Strong winds developed ahead of an approaching cold front on December 24th. Winds gusted between 40 and 50 mph at times.
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.
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 developed ahead of an approaching cold front on December 24th. Winds gusted between 40 and 50 mph at times. These winds were enough to bring down a few trees and tree limbs 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 24, 11:17 AM EST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1117 AM EST WED DEC 24 2008 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/...UPDATED OF PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE 80 KNOTS OF 850 MB WIND AS NOTED ON 12Z NASHVILLE RAOB AND OHX VWP SHOWED 100 KNOTS AT 5 KFT THERE AT 1535Z. NAM/GFS RESOLVE THIS WITH A STRONG CORE JUST WEST OF THERE WHILE THE NAM DISMISSES IT INITIALLY BUT THEN PRODUCES A 85 KNOT MAX NEAR PARIS, KY BY 18Z. MEANWHILE THE GFS BREAKS THE SOLID CORE IT INITIALIZED INTO TWO SLIGHTLY WEAKER CORES BY 18Z. THINK THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SIGNIFICANT WIND GUSTS WOULD BE 18Z-20Z WHEN THE JET COMES CLOSEST (MAINLY SKIRTS NORTHWEST OF JKL CWA) AND THE BOUNDARY LAYER IS LEAST STABLE. HOWEVER...NO GUSTS ABOVE 33 KNOTS HAS YET BEEN NOTED ANYWHERE UNDERNEATH THIS JET SO AM NOT SURE THE STABLE LOW LAYERS CAN BE BROKEN DOWN ENOUGH TO POSE A MAJOR THREAT. ELEVATED CONVECTION HAS ALREADY BEEN NOTED WITH A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES THROUGH CENTRAL/EAST CENTRAL KY AND WILL KEEP A MENTION OF THUNDER. LOWERED TEMPERATURES A BIT FOR ALL GRIDS TODAY SINCE RAIN WILL KEEP THEM DOWN A BIT...AND BELIEVE THAT WE WON/T MIX QUITE AS MUCH AS NAM IS SUGGESTING. THE SHOWERS CAME A LITTLE FARTHER EAST THAN EXPECTED THIS MORNING BUT APPEARS IN THE SHORT-TERM TO BE ENDING FROM THE SOUTHWEST. SHOWERS WILL SPREAD THROUGH THE CWA BY LATE AFTERNOON AS THE MAIN BAND IN WESTERN TN ARRIVES. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /THE REST OF TODAY/ THERE HAVE BEEN LIGHTNING STRIKES OVER THE PAST HOUR IN PARTS OF CENTRAL KY AND MIDDLE TN AND OPTED TO UPDATE TO INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF A RUMBLE OR THUNDER OR TWO IN THE NW TWO THIRDS OF THE CWA THIS MORNING IN ADDITION TO THUNDER CHANCES IN ALL AREAS CLOSER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE AND ARRIVAL OF A JET STREAK THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO...BASED ON RADAR TRENDS WENT WITH A HIGHER GRADIENT IN POPS FROM NW TO SE ACROSS THE CWA FOR THE MORNING...WITH ONLY CHANCE OR SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE FAR SE...BEFORE RAMPING UP TO NEAR 100 PERCENT FOR THE EXPECTED PRECIP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. OTHERWISE...THE REST OF THE FORECAST IS ON TRACK. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/ THE MAIN CONCERN OF THE NEAR TERM PERIOD IS THE UPPER TROUGH WORKING FROM THE PLAINS INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES AND THE PASSAGE OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT. ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS IS WORKING ACROSS THE CWA...THOUGH FAR SE IS DRIER DUE TO A DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT. THERE IS ALSO A WIDE RANGE IN TEMPS...WITH 50S ACROSS THE WEST AND IN SOME SPOTS DOWN WIND OF PINE MTN...WHILE SOME 30S STILL REMAIN IN SOME VALLEY AREAS. WINDS HAVE GUSTED IN EXCESS OF 30 KT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS...MAINLY IN THE WEST. THE CURRENT WAVE OF PRECIP IS PROGGED TO LIFT NE AS A 300 MB JET STREAK LIFT OUT OF THE AREA...WITH POSSIBLY A LULL WITH MORE SCATTERED PRECIP LATER THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...ANOTHER 300 MB JET STREAK NEAR 150 KT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE OH VALLEY FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND SHOULD COINCIDE WITH LIFT FROM THE APPROACHING TROUGH AS WELL AS CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT FOR ANOTHER BAND OF MODERATE SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY EVEN A RUMBLE OR TWO OF THUNDER. LAPSE RATES ALOFT REMAIN RATHER MARGINAL...NEAR MOIST ADIABATIC ABOVE AN INVERSION IN THE LOWER LEVELS. HOWEVER...CONSIDERING THE JET STREAK PROGGED FOR LATER IN THE DAY AND THE LLJ CONTINUED THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED THUNDER IN THE 19Z TO 2Z TIME FRAME ALONG THE COLD FRONT. THE SFC PRESS GRADIENT WILL INCREASE TODAY A BIT MORE FROM WHAT IT IS AT PRESENT AND SHOULD BE TIGHTEST AROUND 18Z TO 21Z JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WINDS ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN STRONG...THOUGH THEY ARE PROGGED TO BACK AWAY SOME FROM THE PRESENT LLJ VALUES EVIDENT ON THE VWP IN THE 60 TO 70KT RANGE. WINDS IN THE 925 MB TO 850 MB LAYER SHOULD REMAIN IN THE TO RANGE THROUGH THIS EVENING...SO ANY SHOWER SHOULD BE ABLE TO MIX THE MOMENTUM DOWN WITH GUSTS EASILY INTO THE ADVISORY RANGE. OUTSIDE OF SHOWERS...THE LOWER LEVELS WILL