Strong winds aloft flowing over the higher terrain of Eastern Kentucky caused damage during the early morning hours of February 1st. Several trees were blown down in far southern and southeastern Kentucky.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 aloft flowing over the higher terrain of Eastern Kentucky caused damage during the early morning hours of February 1st. Several trees were blown down in far southern and southeastern Kentucky.
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 Feb 1, 1:03 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 103 AM EST FRI FEB 1 2008 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TONIGHT/ 02Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS A DEEPENING LOW OVER WESTERN TENNESSEE ON ITS TREK NORTHEAST. A SHARP BAROCLINIC ZONE EXITS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST OF THIS LOW ASSOCIATED WITH ITS WARM FRONT. THIS BOUNDARY CUTS ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TIER OF OUR CWA WITH A 10 DEGREE DIFFERENCE NOTED IN A SHORT DISTANCE. MOISTURE OVERRUNNING THE WARM FRONT IS RESULTING IN A MIXED BAG OF WEATHER THROUGH THE NORTHERN HALF OF EAST KENTUCKY WITH RAIN...FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET NOTED. SO FAR...AMOUNTS OF SLEET HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO COAT THE GROUND IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS OF THE CWA...INCLUDING THE OFFICE. EXPECT PERIODS OF RAIN AND SLEET FOR A FEW HOURS OVERNIGHT BEFORE THE LOW MOVES IN AND ITS WARM CENTER BRINGS TEMPERATURES UP INTO THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S ALONG WITH DEWPOINTS ABOVE FREEZING. UNTIL THEN...THOUGH...WET BULBING AND EVAPORATIVE COOLING WILL KEEP THE WINTRY WX AROUND FOR ABOUT HALF THE CWA TONIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELATIVELY LIGHT...BUT A COUPLE OF TENTHS OF SLEET COULD BE POSSIBLE. WILL EXTEND THE WSW FOR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO 4 AM EST...ALLOWING A COUPLE OF MORE HOURS FOR THE FRONT TO LIFT NORTH OF THE AREA AND ITS WARMER AIR TO MOVE IN. UPDATED WSW WILL BE OUT SHORTLY. THE REST OF THE FORECAST IS IN DECENT ENOUGH SHAPE OVERNIGHT SO ONLY COSMETIC CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE GRIDS...MAINLY FOR WX...DEWPOINTS AND TEMPS. UPDATED GRIDS AND TEXT PRODUCTS WILL ALSO BE ISSUED SHORTLY. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/ WE WILL BE GOING WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR GENERALLY JACKSON AND AREA NORTH. THE MODELS ARE TOTALLY OUT TO LUNCH WITH TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS. WITH THE CLOUDS TODAY...TEMPERATURES STAYED MUCH COOLER THAN FORECAST AND DEWPOINTS STAYED MUCH DRIER THAN FORECAST. WITH THE LOW DEWPOINTS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES...EXPECTED THAT THERE WILL BE SOME WET BULBING WHEN THE PRECIPITATION FIRST BEGINS TO FALL. THIS WILL DROP THE TEMPS TO BELOW FREEZING IN MANY LOCATIONS AND ALLOW FOR SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE/RAIN TO FORM. EVENTUALLY...THE WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL ALLOW THIS TO ALL TURN TO RAIN. THIS NEXT SYSTEM WILL IS QUITE POTENT AND THERE WILL BE SOME VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT. THIS WINDS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MIX DOWN UNTIL AFTER 7 AM THIS MORNING. AT THAT TIME...THERE WILL BE SOME STRONG WIND GUST UNTIL THE AFTERNOON. AT ABOUT 8-10 AM...WE WILL BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO STRONG WIND GUSTS AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO PUT OUT A HIGH WIND ADVISORY AND THINK THAT WINDS WILL STAY JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. RAIN WILL BE TURNING SNOW TOMORROW BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AND SOME FLURRIES WILL LINGER ON THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. WENT WITH GENERALLY COOLER THAN MOS TEMPERATURES. .LONG TERM.../SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/ EARLY IN THE PERIOD...FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED AS HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS EAST ACROSS THE AREA. COULD BE SOME LOW LEVEL CLOUDS LEFT OVER SATURDAY MORNING...THEN SKIES SHOULD BECOME MOSTLY CLEAR. EXPECT CLOUDS TO INCREASE SOME LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. WENT BELOW MOS FOR SATURDAY...WITH LOW LEVEL COLD AIR IN PLACE. HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS SUNDAY NIGHT AS SOME WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFTING KICKS IN AS MOISTURE BEGINS TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH. THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WILL INCREASE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT AS LIFTING AND MOISTURE INCREASE SOME. ON TUESDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST...MOVING THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY TUESDAY EVENING. PREFER THE SLOWER FROPA TIMING OF THE GFS ENSEMBLES AND NAEFS CONSIDERING THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW AND H5 LOWS WILL BE DEEPENING TO OUR