Hail in Kentucky, February 20, 2007

Name: Hail in Kentucky, February 20, 2007
Start: 2007-02-20T19:19
End: 2007-02-20T22:18
Location: Kentucky

February 20, 2007 · NWS PAH · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 5

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.

The first severe weather episode of 2007 across western Kentucky occurred during the evening. A cold front pressed southeast across the region during the afternoon as a wave of low pressure shifted east along the front into the Ozarks of northern Arkansas. Southerly flow ahead of the low brought warm moist air northward as temperatures reached the 60s. The atmosphere destabilized enough by late afternoon to allow for the development of thunderstorms over southeast Missouri. These storms were prolific hail producers as they moved into western Kentucky.

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 Feb 20, 3:45 PM CST, 3 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 3:45 PM CST, 3 hours 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
345 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

.DISCUSSION...

AS A SURFACE FRONT AND ITS ASSOCIATED WEAK UPPER TROUGH MOVE TOWARD
THE HEARTLAND THIS EVENING...MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY HAVE BEEN ON
THE INCREASE. IN FACT...SURFACE TEMPS ARE NEAR 70 IN SE MO. IN
ADDITION...POTENT SHORT WAVE IS MOVING EAST INTO WESTERN AR AND MO.
STILL EXPECT CHC OF STORMS THIS EVENING AS THE MID LEVEL ENERGY
COMES EAST ACROSS THE SURFACE FRONT. HOWEVER...MAIN FACTOR
PROHIBITING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AT THIS TIME IS AN ELEVATED
WARM LAYER/TEMPERATURE INVERSION IN PLACE ACROSS SE MO AND WRN KY.
18Z RUC MODEL GRADUALLY ERODES THIS CAP AROUND SUNSET...SO COULD
STILL BE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME STORMS THIS EVENING IN SE
MO AND WRN KY. MODEL SOUNDINGS ALSO INDICATING DECENT WIND SHEAR
ALOFT WITH SPEEDS INCREASING TO OVER 50KTS ANT 700 MB/10000 FT.
FORECAST WEB BULB ZERO HEIGHTS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HAIL. THUS...IF A
CLUSTER OF STORMS DOES MANAGE TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON...COULD
BE SOME HAIL AND/OR DAMAGING WIND.

EXPECT PRECIP TO LINGER OVER THE CWA THIS EVENING...WITH THE BEST
CHANCES (LIKELY) OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST CORNER. MODELS STILL
INDICATING A BIT OF INSTABILITY THERE BETWEEN 03Z AND 06Z...SO ADDED
A CHANCE OF THUNDER. BETWEEN 06 AND 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING THERE MAY
BE SOME PATCHY FOG AROUND...ESPECIALLY IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE VERY
SLOW MOVING SFC FRONT.

A NARROW AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN PREVAIL THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT A WEAK SURFACE TROF WILL CROSS THE REGION...BUT ITS
PASSAGE SHOULD PRODUCE NO MORE THAN A FEW CLOUDS...A WIND SHIFT AND
SHOT OF CHILLY AIR (NORTHEAST COUNTIES) AS ANOTHER HIGH NOSES SOUTH
FROM CANADA THU. THIS NEXT HIGH WILL THEN DOMINATE THE REGIONS
WEATHER...KEEPING IT DRY WITH A WARMING TREND FOR FRI AS THE HIGH
SLIPS EAST.

SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...MODELS STILL TRYING TO PUSH A STRONG
STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. LATEST MODEL RUNS
NOW INDICATING THAT THE SURFACE LOW WILL WIND UP OVER THE THE
CENTRAL PLAINS SAT NIGHT...WITH A COUPLE OF SHORT WAVES ROTATING
AROUND THE MAIN VERY STRONG MID LVL LOW INTO THE REGION. WIND FIELDS
WILL BE ESPECIALLY STRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM...AND THE GULF OF MEXICO
SHOULD BE WIDE OPEN FOR BUSINESS SAT AND SAT NIGHT. AT THIS
TIME...EXPECT A FAIRLY GOOD CHC OF A SEVERE SQUALL LINE MOVING
ACROSS THE REGION SAT NIGHT. MID LVL JET/DRY PUNCH WILL ADD TO THE
RISK OF DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL IF A SQUALL LINE DOES DEVELOP. OF
COURSE...THIS IS WAY OUT IN TIME...SO WILL NEED TO MONITOR MODEL
CHANGES IN THE UPCOMING DAYS. HOWEVER...MEDIUM RANGE MODEL
CONSISTENCY THE PAST FEW DAYS LEADS US TO A BIT HIGHER CONFIDENCE
THAN USUAL GIVEN THE LENGTH IN TIME OUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.

&&

MEFFERT

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 20, 6:05 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
605 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-220015-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
605 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DIME TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE LIKELY THIS EVENING
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. THE
HIGHEST CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF A LINE EXTENDING
FROM POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI TO PADUCAH KENTUCKY TO ELKTON KENTUCKY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

AS A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST OUT OF THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND
SATURDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL FOR A WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER
EVENT EXISTS DURING THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS EVENING SOUTH OF A POPLAR BLUFF
MISSOURI TO PADUCAH KENTUCKY TO ELKTON KENTUCKY LINE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 20, 6:56 PM CST, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
656 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0640 PM     HAIL             ULLIN                   37.28N 89.18W
02/20/2007  E1.75 INCH       PULASKI            IL   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

MIKEN

Local storm report, Feb 20, 7:08 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
708 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0642 PM     HAIL             GRANDIN                 36.83N 90.82W
02/20/2007  E1.75 INCH       CARTER             MO   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL REPORTS BETWEEN 642 PM AND 652 PM.

&&

MIKEN

Local storm report, Feb 20, 7:09 PM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
709 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0652 PM     HAIL             6 NE BLOOMFIELD         37.51N 88.80W
02/20/2007  E1.00 INCH       JOHNSON            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL ALSO REPORTED.

&&

MIKEN

Local storm report, Feb 20, 7:09 PM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
709 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0652 PM     HAIL             6 NE BLOOMFIELD         37.51N 88.80W
02/20/2007  E1.00 INCH       STODDARD           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL ALSO REPORTED.

&&

MIKEN

Local storm report, Feb 20, 7:10 PM CST, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
710 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0700 PM     HAIL             CYPRESS                 37.37N 89.02W
02/20/2007  E1.00 INCH       JOHNSON            IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HAIL COVERING GROUND.

&&

MIKEN

Local storm report, Feb 20, 7:11 PM CST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
711 PM CST TUE FEB 20 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0703 PM     HAIL             ADVANCE                 37.10N 89.91W
02/20/2007  E0.88 INCH       STODDARD           MO   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

MIKEN

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 37 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Marshall

When: February 20, 7:19 PM CST
Where: Marshall County, Palma
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.970, -88.370

Hail, Ballard

When: February 20, 7:44 PM CST
Where: Ballard County, 3 mi E of Oscar
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 37.130, -88.976

Hail, Graves

When: February 20, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Graves County, 2 mi S of Mayfield
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.701, -88.630

Hail covered the ground and roadways.

Hail, Calloway

When: February 20, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Calloway County, 2 mi NW of Murray
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.640, -88.346

Hail, Lyon

When: February 20, 10:18 PM CST
Where: Lyon County, Confederate
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.980, -87.980

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, February 2007

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: 9151, 9165, 9176, 9191, 9224.