REMAIN RATHER STABLE...SO GUSTS INTO ADVISORY CRITERIA ARE MORE DOUBTFUL IN THIS TIME FRAME. WE WILL CONTINUE THE WIND ADVISORY AND LEAVE THE EXPIRATION TIME AS IS FOR NOW...AND ALLOW THE DAY SHIFT TO MODIFY IF NECESSARY. OTHERWISE...WARM ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL LEAD TO TEMPS MAKING A RUN AT 60 OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE FRONT AND BRING A RATHER SHALLOW LOW LEVEL COLDER AIRMASS. RECENT MODEL RUNS HAVE THE LOWER LEVELS DRYING OUT AND DO NOT LINGER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BELOW THE INVERSION...SO THIS SHOULD LEAD TO A WARMER CHRISTMAS DAY THAN FORECAST EARLIER...WITH MAX TEMPS RANGING THROUGH THE 40S TO AROUND 50. THIS HIGH WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA RATHER QUICKLY WITH THE HIGH REACHING THE MID ATLANTIC STATES ON THU EVENING AND THU NIGHT. THIS ALONG WITH A RATHER POTENT SYSTEM DEVELOPING IN THE PLAINS WILL BRING TODAYS BOUNDARY BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON THU NIGHT INTO FRI. EVENING OR MIDNIGHT LOWS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH TEMPS IN VALLEY LOCATIONS ESPECIALLY POSSIBLY RISING LATER ON THU NIGHT. CONTINUED WITH SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS AS THE BOUNDARY LIFTS NORTH FRI AND LEFT A SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE WARM SECTOR. MUCH OF IF NOT THE ENTIRE AREA WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR BY FRI AFTERNOON. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO RATHER MILD TEMPERATURES AND RAISED MAX T A FEW DEGREES...BUT DID NOT GO AS HIGH AS GUIDANCE IN MOST PLACES. THE MET GUIDANCE WAS NEAR 70 AT LOZ AND SME...AND IT IS POSSIBLE A FURTHER UPWARD ADJUSTMENT MAY BE NECESSARY...A RATHER MILD NIGHT ON THU NIGHT IS EXPECTED IN TH WARM SECTOR WITH SOME CLOUD COVER AND RATHER STRONG GRADIENT ALSO HELPING TO HOLD TEMPS UP. .LONG TERM.../SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/ THE MODELS ARE IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT FOR THE EXTENDED. MAIN CONCERN FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA EARLY IN THE PERIOD. WITH THE 0Z ECMWF SPEEDING THE FRONT UP SLIGHTLY...EXTENDED MODELS SUGGEST MOST LIKELY TIMING FOR FROPA IN OUR AREA WILL BE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. UNTIL THEN EASTERN KENTUCKY LIES IN THE WARM SECTOR BEHIND DEPARTING WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY. IN GENERAL CONTINUED TO LOWER POPS PER MODEL TRENDS WHILE TRYING TO FOCUS HIGHEST POPS WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ITSELF...MAINLY SATURDAY NIGHT...AND THEN SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE SOUTHEAST. MADE ONLY MINOR TWEAKS TO TEMPS...WINDS...ETC TO CORRESPOND WITH MOST RECENT THOUGHTS ON TIMING OF FROPA. && .AVIATION.../12Z TO 12Z/ JKL VAD WIND PROFILER INDICATES AROUND 50 KTS OF WIND AT 3KFT MSL THIS MORNING. SURFACE WINDS HAVE BEEN FROM THE SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KTS...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES. THEREFORE...LLWS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM UNTIL AFTER SUNRISE WHEN ADDITIONAL DIURNAL HEATING SHOULD AID IN MIXING THE BOUNDARY LAYER OUT. THEREAFTER A STRONG SOUTHERLY GRADIENT WIND WILL KEEP GUSTY WINDS...TO AROUND 45 MPH AT TIMES...IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. GUSTY WINDS WILL BE MOST NOTICEABLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE MORE INTENSE RAIN SHOWERS...AND ANY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. OCCASIONAL STRIKES HAVE BEEN PICKED UP JUST WEST OF OUR FORECAST AREA. WITH ISOLATED NATURE OF THUNDERSTORMS...OPTED TO ONLY MENTION AS CLOUD GROUPS FOR NOW AND WILL AMEND FOR ANY ORGANIZED ACTIVITY...IF ANY...AS REQUIRED. EXPECT OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA TODAY UNTIL FRONTAL BOUNDARY PASSES LATER THIS EVENING. IN GENERAL EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS...EXCEPT MVFR CONDITIONS WITH THE MAIN BAND OF PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT PUSHES ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...JP/GV LONG TERM....RAY AVIATION...RAY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 650 AM EST WED DEC 24 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-251200- 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 650 AM EST WED DEC 24 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WINDS MAY GUST AS HIGH AS 45 TO 50 MPH THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. THE STRONGEST WINDS GUSTS SHOULD OCCUR IN THE VICINITY OF THE MORE INTENSE SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...OR GENERALLY BETWEEN 2 PM AND 6 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND DAMAGE SUCH AS DOWNED TREES. GREIF/JP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree fell onto a house and several fell across roads and onto power lines.
Several large limbs were blown down.
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: 139994, 139995.