Strong winds occurred as a potent cold front crossed Eastern Kentucky on December 23rd. A couple of trees, a few tree branches, and a couple of power lines were brought down by the strong winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Strong winds occurred as a potent cold front crossed Eastern Kentucky on December 23rd. A couple of trees, a few tree branches, and a couple of power lines were brought down by the strong winds. Wind gusts ranged from a measured peak gust of 48 mph at Monticello Airport, to a much lower gust of 31 mph measured at the Hazard Airport.
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 23, 12:50 PM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1250 PM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/ MADE MULTIPLE UPDATES TO THIS MORNINGS FORECAST. MODIFIED HOURLY AND MAX TEMPERATURE GRIDS FOR TODAY. LOADED IN 12Z AND 15Z OB DATA AND INTERPOLATED OUT FROM 15Z THROUGH THE END OF THE DAY TO ESTABLISH A MORE REALISTIC TREND. TODAYS HIGH TEMPERATURES OCCURRED AROUND 12Z THIS MORNING...SO ZONES WERE REWORDED TO INDICATED FALLING TEMPERATURES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY WITH NO MENTION OF HIGH TEMPS AT ALL. HAD TO INCREASE TODAYS MAX TEMPERATURES SEVERAL DEGREES TO MATCH UP WITH ACTUAL OBS...WITH HIGH TEMPS IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS THE BOARD AS OPPOSED TO AROUND 50 AS WAS PREVIOUSLY FORECAST. REMOVED PRECIP CHANCES FROM ALL BUT FAR EASTERN ZONE GROUP...WITH MENTION OF DRIZZLE AND FLURRIES EVERYWHERE. LATEST OB OUT OF THE FLEMING MASON COUNTY AIRPORT REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 48KTS...WITH SPORADIC READINGS OF AROUND 40KTS AROUND THE CWA...SO LEFT IN MENTION OF STRONG WINDS IN EASTERN GROUP AND 15 TO 25 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS EVERYWHERE. REMOVED MORNING WORDING FROM FIRST PERIOD OF FORECAST AS WELL. REST OF FORECAST WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. UPDATED ZONES ALREADY ISSUED. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/ A STRONG COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH EARLY THIS MORNING. A BROKEN BAND OF SHOWERS EXITS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...BEFORE ENDING QUICKLY JUST BEHIND THE SFC BOUNDARY. WINDS JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT HAVE BEEN GUSTING TO BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH. A MORE INTENSE CONVECTIVE BAND OF SHOWERS IS ALSO DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT ITSELF. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS BAND CAREFULLY FOR THE POTENTIAL OF DAMAGING WINDS. PAH HAD A WIND GUST TO 45 KTS AS THIS BAND OF SHOWERS MOVED THROUGH. IF DAMAGING WINDS DO DEVELOP...50 KTS OR HIGHER...WILL LIKELY HAVE TO HANDLE WITH A CONVECTIVE...NON THUNDERSTORM TYPE WARNING. WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO CARRY THE WIND ADVISORY AS WELL. HIGHER WINDS ALOFT SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM MIXING DOWN TO THE SFC AT TIMES THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. SHORT TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST WAS IN DECENT SHAPE. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO POPS TO BETTER REPRESENT PATTERN AND MOVEMENT SHOWING UP ON THE MOSAIC RADAR. OTHERWISE...MADE MINOR TWEAKS TO TEMPS FOR CCF PURPOSES. LIKE YESTERDAY...LOADED A BLEND OF CURRENT MOS GUIDANCE EVERY THREE HOURS BEFORE INTERPOLATING TO GET MOST LIKELY TEMPERATURE TREND THROUGH THE DAY AND THEN USED THAT TO OBTAIN TODAYS HIGH TEMPS. ONLY OTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO TEMPS WAS FOR TUESDAY. MODELS ARE VERY SIMILAR WITH A SURGE OF WARMER AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST MOVING INTO THE AREA DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. MOS GUIDANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY TRENDING HIGHER WITH TEMPS AS WELL. SAW NO REASON NOT TO FOLLOW SUITE. .LONG TERM.../TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/ A RATHER ACTIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST. THE CONSENSUS IS THAT A SW/V THROUGH IN THE SOUTHERN STREAM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE EASTERN CONUS ON CHRISTMAS DAY...WHILE A NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH DOES NOT PHASE WITH IT AND SHIFTS THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND THE NORTHEASTERN STATES. MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH THE SOUTHERN STREAM SW/V AS IT CROSSES THE REGION ON TUE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE LOW LEVELS. SOME VIRGA MAY FALL FROM A MID DECK AS THE SW/V PASSES...BUT ATTM MEASURABLE AND NON MEASURABLE PRECIP SHOULD NOT OCCUR DUE TO DRY AIR FROM THE SFC TO 700 MB. THEREAFTER...THE 0Z ECMWF APPEARED MORE IN LINE WITH THE 0Z GFS ENSEMBLE TAKING A SW/V NE FROM THE FOUR CORNERS REGION ON WED INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES ON WED NIGHT AND THU. THE LATEST GFS RUNS WERE QUICKER TAKING THIS SYSTEM EAST AND NE. A SFC SYSTEM THOUGH RATHER WEAK SHOULD TRACK NE FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON WED AND INTO THE WESTERN KY BY THU MORNING...BUT MODELS SHOW IT FILLING. THE BEST MOISTURE AND LIFT APPEARS TO PRECEDE THE SFC SYSTEM...WITH THE FRONTAL ZONE STALLING FROM THE WESTERN GULF OF MX NE INTO EASTERN KY. YET ANOTHER SW/V WILL MOVE FROM THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE PLAINS ON FRI...WITH ANOTHER SFC LOW DEVELOPING AND TRACKING NE FROM THE PLAINS INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES AT THE END OF THE PERIOD. THERE IS PLENTY OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS TIMING...BUT CHANCES FOR LIGHT PRECIPITATION SHOULD OCCUR EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS. OVERALL...TEMPERATURE SHOULD AVERAGE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/...UPDATED WINDS WILL REMAIN THE MAIN CONCERN EARLY IN THE PERIOD. SUSTAINED WEST SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KTS WILL GUST TO AS HIGH AS 30 TO 35 KTS THROUGH AROUND 22Z AS PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE AREA WILL REMAIN TIGHT. MVFR CIGS ARE SCATTERING OUT IN THE FAR WEST AND SHOULD FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH 22 OR 23Z AS DRIER AIR COURTESY OF THE DRY CONVEYOR WRAPS AROUND THE LOW TO OUR NW WITH VFR FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD ONCE CLOUDS SCATTER OUT. THE HEALTHY WEST TO SW WINDS WILL DROP OFF TOWARD DUSK AND SETTLE DOWN IN THE 23Z TO 2Z TIMEFRAME. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...RAY/AR LONG TERM....JP AVIATION...JP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 400 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-241200- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- 400 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 5 PM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT SHOULD PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ALONG AND BEHIND IT AS IT SWEEPS THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF THE DAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SNOW MAY MIX WITH RAIN AT TIMES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA DURING THE PRE DAWN HOURS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS NEAR THE VIRGINIA BORDER. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT STRONG WIND GUSTS...OR ANY WIND DAMAGE TODAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN JACKSON KY. RAY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 745 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-231615- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE... CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON... HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG... INEZ...PIKEVILLE 745 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... ...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CROSS EAST KENTUCKY BETWEEN 8 AND 11 AM EST... A POTENT COLD FRONT WILL CROSS EAST KENTUCKY BETWEEN 8 AND 11 AM EST. AS THIS BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH...SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME MORE WESTERLY AND GUST TO BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH. ADDITIONAL STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF AND BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT THE STRONGEST GUSTS WILL BE FOUND RIGHT ALONG IT. THIS FRONT WILL REACH FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING...STANTON... SOMERSET AND MONTICELLO BETWEEN 8 AND 8:30 AM EST. BY 9 AM IT WILL BE BEARING DOWN ON MOREHEAD...CAMPTON AND LONDON. BETWEEN 9:30 AND 10 AM THE FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH WEST LIBERTY...JACKSON AND WILLIAMSBURG. THIS BOUNDARY THEN REACHES SALYERSVILLE...HAZARD AND MIDDLESBORO AROUND 10 AM EST. FINALLY...BETWEEN 10 AND 11 AM EST IT WILL PASS THROUGH PRESTONSBURG...PAINTSVILLE...INEZ...PIKEVILLE AND WHITESBURG. ALL RESIDENTS OF EAST KENTUCKY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A PERIOD OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH THIS COLD FRONT. WINDS OF 40 TO 45 MPH ARE CAPABLE OF BLOWING AROUND YARD DECORATIONS AND FURNITURE AS WELL AS TAKING DOWN WEAKLY ROOTED...DEAD OR DYING TREES. IN ADDITION... TRAVELERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DANGEROUS AND SHIFTING CROSS WINDS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. GREIF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1109 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 KYZ088-110-113-115-117>120-231730- HARLAN-FLOYD-KNOTT-PERRY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARLAN...PRESTONSBURG...HINDMAN...HAZARD... HYDEN...WHITESBURG...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 1109 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... A POTENT COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA THROUGH 1230 PM...WHEN IT SHOULD EXIT FAR EASTERN SECTIONS OF PIKE COUNTY. AS THIS BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH...SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME MORE WESTERLY AND GUST TO BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH. ADDITIONAL STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT THE STRONGEST GUSTS WILL BE FOUND RIGHT ALONG IT. THIS FRONT WILL REACH INEZ WHEELWRIGHT AND HARLAN AROUND 1115 AM...PIKEVILLE...CUMBERLAND SOUTH WILLIAMSON AND WHITESBURG AROUND 1130 AM...AND PHELPS AND ELKHORN CITY AROUND NOON. ALL RESIDENTS OF EAST KENTUCKY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A PERIOD OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH THIS COLD FRONT. WINDS OF 40 TO 45 MPH ARE CAPABLE OF BLOWING AROUND YARD DECORATIONS AND FURNITURE AS WELL AS TAKING DOWN WEAKLY ROOTED...DEAD OR DYING TREES. IN ADDITION... TRAVELERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DANGEROUS AND SHIFTING CROSS WINDS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. JP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Tree and powerline were blown down on Lick Branch Lane. A Tree was blown down on U.S. 23 and KY 1469. The Damage occurred 2 miles northeast of Virgie.
A Power line was blown down on Highway 468 two miles south of Sidney.
Numerous tree branches, several greater than 2 inches in diameter, were blown down by strong winds in Relief.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, December 2007
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: 65843, 65844, 65842.