A strong upper level storm system dove south out of Canada, and moved into Kentucky by early Thursday, December 18th. Heavy snow fell over portions of eastern Kentucky beginning in the afternoon on Thursday, December 18th.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS JKL wrote it up.
A strong upper level storm system dove south out of Canada, and moved into Kentucky by early Thursday, December 18th. Heavy snow fell over portions of eastern Kentucky beginning in the afternoon on Thursday, December 18th. Snow began accumulating in areas north of the Mountain parkway, along with ridge tops over other areas during the mid-afternoon hours, with many valley locations not switching from rain to snow until 8 or 9 pm the same day. While many locations accumulated 4 inches of snow or more, only eight counties recorded totals of 4 inches or more within a 12 hour period. By about 10 am on Friday, December 19th, accumulating snow ended for locations north of Interstate 64 and along the Interstate 75 corridor. Accumulating snow ended for the rest of eastern Kentucky by around 6 am on Saturday, December 20th.
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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 18, 10:25 AM EST, 6 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1125 AM EDT THU DEC 18 2003 SNOW FLYING ACROSS THE AREA AS LOW PRESSURE AND S/W COMBINE FORCES. CUSP OF VERY SHALLOW WARMER AIR TRYING TO NUDGE IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. TEMPS HAVE PUSHED INTO THE MIDDLE 30S IN THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE CWA...HOWEVER ALL PRECIP HAS REMAINED SNOW...WITH COLDER ATMOSPHERE SUPPORTIVE ABOVE. STILL...WITH MSAS SHOWING LOW SLOWING ITS SOUTHEAST PROGRESSION...WOULD IMAGINE THIS SLIGHT WARMING WOULD CONTINUE...WITH A MIX OF RAIN PERHAPS IN THE SOUTHWEST. WILL ADJUST ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR THE WARMER AIR...RESULTING IN LOWER SNOW TOTALS WITH MELTING TAKING PLACE. WILL ALSO ADD ANOTHER GROUP IN THE ADVISORY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LESS SNOWFALL TAKING PLACE IN THE SHORT TERM FOR THE SOUTHWEST. .JKL...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR ALL COUNTIES. GEOGERIAN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS FOLLOW -------------------------------------------------------------------- 337 AM EDT THU DEC 18 2003 FORECAST CHALLENGE FOR THIS FORECAST CYCLE IS TIMING OF SNOW AMOUNTS WITH STORM NOW ON THE HORIZON. WILL THE STORM LAY DOWN ENOUGH SNOW QUICK ENOUGH TO HIT WARNING CRITERIA. AND AS WOULD HAVE TO BE THE CASE...IT IS BORDER LINE. ETA AND GFS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN MOST AREAS. THEY AGREE WELL ON TIMING...WITH SNOW BEGINNING RIGHT ABOUT SUNRISE...OR A FEW HOURS AFTERWARDS. RADAR SHOWING EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF VIRGA OVER CNTRL KY. OBS HAVE BEEN SHOWING CLOUD DECK LOWERING OVERNIGHT AS WELL. SO TIMING IS NOT UNREASONABLE AS MOISTURE GRADUALLY WORKS ITS WAY DOWN. AMAZINGLY...BOTH MODELS EVEN PUT OUT ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF QPF FOR THE STORM EVENT AS A WHOLE. FROM THE LOOKS OF THINGS...TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THE EVENT APPEAR QUITE HIGH...ON THE ORDER OF 3 TO 5 INCHES FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT FOR MUCH OF THE CWA. HIGHEST AMOUNTS ARE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES...AS WOULD BE EXPECTED WITH UPSLOPE ADDING EXTRA SNOWFALL AT THE END OF THE EVENT. FIRST THOUGHTS ARE THAT OVERALL TOTALS SEEM A BIT HIGH TO ME CONSIDERING THIS IS A CLIPPER...BUT MUST ALSO REALIZE THE FACT THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNTS ARE FROM SEVERAL DISTINCT DISTURBANCES THAT TRACK THROUGH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...NOT TOO HARD TO ACCEPT FROM THAT VIEW POINT. AFTER LOOKING HARD FOR ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ETA AND GFS...ONLY SIGNIFICANT FIND IS IN THE LOCATION OF SNOW MAXIMA AND TIMING OF TOTALS. FROM ALL APPEARANCES...FEEL WARNING CRITERIA WILL NOT BE MET AND THAT ADVISORY WILL DO THE JOB. BUT AGAIN...TOTALS ARE VERY CLOSE TO 4 INCH IN 12 HR/6 INCHES IN 24 HR THRESHOLD...PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES. BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE THUR-FRI...18Z TO 06Z TIME FRAME IN THE SOUTHEAST. SECOND SHORTWAVE IN SERIES OF SEVERAL SEEMS TO LAY A GOOD BIT OF SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES AND AM WORRIED THAT 4 INCHES IN 12 HOUR THRESHOLD MIGHT BE MET THERE. HOWEVER...AFTER LOOKING OVER BUFFKIT...SNOW AMOUNTS ARE GRADUAL...AND LAST OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. WWE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE SAME. SO USING INFORMATION AT HAND...INDICATIONS ARE THAT WARNING CRITERIA WILL NOT BE MET. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE DIRECTION SURROUNDING OFFICES ARE TAKING AS WELL...WITH THE ONLY AREA IN WARNING CRITERIA BEING THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS ALONG THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN IN TN/VA. SO FOR NOW WILL STICK WITH EXTENDED SNOW EVENT TIMING WISE...WITH GRADUAL ACCUMULATIONS KEEPING CWA IN ADVISORY CRITERIA ONLY. RAY --------------------------------------------------------------------- 940 PM EDT WED DEC 17 2003 ALL EYES FOCUSED ON APPROACHING UPPER JET STREAK/SHORTWAVE DIVING SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. QUICK LOOK AT NEW 00Z ETA SHOWS GOOD 850-700MB FRONTOGENESIS TAKING PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN KY BETWEEN 09-12Z...AND WITH FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATING THAT MOST AREAS ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF AND NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA SATURATING AT 850MB AND ABV...FEEL CURRENT FORECAST OF SNOW BREAKING OUT BEFORE 12Z LOOKS GOOD. HOWEVER...ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL OCCUR DURING THE DAY THURSDAY AND INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...SO WILL CONTINUE TO LEAVE THE CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GOING. BUMPED DOWN LOW TEMPS TONIGHT A COUPLE OF DEGREES BASED ON 02Z OBS...BUT WITH SAT PICS SHOWING PLENTY OF MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS MOVING IN...FEEL TEMPS WILL ONLY DROP ANOTHER DEGREE OR TWO OVERNIGHT. FINALLY...DECREASED WIND SPEEDS A BIT BASED ON LATEST OBS. HYSELL --------------------------------------------------------------------- 615 PM EDT WED DEC 17 2003 CURRENTLY AWAITING ARRIVAL OF NEXT S/W AS EASTERN CONUS TROUGH CONTINUES TO RIPPLE OUT PERTURBATIONS IN THE FLOW UPSTREAM. MODELS HAVE COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT THROUGH THE NEXT 48 HOURS...BRINGING LOW PRESSURE AND ACCOMPANYING S/WS TO THE AREA TOMORROW AND TOMORROW NIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL ACROSS THE AREA. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN TODAYS MODELS RUNS ARE THE QPF VALUES...WITH BOTH THE GFS AND ETA RAMPING VALUES UP INTO THE QUARTER TO THIRD OF AN INCH RANGE. THE CONSENSUS OF SURROUNDING OFFICES INCLUDING MYSELF WAS TO TAKE THIS MORE SERIOUSLY AND HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. HAVE NOT BOUGHT INTO QPF VALUES WHOLE HEARTEDLY...AS RESULTING VALUES WOULD YIELD ACCUMULATIONS ABOVE 4 INCHES AREAWIDE. CLIMATOLOGY HAS SHOWN IN THE PAST THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THESE KIND OF TOTALS AREAWIDE WITH SYSTEMS COMING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. STILL...WILL USE RANGES FROM 1-3...WITH 2-4 IN THE SOUTHEAST WHERE UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT BRINGS SOME HIGHER END TOTALS. SNOW SHOULD START FALLING TOWARDS AROUND DAWN. THE FIRST