Winter Storm, Crittenden
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Crittenden forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Kentucky, March 19 to 20, 1996
Heavy wet snow and strong winds brought down tree limbs and power lines. Snowfall accumulations were between 8 and 12 inches in a band from Hopkinsville north through Madisonville to Owensboro and Henderson.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
Heavy wet snow and strong winds brought down tree limbs and power lines. Snowfall accumulations were between 8 and 12 inches in a band from Hopkinsville north through Madisonville to Owensboro and Henderson. Four or more inches of snow fell east of Kentucky Lake. Drifts to 3 or 4 feet were common, with up to 6 foot drifts in the Henderson and Owensboro areas. Several counties declared states of emergency, including Henderson and Daviess Counties. Emergency shelters were opened due to widespread power outages and loss of heat. National Guard troops in all-terrain vehicles were called to rescue snowbound people in remote areas. Many roads, especially county roads, were impassable due to abandoned vehicles, deep drifts, or downed tree limbs. Over 150 vehicles were abandoned in Daviess County alone. Power was fully restored and emergency shelters were closed about 3 to 4 days after the storm.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
12 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Trigg
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Trigg forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.806, -87.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Caldwell
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Caldwell forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Union
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Webster
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Webster forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Hopkins
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Hopkins forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.309, -87.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Christian
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Christian forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.894, -87.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Henderson
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Henderson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Daviess
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Daviess forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, McLean
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- McLean forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.529, -87.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Muhlenberg
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Muhlenberg forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.216, -87.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Todd
- When
- March 19, 7:00 AM CST to March 20, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Todd forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.836, -87.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Ohio, March 19 to 21, 1996
- Winter Storm in Illinois, March 19 to 20, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, March 19 to 21, 1996
- High Wind in Maryland, March 19, 1996
- High Wind in New York, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, March 19 to 20, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Indiana, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in New York, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in Vermont, March 19 to 20, 1996
- High Wind in New Jersey, March 19, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, March 19 to 20, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, March 19, 1996
More
Every storm in Kentucky in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, March 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5546907, 5546908, 5546909, 5546910, 5546911, 5546912, 5546913, 5546914, 5546915, 5546916, 5546917, 5546918.