Alert archive / Kentucky / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 151, NWS Jackson, KY

June 17, 20096 counties in Kentucky

NWS Jackson, KY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 17, 2009, 3:55 PM EDT for 6 counties in Kentucky. It was in force for 65 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Jun 17, 2009, 3:55 PM EDT (19:55 UTC)
Expired: Jun 17, 2009, 5:00 PM EDT
In force: 65 min
Issued by: NWS Jackson, KY
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Knox County, KY, Laurel County, KY, McCreary County, KY, Pulaski County, KY, Wayne County, KY, Whitley County, KY

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 116 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:55 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 17, 12:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 220 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 2932 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 772 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 112 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.2
Supercell composite: 6.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jun 17, 3:07 PM EDT, 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 3:07 PM EDT, 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
307 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

.SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...UPDATED

VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH A MODEST AMOUNT OF SHEAR HAS LED TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. A VERY MOIST
AIR MASS WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER ABOVE 1.5 INCHES WAS OVER OUR
SOUTHERN COUNTIES EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON...ENHANCING THE THREAT OF
HEAVY RAINFALL. WITH MANY AREAS HAVING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IN RECENT
DAYS IN THAT SAME AREA...WILL LEAVE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN PLACE
INTO EARLY EVENING.

A SHORTWAVE TROUGH ENHANCING THE CONVECTION WILL BE SHIFTING
SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA EARLY THIS EVENING. DRIER AIR WILL BE MOVING
IN ALOFT BY THE START OF THE FIRST PERIOD...WITH THE HIGH MOISTURE
CONTENT ONLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE LOWEST LEVELS. ALONG WITH LOSS
OF HEATING...THIS SHOULD LEAD TO THE DEMISE OF MOST
THUNDERSTORMS...AND WILL ONLY CARRY A 20 PERCENT POP IN THE FIRST
PERIOD AFTER 00Z.

ON THURSDAY STRONG HEATING OF HIGH DEW POINT LOW LEVEL AIR MAY AGAIN
LEAD TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...ESPECIALLY WITH WEAK CONVERGENCE
AND A BIT OF LIFT PROVIDED BY A POORLY DEFINED WARM FRONT STILL IN
THE AREA. FOCUSING MECHANISMS WILL BE WEAK...SO CONFIDENCE IN THE
FORECAST FOR CONVECTION IS NOT HIGH. WITH THE INSTABILITY AND SHEAR
EXPECTED...SEVERE WEATHER WILL AGAIN BE A THREAT IF STORMS OCCUR.

MODELS DISAGREE ON POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION TO LINGER INTO THURSDAY
NIGHT. WITH LOSS OF HEATING AND THE WARM FRONT TRYING TO LIFT FURTHER
NE...WILL GO TOWARD THE LOWER END OF MOS POP GUIDANCE AND USE A 20
PERCENT POP.

ON FRIDAY...WE SHOULD BE INTO THE WARM SECTOR AND WILL LIKELY STAY
CAPPED. THE SUNSHINE AND WARM AIR MASS SHOULD YIELD SOME OF THE
HOTTEST WEATHER OF THE YEAR SO FAR...WITH HIGHS TOPPING 90 IN MOST
PLACES.

.LONG TERM.../FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...UPDATED

SHORT TERM CONCERNS PROHIBITED MUCH WORK ON LONG TERM PERIOD. A
GLANCE AT THE 17/12Z GFS/ECMWF SEEM TO SUGGEST INHERITED FORECAST IS
IN GOOD SHAPE THOUGH AS COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS ON TRACK TO
PASS THROUGH THE REGION LATE FRIDAY NIGHT OR ON SATURDAY FOLLOWED BY
WHAT APPEARS TO BE A PERIOD OF SEASONABLY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS.
CHANGES TO THE INHERITED GRIDS WERE LIMITED TO A SLIGHT SLOWING DOWN
OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON SATURDAY AND THEN A SLIGHT BOOST IN TEMPS
AND DEWPOINTS SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE AIRMASS BEHIND THE
FRONT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AS DRY OR COOL AS EARLIER ANTICIPATED.
WILL ALSO INTRODUCE WEDNESDAY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MAINLY
AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS AS DEWPOINTS RETURN TO THE UPPER 60S AND
TEMPS MAX OUT IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S.

&&

.AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ONGOING AT TAF ISSUANCE TIME
IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA...GENERALLY AROUND KJKL
SOUTHWARD. ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...
WITH A DIMINISHING TREND TOWARD EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY
CONTAIN HAIL AND HIGH WINDS...WITH CONDITIONS IFR AND WORSE. OUTSIDE
OF STORMS...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. ONCE ANY LINGERING
STORMS DIMINISH EARLY THIS EVENING...QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED INTO
THE DAY ON THURSDAY. HOWEVER...AREAS OF FOG WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT. THE
FOG MAY BE LOCALLY DENSE WITH VLIFR CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY IN VALLEYS
WHERE RAIN OCCURS THIS AFTERNOON. ANY FOG WILL DISSIPATE AFTER
SUNRISE ON THURSDAY.

&&

.JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ058-
068-069-079-080-083>088-108>118-120.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ068-069-079-
080-083>088-107-109>120.

