Strong, gusty winds ahead of an approaching cold front brought down a couple of trees near Monticello on December 19th. Numerous wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph were reported across the area.
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The episode as NWS JKL wrote it up.
Strong, gusty winds ahead of an approaching cold front brought down a couple of trees near Monticello on December 19th. Numerous wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph were reported across the area.
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 19, 6:32 AM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 632 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/ THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT WHICH IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY. ALL THE MODELS SPED UP THE COLD FRONT AND THE FORECAST REFLECTS THE FASTER TIMING. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WITH THIS FRONT SHOULD BE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE WIND SHIFT AND THE COLDER AIR WILL BE EVIDENT AS THE FRONT PASSES ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. THE FRONT SHOULD BE ENTERING EASTERN KENTUCKY ABOUT 3 PM AND WILL BE THOUGH PIKE COUNTY BY ABOUT MIDNIGHT. MOST OF THE ENERGY WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE THE RIGOROUS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE OVER THIS MORNING AND THEN MOVE QUICKLY ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA AND OHIO AND BE LOCATED OVER YOUNGSTOWN BY 1 PM TODAY. THE WIND WILL BE KICKING UP SOME TODAY AND WE BE SEEING SOME GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH DURING THE AFTERNOON TODAY. THIS FRONT WILL NOT GET TOO FAR TO THE SOUTH BEFORE HEADING BACK UP THIS WAY AS A WARM FRONT OF SATURDAY. THE NEXT COLD FRONT WILL THEN MOVE ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY ON SATURDAY NIGHT. THE TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM IS STILL A LITTLE UP IN THE AIR...HOWEVER THE MODELS ARE STARTING TO LINE UP PRETTY GOOD. THERE WILL BE A MAJOR CHANGE IN AIR MASS BEHIND THIS FRONT AND WE WILL KNOW THAT WINTER HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED. ONE CONCERN FOR TODAY IS THAT THE FRONT WILL GET SHEARED OUT AND LIMIT THE PRECIPITATION...HOWEVER STAYED WITH THE GFS AND ETA MOS POPS. WE WILL ALSO BE MONITORING THE WINDS JUST BEHIND THE FRONT AS IT MOVES ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY. THE VERTICAL THETA SURFACES ON THE TIME HEIGHT ARE INDICATING SOME WIND MIX DOWN POTENTIAL NEAR ADVISORY CRITERIA. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR THIS TO OCCUR WOULD BE ONE HOUR EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. FOR TEMPERATURES...GENERALLY USED A MOS BLEND THROUGH SATURDAY AND WENT COLDER THAN MOS ON SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. .LONG TERM.../FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/ TUESDAY A SURFACE HIGH WILL BE MOVING EAST...AS A DEVELOPING LOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS MOVES EAST. THE MODELS DIFFER ON THE STRENGTH OF AN H5 TROF OVER THE PLAINS. THE GFS IS THE DEEPEST...WITH THE ECMWF BEING THE WEAKEST. CMC IS IN BETWEEN. GENERALLY FOLLOWED CLOSER TO A CMC/ECMWF BLEND...AS THE GFS SEEMS TO BE OVERDEVELOPING THE H5 TROF AS IT MOVES EAST. THE SURFACE LOW MOVES ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY AND LOWER GREAT LAKES REGION TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY. SHOULD SEE SOME TEMPERATURE RISE TUESDAY NIGHT WITH WAA OUT AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. ATTM...IT APPEARS TEMPS ALOFT SUPPORT MAINLY RAIN...WITH SURFACE TEMPS ABOVE FREEZING AS WELL...ALTHOUGH THERE COULD BE A LITTLE SNOW MIXED IN AT THE ONSET. THIS SYSTEM WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING. ON CHRISTMAS DAY...HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD BUILD IN OVER THE REGION. A QUICK LOOK AT THE NEW 00Z ECMWF WOULD INDICATE A WARM FRONT SETTING UP TO OUR SOUTH...AND PUSHING THROUGH LATE IN THE DAY WITH TEMPS WARM ENOUGH FOR RAIN SHOWERS. THIS 00Z SOLUTION APPEARS TO BE AN OUTLIER...AND PREFER TO SIDE WITH THE 12Z ECMWF RUN SOLUTION. WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY ATTM...AND LET DAY SHIFT EVALUATE ALL NEW 00Z GLOBAL MODEL AND HPC DATA FOR FURTHER REVISION. WHAT ENSEMBLE DATA IS AVAILABLE AT THIS EARLY HOUR...IT ALSO SUPPORTS A DRY FORECAST. && .AVIATION.../12Z TO 12Z/...UPDATED A WARM FRONT WAS LIFTING NORTH OF THE AREA...WITH A COLD FRONT TO QUICKLY FOLLOW. WIND SHEAR CONTINUES...WITH 45 KT WINDS AT 1500 FT. SOME OF THESE WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE AFTER 14Z...WITH GUSTS REACHING 35 KT AT TIMES. EXPECTING PREDOMINANT VFR EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH SOME TEMPO MVFR CONDITIONS. AS SHOWERS MOVE IN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...EXPECTING PREDOMINANTLY MVFR CONDITIONS...WITH SOME IFR JKL AND POINTS NORTH. SHOWERS SHOULD END FROM WEST TO EAST THIS AFTERNOON AS FROPA OCCURS...LEAVING BEHIND MVFR CIGS. THESE SHOULD LOWER TO BORDERLINE IFR AT LOZ AND SME TONIGHT...WITH IFR EXPECTED AT JKL. THESE CIGS SHOULD LAST THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE TOWARDS 23Z. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JJ LONG TERM....WJM AVIATION...WJM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 628 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-201430- 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- 628 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON ONE HOUR AHEAD OF AND BEHIND THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. HIGH WATER COULD BECOME A PROBLEM FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY RIVERS AND STREAMS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THE MAIN THREAT IS ON THE CUMBERLAND RIVER AS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER THIS AREA. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AND TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. JJ CORRECTED TYPO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 416 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-191730- 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 416 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE FROM CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS MORNING TO EAST CENTRAL OHIO BY 1 PM TODAY. THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT...AND THIS WILL RESULT IN BREEZY CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL EXTEND TO THE SOUTHWEST FROM THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. ABOUT ONE HOUR AHEAD OF AND ONE HOUR BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 40 MPH TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS AND TIE DOWN LOOSE OBJECTS THAT CAN BECOME AIRBORNE BY THE STRONG WIND GUSTS. THE THREAT FOR THE WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE MAINLY FROM 2 PM TODAY THOUGH 7 PM TONIGHT. JJ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A couple of trees were blown down on Highway 92 West near Monticello.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, December 2008
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: 139993.