Strong wind gusts were reported across portions of Eastern Kentucky during the overnight and daytime hours of February 10th. These damaging winds occurred as strong winds aloft were brought down to the surface as a cold front moved across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 wind gusts were reported across portions of Eastern Kentucky during the overnight and daytime hours of February 10th. These damaging winds occurred as strong winds aloft were brought down to the surface as a cold front moved across the area. Several trees were blown down across portions of 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 Feb 9, 7:27 PM EST, 4 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 727 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TONIGHT/...UPDATED THE WINDS HAVE STARTED TO DECOUPLE EARLY TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. EXPECT THE WINDS TO KICK BACK UP AS THE FRONT APPROACHES AND MIXES THE HIGHER MOMENTUM AIR DOWN TO THE SURFACE. THE ADVISORY REALLY STARTS A LITTLE TOO SOON AS THE GREATEST THREAT FOR THE STRONGER WINDS WILL BE FROM ABOUT 11 PM THROUGH 9 AM TOMORROW. WILL UPDATE THE ZONES TO LOWER WINDS UNTIL LATER THIS EVENING AND TO DELAY THE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL AT LEAST MIDNIGHT. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/ SHORT TERM CONCERNS REVOLVE AROUND WINDS TONIGHT AND ON SUNDAY AS POTENT COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA AND ARCTIC AIRMASS DIVES SOUTH INTO THE BLUEGRASS STATE. INITIAL COLD FRONT HAS PASSED THROUGH THE AREA BUT THE ARCTIC FRONT REMAINS OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST. EXPECT THIS TO PASS THROUGH BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN. VERY LIMITED MOISTURE SO WILL MAINTAIN A VERY LOW POP ACROSS OUR NORTHEAST COUNTIES ONLY... WITH SPRINKLES/FLURRIES ELSEWHERE. AS IT PASSES WINDS WILL INCREASE BUT HAVE DOUBTS IF WE WILL GET ANYTHING CLOSE TO ADVISORY CRITERIA WINDS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE THE SUNSHINE AND MIXING DURING THE DAY TOMORROW TO GET GUSTS TO ADVISORY CRITERIA. SINCE IT WILL BE BREEZY... AND MORE IMPORTANTLY... SINCE SURROUNDING OFFICES TO MY WEST... NORTH AND EAST WILL HAVE ADVISORIES BEGINNING AT 10 PM... I WILL KEEP THE CURRENT ADVISORY START TIME AS IS... ALTHOUGH WILL HIT THE DAYTIME HOURS ON SUNDAY HARDEST FOR WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS INDICATE STRONGEST GUSTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR MIDDAY INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS WITH STRONG COLD ADVECTION... SO WILL EXTEND THE ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST. TEMPERATURES TONIGHT AND AGAIN SUNDAY ARE TRICKY. OUR EASTERN VALLEYS MAY DECOUPLE FOR A TIME THIS EVENING PROMOTING A QUICK TEMP DROP... BUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA WILL LIKELY STAY IN THE 40S UNTIL AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. THERE MAY THEN BE A SLIGHT RISE OVER THE UPPER CUMBERLAND DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY... BUT STOUT COLD ADVECTION WILL LIKELY KEEP TEMPS STEADY OR BRING ABOUT A SLOW FALL ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE REST OF THE AREA. AIRMASS IS BONE DRY AS WELL SO OUR FIRE DANGER WILL INCREASE AND WILL CONTINUE THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR NOW. AS SKIES CLEAR AND WINDS SUBSIDE SUNDAY NIGHT... EXPECT TEMPS TO FALL WELL INTO THE TEENS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RULE ON MONDAY BUT CLOUDS WILL ADVANCE QUICKLY ACROSS THE AREA BY AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF OUR NEXT STORM SYSTEM. WILL MAINTAIN A SLIGHT CHANCE POP LATE IN THE DAY... MAINLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY... WITH THERMAL PROFILES COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW AS TEMPERATURES STRUGGLE INTO THE 30S. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/ AMPLIFYING SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT WILL SPONSOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SURFACE LOW AND ATTENDANT COLD FRONT TO OUR WEST. ISENTROPIC LIFT IN ADVANCE OF THIS FEATURE WILL RESULT IN PRECIP CHANCES SPREADING ACROSS NORTHERN KENTUCKY OVERNIGHT. THE COLD AND VERY DRY ANTECEDENT AIRMASS WILL MAKE PRECIP TYPE TRICKY. EXPECT TEMPS TO DROP TO FREEZING OR BELOW IN MOST LOCATIONS EARLY AND THEN CLIMB TOWARDS DAWN WITH THE HELP OF A RATHER STRONG SOUTHERLY LOW- LEVEL JET. THUS EXPECT A POSSIBILITY OF SNOW OR FREEZING RAIN OVERNIGHT... MAINLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY... AND WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS CLOSELY FOR POSSIBLE LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. OTHERWISE... RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ON TUESDAY WITH THE BEST CHANCES... LIKELY POPS... EXPECTED ON TUESDAY EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES. MOST OF THE PRECIP SHOULD BE EXITING EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AS MODELS HAVE CONVERGED ON A FASTER SOLUTION... BUT ONE THAT WOULD DRAW ENOUGH COLD AIR DOWN INTO THE AREA TO WARRANT A POSSIBLE RAIN/SNOW MIX BEFORE THE PRECIP TOTALLY ENDS BY AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE IS PROGGED TO BUILD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. BY THAT TIME ANOTHER WEAKER SHORTWAVE AND SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP INTO THE OHIO VALLEY RESULTING IN A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN ON FRIDAY. A CLOSED LOW WHICH IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHWEST CONUS IS THEN PROGGED TO PULL EASTWARD SPONSORING THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT LOOKS TO BE A RATHER SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS CURRENTLY APPEARS TO BEGIN AFFECTING EAST KENTUCKY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT OR ON SATURDAY. NOT VERY CONFIDENT ON TIMING THE EJECTION OF A SOUTHWEST CONUS CLOSED LOW THAT HASN/T EVEN FORMED YET... DESPITE FAIRLY GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT... SO WILL KEEP POPS IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE RANGE FOR SATURDAY AT THIS TIME. TEMPS ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL LEVELS AND HAVE GENERALLY GONE A LITTLE ABOVE MOS GUIDANCE EACH PERIOD OWING TO THE SOUTHWEST FLOW REGIME WHICH DEVELOPS ALOFT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN PRIMARY LIQUID PRECIP AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND... ALTHOUGH WILL OFFER A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A RAIN/SNOW MIX FRIDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/...UPDATED GUSTY WINDS WILL BE ONE OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ELEMENTS IN THE FORECAST. WITH PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT...WINDS WILL PICK UP WITH GUSTS TOPPING 30 KNOTS IN MANY LOCATIONS LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. SCT CU AND ALTOCU HAVE PERSISTED GENERALLY FORM JKL AND NORTH. EXPECT CIGS TO STAY VFR AS THE FRONT PASSES. THE MAY BE SOME PATCHES OF MVFR NEAR THE STRONGEST SHOWERS. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SHOWERS WILL BE GENERALLY NORTH AND EAST OF JKL. THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR TONIGHT WILL BE THE GUSTY WINDS WITH THE FRONT. UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT...IT WILL BE A BIT CHOPPY IN THE LOWEST 2K FT ASSOCIATED WITH SOME WEAK TO MODERATE LLWS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM EST SUNDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...ABE/JJ LONG TERM....ABE AVIATION...JJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 857 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-110500- 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 857 PM EST SAT FEB 9 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM EST SUNDAY... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE AS A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES ON SUNDAY... ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. IN ADDITION TO THE GUSTY WINDS...A MUCH COLDER AND DRIER AIRMASS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE COLD FRONT BRINGING AN ENHANCED FIRE DANGER. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SNOW BY LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR AREAS NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY. A LIGHT WINTRY MIX OF SNOW... FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN IS THEN POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT AND VERY EARLY ON TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS NORTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY. SOME VERY LIGHT ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. LIGHT SNOW OR A RAIN AND SNOW MIX IS THEN POSSIBLE FOR MOST AREAS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY AND THEN AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. ABE/JJ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree was blown down in Hazard on the corner of Turner and Mainstreet.
One tree was blown down on U.S. Highway 460 one quarter of a mile from the Millard Grade School or 6 miles northwest of Belcher.
One tree was blown down on KY Highway 80 one half mile from U.S. Highway 460 and KY Highway 80 intersection in Belcher.
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: 83839, 83840, 83841.