Kentucky, 1997

Ice Storm in Kentucky, January 27, 1997

January 27, 1997 · NWS ILN · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Freezing rain occurred during the morning rush hour icing over roads, bridges, and overpasses. Numerous accidents occurred.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 ILN wrote it up.

Freezing rain occurred during the morning rush hour icing over roads, bridges, and overpasses. Numerous accidents occurred. The most serious accident occurred in Campbell county on southbound I-471 at the Newport exit. Nine cars piled up on the icy road and one person was trapped in a vehicle.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Boone

When
January 27, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Coordinates
38.970, -84.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Kenton

When
January 27, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Kenton forecast zone
Coordinates
38.934, -84.533 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Campbell

When
January 27, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Campbell forecast zone
Coordinates
38.947, -84.380 (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

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5587305, 5587306, 5587307.