It’s a winter-ful life ❄️

Winter 2024-2025 weather forecast for Louisville

Derby City scenes like this occur most frequently in January. | Photo by @fotofem

We know the question on your mind, Louisvillians — when’s it going to get really cold?

Thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, we know what temperatures and precipitation trends to expect in our city for December, January, and February. While exact weather conditions typically can’t be predicted more than a week in advance, here’s a seasonal outlook to help you prepare for what winter will bring.

Reminder: The first day of winter is on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Temperature

Think a little warmer than usual. This winter, Derby City has a 33-40% chance of temperatures being above normal — highs of 45°F and lows of 28°F.

Precipitation

Expect about average precipitation. Louisville has 40-50% chance of seeing higher than average snow and rainfall amounts this winter.

Drought

No drought is expected this season in Louisville.

What December has in store

Typically in Louisville, December’s temperatures fluctuate between an average low of 32.1°F and an average high of 47.2°F — expect to see more of those upper-40°F days this year. December is also the month that sees the shortest days, with an average of 9 hours and 34 minutes of daylight.

Onward to January

January has consistently been the coldest month of the year in the 502, with an average low of 27.8°F and an average high of 43.6°F. If you’re a fan of snow, this is when you can start to look for accumulation. The most likely months for snowfall in LOU are December-March — it typically snows 4.5 inches in January.

February’s forecast

February tends to be frosty in River City with an average low of 30.7°F and average high of 48.3°F. If you’re over the dark and dreary days by this point, here’s some good news — February is when Louisville starts to see longer days, averaging 10 hours and 48 minutes of daylight.

The most wonderful time of year to get out and explore the city is…

A. Winter
B. Spring
C. Summer
D. Fall

CAST YOUR VOTE

Click here to have your event featured.

Wednesday, Dec. 14

Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart featuring Michael Cleveland | Wednesday, Dec. 14 | 8 p.m. | The Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway, Louisville | $40.95-$64.35 | Hear this 15-time Grammy Award-winning banjo player.

Thursday, Dec. 15

Ugly Sweater Making Party | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 7 p.m. | Pizza Bar, 445 S. 4th St., Louisville | $40 | Deck your halls at this sweater making event led by an instructor — all ugly supplies included.
The Brown-Forman Nutcracker | Thursday, Dec. 15-Friday, Dec. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Kentucky Center for the Arts, 501 W. Main St., Louisville | $39.20-$168 | Travel to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy during this holiday classic with the Louisville Ballet and The Louisville Orchestra.

Friday, Dec. 16

White Noise | Friday, Dec. 16-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 6-8:15 p.m. | Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. 3rd St., Louisville | $8-$12 | See this Noah Baumbach film (director of “Marriage Story”) with Adam Driver about a contemporary American family.

Saturday, Dec. 17

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | Saturday, Dec. 17 | Kentucky Center for the Arts, 501 W. Main St., Louisville | $23.40 | See this play about six misfit children and the true meaning of Christmas.

Monday, Dec. 19

A Festivus for the Rest of Us: Round 4 | Monday, Dec. 19 | 7 p.m. | The Merryweather, 1101 Lydia St., Louisville | Free | Celebrate this non-commercial holiday inspired by the sitcom Seinfeld with trivia, themed drinks, and an aluminum pole.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

This mother-daughter chef duo will cook Christmas dinner for you 🎄

A white bowl filled with beef bourguignon

This year be a guest at your own table. | Photo provided by Home Cuisine

Feeling the stress of hosting Christmas dinner? Check one thing off your holiday to-do list and opt for a chef-crafted Christmas meal delivered right to your front door. 🍽️

Local restaurateur Sandy Pike and her daughter Mae offer a spread of upscale Christmas dinner options, including:

Beef Bourguignon
Tuscan-style holiday chicken with pasta
Homemade pimento cheese
Chocolate almond bourbon torte
and more

See the full menu + order by Friday, Dec.16, for delivery by Thursday, Dec. 22.*

ORDER (BEFORE IT SELLS OUT)

Weather

53º | Rain | 99% chance of rain

Coming Soon

National grocery chain Publix announced a third Louisville location with a pharmacy and adjacent liquor store. The new, 48,387-sqft store will open in 2024 on the corner of Flat Rock Road and Shelbyville Road in the East End — just past Valhalla Golf Course. (WLKY)