NORTHWEST...RESULTING IN A MORE SOUTHERLY COMPONENT TO THE STEERING FLOW WHICH WILL SLOW THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE FRONT. INSTABILITY LOOKS FAIRLY DECENT WITH THE FRONT...AND WILL ADD THE MENTION OF THUNDER TO THE FORECAST TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING. GOOD SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM AS WELL...AND A GOOD LOW LEVEL JET IS EXPECTED TO BE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA. ANY OF THE STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY BE ON THE STRONG SIDE. WILL BE MONITORING THE SEVERE POTENTIAL AS TIME GETS CLOSER AND THE DETAILS BECOME MORE CERTAIN. AFTER FROPA TUESDAY NIGHT...EXPECT ANY LEFTOVER PRECIP TO CHANGE TO SNOW SHOWERS LATE. SHOULD SEE AT LEAST SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ON WEDNESDAY WITH GOOD CAA...AND AN H5 VORT SWINGING ACROSS THE AREA. DECENT UPSLOPE FLOW IS ALSO EXPECTED...WITH SOME CONNECTION OFF LAKE MICHIGAN. WILL GO WITH HIGH CHANCE POPS FOR NOW ON WEDNESDAY...AND AGAIN WILL FINE TUNE THIS AS THE TIME GETS CLOSE AND DETAILS BECOME MORE CERTAIN. WENT SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW GUIDANCE WEDNESDAY WITH THE CAA. EXPECT VERY LITTLE IF ANY TEMPERATURE RECOVERY DURING THE DAY. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. && .AVIATION.../06Z TO 06Z/...UPDATED VFR CIGS AT ALL TAF SITES AT TAF ISSUANCE WITH CLOUDS BETWEEN 3500 AND 4000 FEET. LIGHT RAIN STILL COMING DOWN AT ALL SITES WITH TEMPERATURES JUST ABOVE FREEZING. FAST MOVING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN KENTUCKY BETWEEN 6 AND 8Z. THE ADDED FORCING WILL ALLOW THE PRECIPITATION TO PERSIST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ISOLATED ICY SPOTS HAVE BEEN NOTED AROUND THE JKL TAF SITE THROUGH 6Z TONIGHT. THE RAIN WILL LIKELY CHANGER OVER TO SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES AFTER 16Z FRIDAY AT LOZ AND SME. THE TRANSITION WILL TAKE A BIT LONGER AT JKL...WITH LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES NOT EXPECTED THERE UNTIL AFTER 22Z. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE THE WEST AFTER 12Z AT ALL TAF SITES...AND COULD GUST TO AS HIGH AS 35-40 MPH AT TIMES AFTER 15Z. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOWING LAYER OF STRONG WINDS BELOW 850 HPA AT ALL TAF SITES. WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THIS WIND ENERGY TO GET MIXED TO THE SURFACE AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION...HAVE INCLUDED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IN THE TAFS AT LOZ AND SME. WITH TRACK OF THE LOW BEING SO FAR WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA...THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR THE STRONG WINDS APPEARS TO BE IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...THEREFORE THE LACK OF LLWS FOR JKL. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-104-106>112-114-119-120. && SHORT TERM...JJ/GREIF LONG TERM....WJM AVIATION...AR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1055 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-104-106>112-114-119-120-020700- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT- OWSLEY-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE... CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON... BOONEVILLE...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 1055 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN A GLAZE OF ICE ON ROADWAYS...SIDEWALKS AND OTHER EXPOSED OBJECTS. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING BY 4 AM...AND THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WINDS GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY...WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. SNOW SHOWERS ARE STILL POSSIBLE FRIDAY EVENING FOR AREAS CLOSE TO THE WEST VIRGINIA BORDER...WITH FLURRIES POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT INSTANCES OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET ...AND SNOW ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. KYZ079-080-083>088-113-115>118-020700- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-KNOTT-PERRY- CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...HINDMAN...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN... WHITESBURG 1055 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WINDS GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY...WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. SNOW SHOWERS ARE STILL POSSIBLE FRIDAY EVENING FOR AREAS CLOSE TO THE VIRGINIA BORDER...WITH FLURRIES POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON ON FRIDAY. WJM/GREIF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees were blown down by strong winds on Highway 119 near the crest of Pine Mountain 2 miles southeast of Whitesburg.
A tree was blown down in the Allegheny community.
One tree was blown down along Highway 522 in Putney.
Two trees were blown down in the Tunnell Hill area.
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, February 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: 80001, 80002, 80003, 80004.