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Shaded-relief map of Lexington-Fayette urban county, Kentucky: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
KENTUCKY · FAYETTE COUNTY

Lexington-Fayette urban county

329,437 people, 1,060 ft above sea level in Fayette County.

1,060 ftElevation, city center
329,437People, 2024 estimate
284 sq miLand area
Clear 40°
Clear now Dew point 31° · W 3 mph · high 38°
City of Lexington-Fayette urban county River Interstate 5 miles
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The Lexington-Fayette urban county plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Lexington-Fayette urban county

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 9:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Lexington Blue Grass Airport (KLEX) · 8:54 PM
Clear
40° Clear Feels like 38° · high of 38° near 9 PM
WindW 3 mphno gusts
Humidity70%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure30.26 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 31° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 130.08 in · 1 dry day
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Fayette County
NWS Louisville and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 9:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:17 AM5:27 PM ↓
10 h 9 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 28% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
13
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: None, good. No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
clear day
clear night
TEMPERATURE °F
38°
31°
49°
30°
52°
30°
55°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
5
5
5
3
5
7
7
3
0
0
3
3
5
5
3
3
5
3
2
2
3
3
0
3
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 28 to 37°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 56° / 37°
SAT Nov. 14 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
38° 31°
0% rain — WNW 5 A
SUN Nov. 15 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
50° 29°
0% rain — NNW 6 B
MON Nov. 16 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
54° 29°
0% rain — ENE 4 B
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
58° 31°
0% rain — E 3 A
WED Nov. 18 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 35°
0% rain — SE 5 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
64° 40°
0% rain — SSW 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
66° 41°
0% rain — ESE 5 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Lexington-Fayette urban county about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,050 miles back along its path. It rose from near the ground on the way. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific north of Hawaii. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1959 Nov. 17, 1959

The coldest this week has been

12° on Nov. 17, 1959, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1872. Next is 12° in 2019.

12°
12°
20191959
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Lexington Area threaded record since 1872.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Lexington-Fayette urban county stands on

Lexington-Fayette urban county’s center stands about 1,060 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 920 ft to 1,060 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

Lexington-Fayette urban county, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
600 ft800 ft1,000 ft LEXINGTON-FAYETTE URBAN COUNTY1,060 ftKentucky Riverabout 560 ft ← SN →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 38×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Lexington Limestone

Limestone. Age: Middle Ordovician, 459 to 471 million years old. About 20 mi of the line.

Garrard Siltstone and Kope and Clays Ferry Formations, undivided

Shale, limestone. Age: Ordovician, 445 to 487 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

High Bridge Group

Limestone. Age: Ordovician, 445 to 487 million years old. About 2 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Lexington-Fayette urban county’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Lexington-Fayette urban county reaches the Gulf of America by way of West Hickman Creek, Hickman Creek, the Kentucky, the Ohio and the Mississippi: about 1,570 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Lexington-Fayette urban county≈ 1,570 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF LEXINGTON-FAYETTE URBAN COUNTY ≈ 1,570 mi to the Gulf of America West Hickman Creek → Hickman Creek → Kentucky → Ohio → Mississippi

970 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Lexington-Fayette urban county; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Lexington-Fayette urban county’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1872 · Lexington Bluegrass Airport, 8 mi west

Lexington-Fayette urban county has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 87° in July; winter nights fall to about 25° in January. A normal year brings about 14 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 50 inches of water.

42°25°47°28°56°36°67°45°76°55°84°63°87°67°86°65°80°58°69°47°56°36°46°30° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY 49.8 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average87° / 67°high / low, the warmest month
January, average42° / 25°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow49.8 inwettest months: May and July
Snow a year14.5 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record108°FJuly 15, 1936
Coldest on record−21°FJanuary 24, 1963
Wettest day on record8.04 inAugust 2, 1932
Snowiest day on record13.4 inJanuary 26, 1943
90° days a year25very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°90and 18 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 27, to the last in spring, about April 10 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 30 to March 3; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Lexington-Fayette urban county normally reaches 56° and falls to 37°. The record high is 77°, in 1971; the record low 15°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.52 in, fell in 1915.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high42°47°56°67°76°84°87°86°80°69°56°46°
Normal low25°28°36°45°55°63°67°65°58°47°36°30°
Rain and melt, in3.423.644.484.425.444.965.123.713.423.663.374.20
Snow, inches4.74.52.80.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.41.9
Record high80° (1943)80° (2018)86° (1929)91° (1942)96° (1941)104° (1936)108° (1936)105° (1936)103° (1954)97° (2019)83° (2016)75° (1982)
Record low−21° (1963)−20° (1899)−2° (2015)15° (1875)26° (1966)39° (1966)47° (1972)42° (1965)32° (1899)20° (1976)−3° (1950)−19° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1872 from the Lexington Area threaded record (Lexington Bluegrass Airport, 8 miles west). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Lexington-Fayette urban county on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Georgetown KY · 16 MI 16 miles north Richmond KY · 23 MI 23 miles south Louisville KY · 65 MI 65 miles west Louisville KY · 71 MI 71 miles west Cincinnati OH · 76 MI 76 miles north Indianapolis IN · 150 MI 150 miles northwest
FORECASTCITY
Map of Lexington-Fayette urban county, Kentucky. Explore the plate
KENTUCKY · FAYETTE

Lexington-Fayette urban county

329,437 people, 1,060 ft above sea level in Fayette County.

1,060 ftElevation
329,437People
284 sq miLand
Clear 40°
ClearDew point 31°
1

Today in Lexington-Fayette urban county

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now partly cloudy night 38° 0%
12a partly cloudy night 36° 0%
3a partly cloudy night 33° 0%
6a partly cloudy night 31° 0%
9a partly cloudy day 39° 0%
12p partly cloudy day 47° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
31
38
A
Sun0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
29
50
B
Mon0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
29
54
B
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
31
58
A
Wed0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
35
62
A
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
40
64
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
66
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1959 · NOV. 17, 1959

12°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1872.

2

What Lexington-Fayette urban county stands on

Lexington-Fayette urban county’s center stands about 1,060 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 920 ft to 1,060 ft, a difference of 140 ft: gently rolling country.

Lexington-Fayette urban county, south to north Kentucky Riverabout 560 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 73×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,060 ft
Within 3 miles920 to 1,060 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (140 ft of relief)
5

Lexington-Fayette urban county’s year

Lexington-Fayette urban county has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 87° in July; winter nights fall to about 25° in January. A normal year brings about 14 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 50 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 49.8 in
July, average87° / 67° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average42° / 25° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow49.8 in · wettest months: May and July
Snow a year14.5 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record108°F · July 15, 1936
Coldest on record−21°F · January 24, 1963
Wettest day on record8.04 in · August 2, 1932
Snowiest day on record13.4 in · January 26, 1943
90° days a year25 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°90 · and 18 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 27, to the last in spring, about April 10 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 30 to March 3; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Lexington-Fayette urban county normally reaches 56° and falls to 37°. The record high is 77°, in 1971; the record low 15°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 1.52 in, fell in 1915.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1872 from the Lexington Area threaded record (Lexington Bluegrass Airport, 8 miles west). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,570 mito the Gulf of AmericaWest Hickman Creek → Hickman Creek → Kentucky → Ohio → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Lexington-Fayette urban county reaches the Gulf of America by way of West Hickman Creek, Hickman Creek, the Kentucky, the Ohio and the Mississippi: about 1,570 river miles.

970 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.