Alert archive / Kentucky / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 74, NWS Louisville, KY
NWS Louisville, KY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 8, 2020, 9:40 PM CDT for 6 counties in Kentucky. It was in force for 50 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
- Apr 8, 2020, 9:40 PM CDT (02:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 8, 2020, 10:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Louisville, KY
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 0.75 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Breckinridge County, KY, Bullitt County, KY, Hancock County, KY, Hardin County, KY, Meade County, KY, Nelson County, KY
The radar
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 20 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 6:24 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 196 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 990 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -46 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1332 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 57 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 75 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 124 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.2
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 8, 8:54 PM CDT, 46 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 8:54 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Louisville KY 954 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 .Mesoscale Update... Issued at 953 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 Thunderstorms have congealed into a line from central Indiana southwestward into southern Illinois, with a history of damaging wind and large hail this evening. In addition, a cluster of more discrete cells is pushing ESE from southern Illinois, the Missouri Bootheel, and western Kentucky. Both sets of storms are moving into an environment characterized by 1500-2500 J/KG of MLCAPE and sufficient deep layer shear. This environment is expected to maintain deep into the evening across our region, and in fact expecting a surge in forcing as a potent upper trough swings into the region and the low level jet intensifies a bit in response. Today's deep mixing and good heating has allowed for some dry lower levels and proximity soundings taking on somewhat of an inverted V type structure. See some related higher DCAPE values in the 1000- 1200 J/KG range across southern Indiana and western Kentucky where storms will soon enter. As a result, think the straightline wind threat is quite good. Think the large hail threat will diminish the deeper into the evening we get, but some hail will likely still be noted. Still can't rule out a brief tornado or two with any mesovortices in the line, but overall think that the high LCL's > 1000m will be a limiting factor. Also, could see some of the more isolated cells west of I-65 rotate as the low level wind profile and best low level moisture return is in that area. Can't rule out a small tornado threat there either. Still, the main concern is potential for pockets or even widespread wind damage with any bowing segments through the evening. && .Forecast Update... Issued at 751 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 Update to the forecast to include Tornado Watch for all of southern Indiana and central Kentucky. Strong storms have formed upstream over Illinois and have already attained a linear structure as they dive to the southeast. Powerful supercells in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois are moving east and will also congeal into a line, joining forces with the line coming out of central Illinois. The squall line will enter a region of steep mid-level lapse rates, strong deep layer shear, and moderate CAPE. There are also outflow boundaries present from earlier convection that may locally enhance tornado risk. && .Short Term...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 310 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 ...Strong to Severe Storms Possible Tonight... Expect active weather for the first half of the short term period as an upper level trough digs across the upper MS Valley and into the Great Lakes region tonight. At the surface, an associated cold front will sweep southeastward toward the OH Valley, pushing a line of strong to severe storms through the area during the 01Z - 08Z timeframe. Afternoon temperatures have warmed nicely into the upper 70s to low 80s as this morning's clouds have given way to clearer skies. Some isolated storms with small hail and frequent lightning developed over the Bluegrass Region this afternoon along a lingering frontal boundary and are expected to move off to the southeast over the next hour or two. The greater and more widespread threat for severe weather will come tonight as the cold front approaches. Ahead of the front, expect a swath of dewpoints in the low to mid 60s to reach across the area along with steep mid-level lapse rates of 7-8 C/km, resulting in moderate instability (MLCAPE ~1000-2000 J/kg). With strengthening wind fields aloft, effective shear values are forecast to be in the 40-50 kt range. Overall, the main threats will be damaging winds and hail, with brief heavy rainfall and frequent lightning also possible. With LCL heights forecast to gradually lower to 500-1000 m ahead of the storms and 0-1 km ESRH of 150-250 m2/s2, also cannot rule out the possibility of an isolated tornado or two. However, a potential inhibitor to tornado potential will be the strength of the nocturnal inversion and whether or not the storms will be able to become surface based. As the cold front exits off to the southeast early Thursday morning, brisk northwesterly winds will usher in relatively cool and dry weather. Thursday morning temperatures are forecast to dip into the upper 40s to lower 50s, and are then expected to rise into the upper 50s to lower 60s in the afternoon under mostly clear skies. Under a tight pressure gradient, winds will remain strong and gusty throughout the day, with gusts of 30-35 mph likely. .Long Term...