Extreme Cold in Kentucky, December 12 to 31, 2000

Name: Extreme Cold in Kentucky, December 12 to 31, 2000
Start: 2000-12-12T00:01
End: 2000-12-31T23:59
Location: Kentucky

December 12 to 31, 2000 · NWS PAH · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

An invasion of arctic air occurred on December 12. The arctic air became permanently entrenched over the region for the remainder of the month, resulting in the coldest December on record at Paducah.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: 22

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.

An invasion of arctic air occurred on December 12. The arctic air became permanently entrenched over the region for the remainder of the month, resulting in the coldest December on record at Paducah. The average monthly temperature of 25.9 degrees was 11.4 below normal. On the coldest day of the month, the 17th, the high was 17 and the low was 6. Unusually high energy prices, combined with the record cold, caused homeless shelters to fill to capacity. The usual problems associated with frigid temperatures, such as frozen pipes and water main breaks, were common during the latter half of the month. Auto clubs reported a large increase in service calls, mainly for frozen door locks and dead batteries.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Livingston

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.210, -88.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lyon

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lyon forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.019, -88.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marshall

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.884, -88.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, McCracken

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McCracken forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, McLean

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.529, -87.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Muhlenberg

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Muhlenberg forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.216, -87.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Todd

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Todd forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.836, -87.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Trigg

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Trigg forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.806, -87.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Union

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Webster

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ballard

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ballard forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Caldwell

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Calloway

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Calloway forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.621, -88.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Carlisle

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Carlisle forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.853, -88.971 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Christian

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.894, -87.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Crittenden

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Crittenden forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Daviess

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Daviess forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Fulton

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.554, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Graves

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Graves forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.723, -88.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Henderson

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hickman

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hickman forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.678, -88.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hopkins

When: December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 37.309, -87.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, December 2000

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: 5165769, 5165770, 5165771, 5165772, 5165773, 5165774, 5165775, 5165776, 5165777, 5165778, 5166333, 5166334, 5166335, 5166336, 5166337, 5166338, 5166339, 5166340, 5166341, 5166342, 5166343, 5166344.