A tightening pressure gradient ahead of an approaching cold front led to strong, gusty winds across Eastern Kentucky on December 9th. Many wind gusts between 45 and 50 mph were reported.
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.
A tightening pressure gradient ahead of an approaching cold front led to strong, gusty winds across Eastern Kentucky on December 9th. Many wind gusts between 45 and 50 mph were reported. These winds brought down a few trees in McCreary County.
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 9, 6:30 AM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 630 AM EST TUE DEC 9 2008 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/ UPPER LEVEL FLOW IS BACKING ACROSS THE AREA IN RESPONSE TO A DEEPENING AND PROGRESSIVE FULL LATITUDE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS. AT THE SURFACE...A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM THAT IS FORMING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY BY LATE TODAY. IN ADDITION...THERE IS CONSIDERABLE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE INITIAL WAVE. ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH AND UPSTREAM GRADIENT WINDS HAVE ALREADY CLIMBED TO BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH TO OUR WEST...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH. FEEL CONDITIONS WILL BE MARGINAL FOR TRUE ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS...BUT CLOSE ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY KEEPING THE CURRENT ADVISORY GOING. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT AREAS MOST LIKELY TO REALIZE ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS WOULD BE OUR SOUTHWESTERN AND BLUEGRASS COUNTIES. NO MAJOR CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE SHORT TERM PACKAGE THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...NAM AND GFS FCST SOUNDINGS ARE SHOWING MARGINAL ELEVATED INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...FOCUSED MAINLY WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. AS A RESULT DECIDED TO INCLUDE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. ONLY A FEW TWEAKS TO TEMPS FOR CCF PURPOSES WITH A VERY NOTICEABLE WARM UP TODAY UNDER STRONG WAA. .LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/ THE MODELS ARE CONTINUING TO EXHIBIT TIMING...PLACEMENT AND MAGNITUDE DIFFERENCES ALOFT FOR THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST... ESPECIALLY EARLY ON. THE MAIN FEATURE THAT WAS HANDED OFF FROM THE SHORT TERM IS...OF COURSE...THE CLOSED UPPER LOW SWEEPING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AND THEN NORTHEAST INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES ON THURSDAY. WITH THIS FEATURE THE GFS IS THE STRONGEST AND SLOWEST... WHILE THE NAM AND THE EARLIER 12Z ECMWF WERE A BIT QUICKER AND WEAKER AS THE LOW OPENS UP AND PASSES JUST EAST OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. THE LATTER WAS THE PREFERRED SOLUTION...EVEN THOUGH THE NEWER ECMWF WHIPS THE UPPER LOW NORTHEAST EVEN QUICKER. IN THE WAKE OF THIS UPPER LOW PASSING...THE PATTERN DEAMPLIFIES OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND CENTRAL APPALACHIANS FOR THE WEEKEND. THIS EVENTUALLY REPLACES THE BROAD WAKE TROUGHING OVER OUR AREA WITH GENTLE RIDGING THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST AND TENNESSEE VALLEY IN RESPONSE TO A NEW TROUGH DEVELOPING OVER THE GREAT BASIN. DESPITE THE EARLIER DISAGREEMENT WITH THE MODELS...THEY ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT LATER IN THE PERIOD WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THIS PATTERN CHANGE. BY MONDAY...RIDGING WILL REMAIN IN CONTROL OF EAST KENTUCKY/S WEATHER WITH ENERGY FROM THE WEST MAKING IT TO THE HIGH PLAINS AND A PLUME OF MOISTURE STAYING JUST TO OUR WEST. SENSIBLE WEATHER FEATURES CAA PRESSING INTO EAST KENTUCKY WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE FIRST SFC WAVE PASSING THROUGH EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE COOLING OF THE COLUMN SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO CHANGE ANY LINGER PCPN TO ALL SNOW BY DAWN THURSDAY...FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. FOLLOWING THIS...THE NEXT WAVE...ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH TO THE SOUTHWEST...WILL WORK ITS WAY NORTHEAST TOWARD THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS ON THURSDAY. THIS DEVELOPING SFC LOW WILL BRUSH PAST THE CWA THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY...THREATENING A MIXED PCPN EVENT FOR OUR EASTERN FLANK AS IT PASSES. FOR NOW WILL PLAY IT MORE BENIGN AND MENTION JUST CHANCE POPS ALONG OUR BORDER WITH VIRGINIA. THIS WILL LEAVE US OPEN FOR PULLING THOSE POPS WESTWARD OR PUSHING THEM EAST ONCE THE MODELS GEL ON A SOLUTION IN FUTURE RUNS. A BROAD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE THEN GRACES THE AREA FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE START OF THE NEW WORK WEEK...WITH A GRADUAL MODERATION IN TEMPERATURES TAKING PLACE BENEATH THE BUILDING UPPER RIDGE. AT THIS POINT...IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE PCPN ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL STAY TO THE WEST OF US THROUGH MONDAY...HELD AT BAY BY THE RIDGING AT BOTH THE SFC AND ALOFT. IN GENERAL...BLENDED THE NEWEST GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WITH OUR CURRENT GRIDS...DUE TO CONTINUED MODEL UNCERTAINTY. WITH POPS...ENDED UP ON THE LOW SIDE THROUGH THE EXTENDED...ASIDE FROM SOME LINGERING PCPN EARLY. && .AVIATION.../12Z TO 12Z/...UPDATED A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY...BRINGING A GRADUAL INCREASE IN THE THREAT OF RAIN FOR THE AREA. STRONG GRADIENT WINDS ARE DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM ACROSS THE REGION. STRENGTHENING LLJ JUST ABOVE THE BOUNDARY LAYER IS BEING PICKED UP ON AREA VAD WIND PROFILES...AND THIS WILL KEEP THE POTENTIAL OF NON CONVECTIVE LOW LEVEL SHEAR IN THE FORECAST DURING THE FIRST SEVERAL HOURS OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...OR UNTIL FULL MIXING OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER CAN BE REALIZED. UNTIL THEN THE SURFACE WINDS WILL PROBABLY BE A BIT SQUIRRELLY AT TIMES. TIMED ONSET OF PRECIPITATION BASED ON A BLEND OF MODEL SOLUTIONS. A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE IN AFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM FOR OUR CWA. EXPECT PREDOMINANT WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 35 KTS...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH. VAD WIND PROFILE IS ALSO PICKING UP ON A MID LEVEL CIG AROUND 15K FT THIS MORNING. CIG WILL GRADUALLY LOWER THROUGH THE DAY...WITH HEAVIER PRECIPITATION AND GENERALLY MVFR CONDITIONS ARRIVING CLOSER TO 00Z. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS TONIGHT FOR SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AS A RESULT OF SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY SHOWING UP ON FORECAST SOUNDINGS. HOWEVER...EXPECT ANY THUNDERSTORMS TO BE MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH...OR RESTRICTED TO THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ITSELF AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. LEFT ANY MENTION OF THUNDER OUT OF THE TAFS FOR NOW UNTIL TIMING OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...IF ANY CAN BE BETTER DETERMINED. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...RAY LONG TERM....GREIF AVIATION...RAY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 425 AM EST TUE DEC 9 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-101230- 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 425 AM EST TUE DEC 9 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY REGION. WIND GUSTS OF BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT...MAINLY DURING THE EVENING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT MOVES INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY OVERNIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT EXITS EASTERN KENTUCKY EARLY IN THE MORNING. RAIN SHOWERS WILL MIX WITH...AND POSSIBLY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW SHOWERS OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY INSTANCES OF WIND DAMAGE OR DOWNED TREES TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON. RAY
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds downed numerous trees and power lines in and around Whitley City.
Trees at least 6 inches in diameter were broken off by strong winds 20 to 30 feet above the ground. Wrist sized branches were also broken off trees by the wind. Numerous power outages were reported.
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: 139990, 139991.