(Thursday night through Wednesday) Issued at 315 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 Thursday Night through Saturday... Deep closed upper low will make its way across eastern Canada, with broad trofiness over the eastern CONUS. Canadian high pressure will build down the Plains and eventually settle into the Ohio Valley, bringing unseasonably cold air. Expect temps a solid 10 degrees below normal for most of this period. Main concern will be frost/freeze potential. However, that is limited on Friday morning as we'll have decent temp/dewpoint spreads and wind staying up around 10 mph through the night. Better frost potential is Fri night/Sat morning, especially east of I-65, where some areas could see widespread frost. Farther west, clouds should return quickly enough to keep temps from bottoming out. Will carry a slight chance for rain showers during the day on Saturday, but even that model blend seems a bit generous. Temps start to moderate but will still run slightly below normal. Saturday Night through Wednesday... Widespread rain will expand into Kentucky late Sat night, with categorical POPs continuing through Sunday as a dynamic upper low ejects out of eastern New Mexico and west Texas into the Ohio Valley. At this time the best chances for severe wx should remain across the Deep South, keeping it as just a soaking rain event here in the Ohio Valley. However, a stronger northward surge of the warm sector could open the door to severe convection into at least part of Kentucky. Cool and drier pattern sets up after Monday as the upper trof closes into a Hudson Bay low. Could see another frosty morning by Wednesday. && .Aviation...(00Z TAF Issuance) Issued at 807 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 The focus this period will be the cold front that will move from the northwest to the southeast this evening. The environment has steep lapse rates making it easier for elevated winds and storm energy to make it to the surface. Instability is also high. This is going to make severe hail a potential threat. The line of storms will remain relatively thin. The storms are going to hit a TAF site and quickly move through. Behind the line, winds will veer to the northwest, and remain gusty. Expect severe winds, lots of lightning, and some hail. Some areas in the region will likely see winds in excess of 50 knots. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...None. KY...None. && Mesoscale...BJS Update...13 Short Term...JML Long Term...RAS Aviation...KDW
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 6:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Louisville KY 742 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-092345- Orange-Washington-Scott-Jefferson-Dubois-Crawford-Perry-Harrison- Floyd-Clark-Hancock-Breckinridge-Meade-Ohio-Grayson-Hardin-Bullitt- Oldham-Trimble-Henry-Shelby-Franklin-Spencer-Anderson-Woodford- Fayette-Bourbon-Nicholas-Nelson-Mercer-Jessamine-Larue-Marion-Boyle- Garrard-Madison-Butler-Edmonson-Hart-Green-Taylor-Casey-Lincoln- Logan-Warren-Simpson-Allen-Barren-Monroe-Metcalfe-Adair-Russell- Cumberland-Clinton- Including the cities of Paoli, Salem, Scottsburg, Madison, Jasper, English, Tell City, Corydon, New Albany, Jeffersonville, Lewisport, Hawesville, Hardinsburg, Brandenburg, Hartford, Leitchfield, Elizabethtown, Shepherdsville, Louisville, La Grange, Bedford, Milton, New Castle, Shelbyville, Frankfort, Georgetown, Cynthiana, Taylorsville, Lawrenceburg, Versailles, Lexington, Paris, Carlisle, Bardstown, Springfield, Harrodsburg, Nicholasville, Winchester, Hodgenville, Lebanon, Danville, Lancaster, Richmond, Morgantown, Brownsville, Horse Cave, Greensburg, Campbellsville, Liberty, Stanford, Russellville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Providence, Scottsville, Glasgow, Tompkinsville, Edmonton, Columbia, Jamestown, Burkesville, and Albany 742 PM EDT Wed Apr 8 2020 /642 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020/ ...TORNADO WATCH 91 IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ THURSDAY... This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Indiana and Central Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A cold front will move through the area tonight, bringing a line of severe thunderstorms to the area. The strongest storms will be capable of producing damaging winds, hail, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning. A few brief tornadoes cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Temperatures are expected to drop into the low to mid 30s on Friday night and early Saturday morning. Areas of frost may develop, which could harm sensitive vegetation. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is requested for tonight, through 3am EDT. 13
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 8, 8:59 PM CDT, 41 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
959 PM EDT WED APR 8 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0950 PM TSTM WND GST 2 N JOHNSBURG 38.25N 86.95W
04/08/2020 M49 MPH DUBOIS IN AWOS
AWOS STATION KHNB HUNTINGBURG.
