A developing low pressure system over the Texas Gulf Coast moved northeast towards Eastern Kentucky. This brought a mix of sleet and freezing rain, with a little snow as well, to Eastern Kentucky on February 21st into the 22nd.
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.
A developing low pressure system over the Texas Gulf Coast moved northeast towards Eastern Kentucky. This brought a mix of sleet and freezing rain, with a little snow as well, to Eastern Kentucky on February 21st into the 22nd.
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 21, 6:45 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 645 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/ CURRENT RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS THE FIRST WAVE OF PRECIPITATION...IN THE FORM OF MAINLY SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN...LIFTING NORTH OF A MOUNT VERNON TO JACKSON TO PIKEVILLE LINE. THIS FIRST WAVE OF PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE NORTH BEFORE ANOTHER BATCH OF PRECIPITATION ...THIS TIME IN THE FORM OF RAIN...ARRIVES TONIGHT. LAPS SOUNDINGS ALONG WITH RUC FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THERMAL PROFILE SUPPORTIVE OF FREEZING RAIN/SLEET AND EVEN SOME SNOW SHOWERS IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. WILL KEEP FREEZING RAIN AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AS THEY ARE FOR NOW AND CONTINUE TO CANCEL AS NEED BE. HOWEVER...AREAS NORTH OF I 64 WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED FOR A POSSIBLE UPGRADE SINCE TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL FLIRT WITH WARNING CRITERIA. SURFACE OBS FINALLY SHOW AREAS SOUTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY STARTING TO WARM AIR ADVECT AFTER STRUGGLING WITH A COLD AIR BOUNDARY CREATED BY EARLIER PRECIPITATION. THIS BEING SAID...EXPECT ONSET OF NEXT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION TO BE IN THE FORM OF ALL RAIN. SHIFTING THE FOCUS TO FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL WARM UP NICELY AS WARM AIR ADVECTION AT THE SURFACE SETS IN AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING SURFACE LOW. THEREFORE...EXPECTING ALL RAIN WITH ONLY THE NORTHERN COUNTIES SHIFTING BACK OVER TO SNOW BY 5 AM SATURDAY MORNING. SOME UPSLOPE ENHANCED SNOW SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO SATURDAY AFTERNOON IF THERE IS ANY LINGERING MOISTURE STILL IN THE AREA. WENT BELOW MOS GUIDANCE...ESPECIALLY MET...AS DAYTIME HIGHS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MUCH LATE FEBRUARY SUN ON FRIDAY. .LONG TERM.../SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/ THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL FINALLY BE MOVING OUT OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY. A MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL WORK ITS WAY THRU THE CENTRAL PLAINS TO THE TN VLY TO GRAZE THE SRN COUNTIES IN KY ON SUNDAY. PRECIPITATION FOR SUNDAY NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE AS BOTH THE NEW ECMWF AND GFS WERE SHOWING LITTLE IN THE MANNER OF PW. A MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE NRN PLAINS AND THEN THRU THE GT LKS. THIS WILL DRAG A COLD FNT THROUGH THE AREA ON TUESDAY AND WILL BRING SOME WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION. THIS SYSTEM WILL LINGER INTO MID WEEK WITH DAYTIME RAIN AND NIGHT TIME SNOW THE PRIMARY CONSIDERATIONS. BY WED NITE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE PLAINS AND PUSH ANY PCPN NORTH AND EAST OF KY. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/...UPDATED FIRST WAVE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL BE EXITING THE FAR NORTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 01Z. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...INCLUDING ALL TAF SITES. STILL CONCERNED ABOUT LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WITH 30 TO 40 KNOT WINDS ABOVE THE LOW LEVEL INVERSION. WILL CONTINUE WITH LLWS IN THE TAFS OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITATION IN WESTERN KY SHOWS WEAKENING TREND ON THE SOUTHERN END OF AREA AND WILL LEAVE RAIN OUT OF TAF FORECASTS FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. WITH RISING TEMPERATURES TONIGHT THE NEXT ROUND OR PRECIPITATION WHICH WILL ARRIVE BY 12Z WILL BE IN THE FORM OF RAIN. LOOK FOR LOWERING CEILINGS AFTER 12Z WITH MVFR CEILINGS PREVAILING ALL DAY. CONDITIONS MAY DETERIORATE FURTHER FRIDAY EVENING BEYOND THE CURRENT TAF FORECASTS WITH IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM EST FRIDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052- 104. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EST FRIDAY FOR KYZ058>060- 106>109-111-112-119. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR KYZ110- 113>115-118-120. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR KYZ068- 069. && SHORT TERM...SCHOETTMER LONG TERM....DUSTY AVIATION...SBH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 421 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 KYZ044-050>052-104-230030- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ELLIOTT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...SANDY HOOK 421 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SLEET...SNOW...AND FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN...BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL RAIN LATE. UP TO ONE INCH OF TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED...WITH UP TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH OF TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATION. THIS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING...AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. KYZ058>060-106>109-111-112-119-230030- ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-LEE-BREATHITT- MARTIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...BEATTYVILLE... JACKSON...INEZ 421 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SLEET...FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL RAIN AFTER 2 AM. ONE TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY MORNING AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. KYZ110-113>115-118-120-230030- FLOYD-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-LETCHER-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PRESTONSBURG...