Ice Storm, Fulton
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Fulton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.554, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Kentucky, January 15, 1997
A morning ice storm produced around a quarter inch of ice west of Kentucky Lake and from Paducah to Henderson. Ice caused numerous traffic accidents, especially on secondary roads.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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
- 15
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.
A morning ice storm produced around a quarter inch of ice west of Kentucky Lake and from Paducah to Henderson. Ice caused numerous traffic accidents, especially on secondary roads. The temperature warmed above freezing by noon, changing the freezing rain to plain rain. In McCracken County alone, there were at least 18 non-injury accidents from 7 A.M. to noon. Many schools, churches, businesses, and government offices were closed. Local hospitals in the Paducah area reported a sharp increase in weather-related injuries, especially slips, falls, and accidents. Western Baptist Hospital reported four wrist fractures due to slips and falls.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
15 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, Hickman
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hickman forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.678, -88.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Carlisle
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Carlisle forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.853, -88.971 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Ballard
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ballard forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, McCracken
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- McCracken forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Graves
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Graves forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.723, -88.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Livingston
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Livingston forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.210, -88.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Marshall
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Marshall forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 36.884, -88.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Crittenden
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Crittenden forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Lyon
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lyon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.019, -88.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Caldwell
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Caldwell forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Union
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Webster
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Webster forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Henderson
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Henderson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Daviess
- When
- January 15, 4:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Daviess forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Ice Storm
- Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 18, 1997
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Cold in South Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 1997
- Cold in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Mississippi, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- High Wind in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
More
Every storm in Kentucky in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 1997
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5585648, 5585649, 5585650, 5585651, 5585652, 5585653, 5585654, 5585655, 5585656, 5585657, 5585658, 5585659, 5585660, 5585661, 5585662.