&&

SHORT TERM...HAL
LONG TERM...ABE
AVIATION...HAL

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 17, 4:00 AM EDT, 11 hours 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
400 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-181100-
FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE-
JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-
ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-
OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE-
400 AM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON WITH DAMAGING WINDS
BEING THE MAIN THREAT. IN ADDITION...A SATURATED GROUND COMBINED WITH
THE POTENTIAL OF HEAVY RAINFALL WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT PASS
REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS...COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED
FLOODING PROBLEMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...THEN
AGAIN FROM FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. AN ALREADY
WET GROUND FROM RECENT RAINFALL...COMBINED WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERAL ROUNDS OF RAIN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK COULD
PRODUCE SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

RAY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 17, 2:52 PM EDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
252 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0245 PM     HAIL             WILLIAMSBURG            36.74N 84.17W
06/17/2009  E1.75 INCH       WHITLEY            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WALL CLOUD MOVING SE. HEAVY RAIN. GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL.

&&

DSTAMPER

Local storm report, Jun 17, 2:57 PM EDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
257 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0256 PM     HAIL             GOLDBUG                 36.79N 84.17W
06/17/2009  E1.75 INCH       WHITLEY            KY   EMERGENCY MNGR

            GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND FUNNEL CLOUD AT GOLDBUG.

&&

DSTAMPER

Local storm report, Jun 17, 3:04 PM EDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
304 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0303 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     WILLIAMSBURG            36.74N 84.17W
06/17/2009                   WHITLEY            KY   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            DISPATCH REPORTS A FUNNEL CLOUD CURRENTLY OVER COURT
            HOUSE.

&&

DSTAMPER

Special weather statement, Jun 17, 3:07 PM EDT, 48 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
307 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

KYZ068-069-080-114-116-171930-
ROCKCASTLE-LAUREL-JACKSON-OWSLEY-CLAY-
307 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT SOUTHERN JACKSON AND SOUTHWESTERN
OWSLEY AND EAST CENTRAL ROCKCASTLE AND NORTHWESTERN CLAY AND
NORTHEASTERN LAUREL COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON...

AT 307 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COOKSBURG...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR DANGO AROUND 315 PM EDT...MIDDLEFORK AROUND
320 PM EDT...DEESE AROUND 325 PM EDT...ANNVILLE AROUND 330 PM EDT...

RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE
INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT
WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY.

RICHEY

Local storm report, Jun 17, 3:31 PM EDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
331 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0304 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WILLIAMSBURG            36.74N 84.17W
06/17/2009                   WHITLEY            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FUNNEL CLOUD AT INTERSECTION OF HWY 92 AND INTERSTATE 75.
            WELL DEVELOPED ABOUT 1/4 MILE ACROSS IT. ONE INCH HAIL
            ALSO REPORTED.

&&

DSTAMPER

Local storm report, Jun 17, 3:33 PM EDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
333 PM EDT WED JUN 17 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0304 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     WILLIAMSBURG            36.74N 84.17W
06/17/2009                   WHITLEY            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FUNNEL CLOUD AT INTERSECTION OF HWY 92 AND INTERSTATE 75.
            WELL DEVELOPED ABOUT 1/4 MILE ACROSS IT.

0304 PM     HAIL             WILLIAMSBURG            36.74N 84.17W
06/17/2009  E1.00 INCH       WHITLEY            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

ABE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, KY issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 16, 8:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin	27 min
Jun 16, 11:38 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	JKL	Pulaski	3 hr
Jun 17, 12:50 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	JKL	Clay, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Perry	3 hr
Jun 17, 12:58 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	JKL	Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin, Pike	3 hr
Jun 17, 2:27 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Floyd, Pike	4 hr
Jun 17, 3:58 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Clay, Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Perry	47 min
Jun 17, 9:56 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	JKL	Knott, Letcher, Pike	4 hr
Jun 17, 11:13 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Pike	4 hr
Jun 17, 12:12 PM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	JKL	Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson and 17 more	8 hr
Jun 17, 1:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Whitley	49 min
Jun 17, 2:25 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Whitley	35 min
Jun 17, 2:37 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	JKL	Bell, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Whitley	3 hr
Jun 17, 2:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Whitley	40 min
Jun 17, 2:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Floyd, Knott, Magoffin, Pike	53 min
Jun 17, 2:56 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning Emergency	JKL	Bell, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne and 1 more	6 hr
Jun 17, 2:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Bell, Knox, Whitley	33 min
Jun 17, 2:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Knott, Letcher, Perry	47 min
Jun 17, 3:15 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Letcher, Pike	3 hr
Jun 17, 3:24 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	JKL	Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Pike	3 hr
Jun 17, 3:28 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Bell, Knox, Whitley	32 min
Jun 17, 3:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Bell, Knox, McCreary, Whitley	40 min
Jun 17, 3:39 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Pike	3 hr
Jun 17, 3:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Clay, Jackson, Owsley	45 min
Jun 17, 4:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Breathitt, Lee, Owsley	36 min
Jun 17, 4:13 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Bell, Knox, Whitley	47 min
Jun 17, 4:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Pulaski, Rockcastle	51 min
Jun 17, 4:52 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Floyd, Martin, Pike	3 hr
Jun 17, 4:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Whitley	22 min
Jun 17, 5:03 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Bell, Clay, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Leslie and 5 more	4 hr
Jun 17, 5:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Laurel, Pulaski	53 min
Jun 17, 6:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne, Whitley	46 min
Jun 17, 6:50 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	McCreary, Whitley	40 min
Jun 17, 6:58 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne, Whitley	2 hr
Jun 17, 7:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	McCreary, Whitley	14 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kentucky, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.