Traffic

A nine-day directional closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge began early this morning at 4 a.m. Drivers will not be able to cross from New Albany, IN to Louisville, KY using this bridge until Friday, Dec. 23. A detour will direct traffic to Interstates 265 and 65. (WDRB)

Closing

Mayan Café’s food truck operation at Gravely Brewing is rolling out at the end of the year. Mayan Street Food has been the on-site food operator since 2017 and the Phoenix Hill brewery looks to have a new food partner by spring 2023. Our vote is for Jay’s Burgers. (Louisville Business First)

Trending

“Training Day” star Ethan Hawke brunched in The Ville earlier this week at Clifton breakfast spot Morning Fork. While his order was undisclosed, we hope he at least tried a Kentucky Russian — a bourbon cocktail made with a coffee ice ball. 🍴

Eat

Chef Dallas McGarity, a 2019 “Chopped” champion, is hosting a monthly vegetarian dinner at the Fat Lamb (2011 Grinstead Dr.) benefiting Dare to Care Food Bank. The first dinner is on Sunday, Dec. 18 and features dishes like curry roasted cauliflower and sesame chickpea fritters. Reserve your table.

Outdoors

Louisville Parks and Recreation’s annual golf passes are on sale for 2023. A seven-day pass is $500 and gives golfers unlimited access to Metro’s 10 courses. A Monday-Friday pass is also available for $350. Hit the greens. ⛳

Health

Holiday cheer isn’t the only thing spreading this season. The CDC reported “very high” flu activity in our state. Find a flu vaccine near you — there may even be a needleless option. (Verywell Health)

Job

Are you passionate about storytelling + news? Do you have some serious Louisville pride? We’re hiring a City Editor to plan, write, edit, and publish the most relevant and engaging daily content about our city. See details + apply.

Shop

Just like the LEXtoday team, City Editor Katie is ready to decorate her home with this colorful Kentucky State Map. Shop these unique gifts + more at our online shop Six & Main. 🛍️

Real Estate

CB McMahan’s luxury listing at 6416 Routt Rd. is a 6,102-sqft 4 BD, 5 BA home that sits on 16+ acres and boasts exquisite architectural accents. Let us know (without peeking) what you think it’s on the market for — the winning guess just might get a shoutout in our newsletter. 🏡*

Travel

How does Scott’s Cheap Flights work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and Scott’s will notify you when flights are 40-90% off. Bonus: You can browse deals immediately after signing up (like a $300+ round trip to Bermuda). 🌴*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Consider Lousiville squeaky clean 🧼

Louisville ranks No. 28 cleanest city in the US

For the study, InsureMyTrip examined data on the percentage of electric vehicles sold within Kentucky. | Photo by LOUtoday

Here’s some fresh news. Louisville was ranked the No. 28 cleanest city in the US by InsureMyTrip.

The travel insurance comparison site looked at government and consumer data sets, comparing data on hand sanitizer demand, restaurant cleanliness, recycling collector quantity, garbage disposal satisfaction, electric vehicle market share, and particulate matter pollution to reach its findings.

InsureMyTrip then standardized the data and gave each city a score between 0 and 10, with 0 being the worst and 10 being the best — except for particulate matter pollution, where 10 represents the least polluted. Here’s how Derby City scored:

Hand sanitizer demand: 0.95
Restaurant cleanliness: 10
Recycling collector quantity: 2.32
Garbage disposal satisfaction: 6.71
Electric vehicle market share: 0.24
Particulate matter pollution: 6.32

LOU’s overall score was 4.42. San Diego (No. 2), Tampa (No. 4), and Raleigh (No. 15) were also featured on the list.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Katie.

Editor’s pick: Matching pj’s are all the rage this time of year and Louisville-based pet retail store Cuddle Clones is on the bandwagon, but with your pets face.

I recently ordered a set of the custom Pet Print Pajamas with my cat Ranger as the featured face. I can’t wait for him to not appreciate my love for him on these silky pj’s.

Missed Monday’s newsletter? The former Louisville Gardens could become a film production studio.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Katie Molck, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Mandey Lee | Advertise with us.

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