Dense Fog in Kentucky, January 26, 2004

Name: Dense Fog in Kentucky, January 26, 2004
Start: 2004-01-26T05:00
End: 2004-01-26T12:00
Location: Kentucky

January 26, 2004 · NWS PAH · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Widespread dense fog enveloped much of western Kentucky, mainly along and north of a Paducah to Madisonville line. The fog formed over areas that received an ice storm the previous day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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.

Widespread dense fog enveloped much of western Kentucky, mainly along and north of a Paducah to Madisonville line. The fog formed over areas that received an ice storm the previous day. Visibilities were one quarter mile or less. The thick fog prevented any flights from departing or arriving at Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport for six hours.

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 26, 2:44 AM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 26, 2:44 AM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 26, 4:59 AM CST, 1 minute before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.

Dense Fog, Ballard

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Ballard forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Caldwell

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Crittenden

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Crittenden forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Daviess

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Daviess forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Henderson

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Hopkins

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.309, -87.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Livingston

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.210, -88.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Lyon

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Lyon forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.019, -88.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Marshall

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.884, -88.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, McCracken

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: McCracken forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, McLean

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.529, -87.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Union

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dense Fog, Webster

When: January 26, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Dense Fog: Fog reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less, filed where it caused accidents or disruption.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, January 2004

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5381143, 5381144, 5381145, 5381146, 5381147, 5381148, 5381149, 5381150, 5381151, 5381152, 5381153, 5381154, 5381155.