&&
EBWLocal storm report, Apr 8, 9:17 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
1017 PM EDT WED APR 8 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0955 PM TSTM WND GST 3 NE MALTERSVILLE 38.38N 86.84W
04/08/2020 M59 MPH DUBOIS IN PUBLIC
WIND GUST REPORTED ALONG SR 164.
&&
EBWLocal storm report, Apr 8, 9:20 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
1020 PM EDT WED APR 8 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0954 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 NNW JASPER 38.42N 86.95W
04/08/2020 DUBOIS IN EMERGENCY MNGR
POWER LINES DOWNED ON 36TH STREET.
&&
EBWSpecial weather statement, Apr 8, 9:21 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
921 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
KYZ061-071-090245-
Warren-Butler-
921 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN BUTLER AND
NORTHWESTERN WARREN COUNTIES...
At 920 PM CDT, a cluster of thunderstorms was moving through Logan
County. Strong winds with this storm will clip the southern part of
Butler county and western Warren county over the next 20 minutes.
Wind gusts of 45 to 50 MPH will be seen.
Locations impacted include...
Bowling Green, Morgantown, Crestmoor, Woodbury, Huntsville, Dimple,
Leetown, Rockland, Quality and Sharer.
LAT...LON 3709 8690 3711 8690 3711 8689 3712 8690
3713 8690 3713 8692 3717 8690 3718 8689
3718 8690 3719 8690 3727 8644 3693 8640
3708 8692
TIME...MOT...LOC 0220Z 278DEG 44KT 3710 8683
MJLocal storm report, Apr 8, 9:29 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Apr 8, 9:33 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Louisville, KY issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 9:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Meade | 43 min |
| Apr 8, 9:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Logan | 25 min |
| Apr 8, 9:21 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LMK | Butler, Warren | 24 min |
| Apr 8, 9:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Allen, Logan, Simpson, Warren | 47 min |
| Apr 8, 9:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby, Trimble | 47 min |
| Apr 8, 9:43 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LMK | Grayson, Ohio | 47 min |
| Apr 8, 10:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Anderson, Bullitt, Nelson, Shelby, Spencer | 24 min |
| Apr 8, 10:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Bourbon, Harrison, Nicholas, Scott | 52 min |
| Apr 8, 10:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Bourbon, Fayette, Franklin, Scott, Shelby, Woodford | 50 min |
| Apr 8, 10:17 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LMK | Monroe | 43 min |
| Apr 8, 10:26 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Nelson, Washington | 20 min |
| Apr 8, 10:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Anderson, Jessamine, Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Washington and 1 more | 46 min |
| Apr 8, 10:32 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LMK | Larue | 43 min |
| Apr 8, 10:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Bourbon, Clark, Fayette | 34 min |
| Apr 8, 10:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Boyle, Casey, Clark, Fayette, Garrard, Jessamine and 7 more | 46 min |
| Apr 8, 11:48 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LMK | Madison | 12 min |
| Apr 9, 2:14 PM CDT | Freeze Watch | LMK | Adair, Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Casey, Clark and 26 more | 12 hr |
| Apr 8, 7:48 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LMK | Crawford, Dubois, Orange, Washington | 57 min |
| Apr 8, 8:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Dubois, Orange | 45 min |
| Apr 8, 8:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Jefferson | 32 min |
| Apr 8, 9:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Clark, Floyd, Jefferson, Scott, Washington | 26 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kentucky, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020
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.