Kentucky, 2002

Excessive Heat in Kentucky, April 16, 2002

April 16, 2002 · NWS RLX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Afternoon temperatures reached into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Ashland had 91 degrees, while Grayson and Charley saw 90 degrees.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 RLX wrote it up.

Afternoon temperatures reached into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Ashland had 91 degrees, while Grayson and Charley saw 90 degrees.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 16, 9:27 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 9:27 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1027 AM EDT TUE APR 16 2002

ONLY MINOR TEMP ADJUSTMENTS AND COSMETIC CHGS THIS UPDATE.  RMV
MORNING FOG FM NRN MTNS.  LOWERED MY SILENT 20S TO 10S ALL BUT NW
ZONES.

STAY COOL...

.RLX...
WV...NONE.
VA...NONE.
KY...NONE.
OH...NONE.

.END / TRM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Boyd

When
April 16, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Boyd forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.360, -82.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Carter

When
April 16, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Carter forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.318, -83.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Greenup

When
April 16, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Greenup forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.546, -82.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Lawrence

When
April 16, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.068, -82.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2002

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: 5289426, 5289427, 5289428, 5289429.