S/W WILL ARRIVE WITH LOW PRESSURE BY MID-MORNING...AND PROVIDE THE FIRST DECENT BURST OF SNOWFALL...WITH A SECONDARY S/W COMBINING WITH NORTHWEST FLOW AND LINGERING INVERTED SFC TROUGHINESS TO HELP ENHANCE A SECOND BURST OF SNOWFALL THURSDAY EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS WILL LIKELY LINGER AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. PREVALENT CLOUD COVER AND OFF AND ON SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THE REGION THROUGH SATURDAY...UNTIL MAIN TROUGH AXIS GETS PAST US. TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO RUN BELOW NORMAL EXTENDED...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA SUNDAY...AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROF LIFTS...ALLOWING TEMPS TO MODERATE AND WARM INTO THE 50S FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE WORKWEEK...AS SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS. MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY...AS HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS OFF TO THE EAST AND RAIN MOVES INTO THE AREA LATE MONDAY/EARLY TUESDAY. WITH CURRENT TRACK OF LOW AND EXPECTED TEMPERATURES...WE WILL SEE MAINLY RAIN WITH A POSSIBLE CHANGEOVER TO SNOW LATE WEDNESDAY. MAY HAVE TO PUSH POPS BACK TO TUESDAY EVENING IF FRONT SLOWS. FOR A QUICK PEEK AT CHRISTMAS...DEPENDING ON THE WRAP AROUND...WE MAY SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW. GEOGERIAN/MORAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 446 AM EST THU DEC 18 2003 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-191000- BATH KY-BELL KY-BREATHITT KY-CLAY KY-ELLIOTT KY-ESTILL KY-FLEMING KY- FLOYD KY-HARLAN KY-JACKSON KY-JOHNSON KY-KNOTT KY-KNOX KY-LAUREL KY- LEE KY-LESLIE KY-LETCHER KY-MAGOFFIN KY-MARTIN KY-MCCREARY KY- MENIFEE KY-MONTGOMERY KY-MORGAN KY-OWSLEY KY-PERRY KY-PIKE KY- POWELL KY-PULASKI KY-ROCKCASTLE KY-ROWAN KY-WAYNE KY-WHITLEY KY- WOLFE KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BARBOURVILLE...BEATTYVILLE...BOONEVILLE... CAMPTON...FLEMINGSBURG...FRENCHBURG...HARLAN...HAZARD...HINDMAN... HYDEN...INEZ...IRVINE...JACKSON...LONDON...MANCHESTER...MCKEE... MIDDLESBORO...MONTICELLO...MOREHEAD...MOUNT STERLING... MOUNT VERNON...OWINGSVILLE...PAINTSVILLE...PIKEVILLE...PINEVILLE... PRESTONSBURG...SALYERSVILLE...SANDY HOOK...SOMERSET...STANTON... WEST LIBERTY...WHITESBURG...WHITLEY CITY AND WILLIAMSBURG 446 AM EST THU DEC 18 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW WILL BE DEVELOPING THROUGH THE DAY. ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND ONE INCH CAN BE EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. SLIGHTLY HIGHER SNOW AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE IN EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DISTURBANCES TRACKING THROUGH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE CHANCE FOR SNOW FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SLIGHTLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THOSE LOCATIONS IN EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. RAY
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Four inches of snow were reported on a ridge top, near Irvine.
Four inches of snow were reported from a ridge top in Helton.
Nine inches of snow was reported by a co-operative observer in Closplint.
Ten inches of snow was reported in the community of Phyllis.
Ten inches of snow was reported in the community of Mayking.
Up to nine inches of snow was reported on some ridge tops in the county.
Five inches of snow were reported in the community of McKee.
Four inches of snow were reported in Heidelberg, from a co-operative observer, and also about 4 miles northwest of Beattyville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, December 2003
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: 5328365, 5328366, 5328367, 5328368, 5328369, 5328482, 5328483, 5328484.