Kentucky, 2005

Heavy Snow in Kentucky, February 28, 2005

February 28, 2005 · NWS JKL · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

This snow event actually ended during the afternoon and evening of March 1, 2005. A strong low pressure system moving up the east coast joined forces with an upper level low pressure area, and its associated surface cold front moving in from the plains, to produce a significant snow event for the the higher elevations of eastern Kentucky.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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 JKL wrote it up.

This snow event actually ended during the afternoon and evening of March 1, 2005. A strong low pressure system moving up the east coast joined forces with an upper level low pressure area, and its associated surface cold front moving in from the plains, to produce a significant snow event for the the higher elevations of eastern Kentucky. The coastal low brought cold Canadian air southward into eastern Kentucky, while the low moving in from the west drew warm, moist air northward from the Gulf of Mexico. Initially, all the precipitation was rain, but early on February 28, the temperatures dropped enough for the precipitation to change over to all snow. Pine Mountain ended up with 4" of snow, while Black Mountain came in with the highest snowfall total of 14".

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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 11:51 PM EST, 4 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 11:51 PM EST, 4 hours 9 minutes 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

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Harlan

When
February 28, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Harlan forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.857, -83.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Letcher

When
February 28, 10:45 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Letcher forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.121, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, February 2005

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: 5437220, 5437221.