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE... HAZARD...WHITESBURG...PIKEVILLE 421 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED THIS EVENING. UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE. THIS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. KYZ068-069-230030- ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE 421 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...WITH UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. THIS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. KYZ079-080-083>088-116-117-230030- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-CLAY-LESLIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...MANCHESTER...HYDEN 421 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO ADDITIONAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER THE RECENT FREEZING RAIN HAS CREATED HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ICE ACCUMULATIONS FROM EARLIER TODAY TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. WJM/DUSTY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 304 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 KYZ044-050>052-104-220000- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ELLIOTT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...SANDY HOOK 304 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST FRIDAY... ...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS EXPECTED... A MIX OF SLEET...SNOW...AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY CHANGE TO MAINLY FREEZING RAIN THIS EVENING. EXPECT A TOTAL OF ONE TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION FROM THE FREEZING RAIN THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH UP TO A HALF INCH OF SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATION. THIS WILL CREATE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TRAVEL SHOULD BE AVOIDED IF POSSIBLE. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING LATE TONIGHT...CHANGING THE PRECIPITATION OVER TO ALL RAIN. KYZ058>060-106>109-111-112-119-220000- ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-LEE-BREATHITT- MARTIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...BEATTYVILLE... JACKSON...INEZ 304 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EST FRIDAY... ...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS EXPECTED... FREEZING RAIN...MIXED WITH SLEET AT TIMES...WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING. THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MAINLY FREEZING RAIN LATER THIS EVENING. TOTAL SLEET AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A HALF INCH ARE EXPECTED...WITH ONE TO TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION FROM FREEZING RAIN. THIS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING AFTER 2 AM...WITH ANY PRECIPITATION CHANGING TO RAIN. KYZ110-113>115-118-120-220000- FLOYD-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-LETCHER-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PRESTONSBURG...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE... HAZARD...WHITESBURG...PIKEVILLE 304 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... ...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS POSSIBLE... RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS MAY CAUSE A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE...WHICH WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH ANY PRECIPITATION CHANGING OVER TO RAIN. KYZ068-069-220000- ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE 304 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS EXPECTED... FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS MAY CAUSE A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE...WHICH WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING AFTER 10 PM... WITH ANY PRECIPITATION CHANGING OVER TO RAIN. KYZ079-080-083>088-116-117-220000- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-CLAY-LESLIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...MANCHESTER...HYDEN 304 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008 ...PATCHY ICE ON ROADWAYS STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING... FREEZING RAIN HAS ENDED ACROSS THE REGION...HOWEVER ICY SPOTS ON AREA ROADWAYS ARE STILL POSSIBLE AS TEMPERATURES HOVER NEAR THE FREEZING MARK. NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED EARLIER TODAY AS FREEZING RAIN MOVED THROUGH THE AREA. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVELING THIS EVENING. WJM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
436 PM EST THU FEB 21 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM FREEZING RAIN OWINGSVILLE 38.14N 83.76W
02/21/2008 U0.00 INCH BATH KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
COUNTY 911 REPORTED AROUND TWO DOZEN ACCIDENTS BETWEEN
MILE MARKER 116 AND 123. INTERSTATE 64 CLOSED DUE TO
THIS.
&&
JCARICOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Approximately 0.4 inches of ice accretion from freezing rain occurred in Owingsville.
Three tenths of an inch of ice accretion from freezing rain occurred in Flemingsburg.
One quarter of an inch of ice accretion from freezing rain occurred in Morehead.
Three tenths of an inch of ice accretion from freezing rain occurred in Mount Sterling.
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: 80178, 80179, 80180, 80181.