Paducah's 2018 weather summary
