Gusty winds ahead of an approaching low pressure system occurred across a portion of Eastern Kentucky on February 5th. These winds were strong enough to produce isolated damage.
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.
Gusty winds ahead of an approaching low pressure system occurred across a portion of Eastern Kentucky on February 5th. These winds were strong enough to produce isolated damage.
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 5, 6:35 PM EST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 635 PM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/ FOCUS FOR THE SHORT TERM CONTINUES TO BE THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING SLOWER WITH THE FRONT...ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE SEEMED TO STABILIZED ON THE PAST RUN OR TWO. STILL SOME DISAGREEMENT IN THE DETAILS THOUGH. SOME SCATTERED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS EVENING...THEN AFTER MIDNIGHT A SQUALL LINE SHOULD APPROACH FROM THE WEST. THINK THE MAIN THREAT WITH THIS LINE WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. THE BEST TORNADO THREAT REMAINS TO THE WEST OF OUR CWA. THINK THE LINE OF CONVECTION WILL BE PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH THAT WIDESPREAD FLOODING SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. HOWEVER IF THINGS ARE LESS PROGRESSIVE...AND HEAVY RAINFALL IS PROLONGED...A FLOOD WATCH MAY BE NEEDED. FELL ATTM THOUGH THAT THERE MAY BE SOME LOCALIZED HIGH WATER IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS...BUT THERE IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT THREAT OF FLOODING ATTM. WILL BE MONITORING THE HYDRO SITUATION CLOSELY HOWEVER. A 70-75 KT H8 JET MOVES ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT...WHICH WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORMS GOING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT WELL INTO THE NIGHT. EXPECTING THE SQUALL LINE TO REACH THE I 75 CORRIDOR AFTER 3 AM...BETWEEN I 75 AND US 23 TOWARDS DAWN...AND EAST OF US 23 AFTER SUNRISE. LI/S DROP TO -2...CAPES RISE TO AROUND 500 J/KG...AND SHOWALTERS DROP TO -1 TO -2 OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS...COMBINED WITH AMPLE SHEAR WILL MAINTAIN THE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE MORNING. SOME GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT...WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AFTER FROPA WITH STRONG WINDS ALOFT BEING MIXED TO THE GROUND. WILL BE ISSUING A WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM WEDNESDAY THROUGH 7 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THIS. THIS WILL BE A HIGH END ADVISORY...ESPECIALLY ON WEDNESDAY. IT MAY BE CLOSE TO HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. COULD BE A FEW SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A VORT MAX SWINGS THROUGH. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR THURSDAY BRINGING DRY WEATHER. .LONG TERM.../THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/ A BROAD TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE OVER MOST OF THE CONUS EARLY IN THE PERIOD. AT THAT TIME...AN EMBEDDED SW/V SHOULD BE MOVING INTO THE OH VALLEY AND WESTERN GREAT LAKES. A SERIES OF SW/VS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND...THE FIRST ON FRI NIGHT AND EARLY SAT...WITH A MORE POTENT SW/V DROPPING DOWN THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND OH VALLEY LATER ON SAT AND INTO SAT NIGHT. THIS WILL SHARPEN UP AN EASTERN US THROUGH AND SEND MUCH COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION BRIEFLY OVER THE WEEKEND INTO VERY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE UPPER FLOW WILL BECOME MORE ZONAL ON MON...WITH A SW/V ROTATING THROUGH THE FOUR CORNERS AND CLOSING OFF OVER TX LATE IN THE PERIOD. MEANWHILE...A NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH SHOULD BE MOVING INTO THE UPPER MS VALLEY. AT THE SFC...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON FRI NIGHT INTO EARLY SAT...WITH A MORE POWERFUL ARCTIC COLD SAT AFTERNOON INTO SAT EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA TO END THE WEEKEND AND TO START THE NEW WEEK. A NORTHERN STREAM BOUNDARY SHOULD REACH DOWN INTO THE MID ATLANTIC STATES AND THE OH VALLEY ON TUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LATE IN THE PERIOD NORTHERN STREAM THROUGH. SFC DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE FURTHER SOUTH ON THE BOUNDARY OVER THE LOWER MS VALLEY AS THE SW/V MOVES INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. LIMITED MOISTURE SHOULD RETURN NORTH...SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY LATE IN THE PERIOD. WENT WITH SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS DURING SEVERAL PERIODS. THE FIRST WITH THE SW/V ON THU NIGHT INTO EARLY FRI...THE SECOND ON FRI NIGHT INTO SAT...WITH THE LEAD COLD FRONT AND CONTINUING INTO SAT NIGHT WITH THE ARCTIC BOUNDARY. BELOW NORMAL TEMPS ARE EXPECTED ON SAT NIGHT THROUGH MON. TEMPS MAY STRUGGLE TO REACH 30 DEGREES IN MANY AREAS ON SUN AS 850 MB TEMPS BRIEFLY FALL AT LEAST INTO THE TEENS BELOW 0C. AS FOR PRECIP TYPE...TEMPS SHOULD BE COLD ENOUGH LATE THU NIGHT AND INTO EARLY FRI AM AND LATE FRI NIGHT INTO EARLY SAT AM FOR SNOW TO MIX WITH RAIN. AS COLDER AIR FILTERS IN BEHIND THE ARCTIC BOUNDARY...THE PRECIP TYPE SHOULD BECOME ALL SNOW. LATE IN THE PERIOD...PRECIP TYPE APPEARS TO BE PRIMARILY RAIN AS TEMPS MODERATE. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/...UPDATED WEATHER IS BASICALLY VFR AS MOST SHRA HAVE MOVED NORTH OF THE OH RVR. THE FEW LINGERING SHRA IN OUR NRN COUNTIES ARE ONLY PROVIDING LIMITED PCPN. SEVERE TSRA WATCH OVER WRN KY HAS SEVERAL VERY STRONG STORMS MOVING TO THE NE AT AROUND 35-40 MPH. BEST JET DYNAMICS LOCATED ALSO IN WRN KY. SSW SFC WINDS SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT WITH THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION WILL PROVIDE THE ELEVATED SURFACE FOR WIND SHEAR. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY ISOLATED THUNDER WILL REMAIN NORTH OF INTERSTATE 64. WILL CONTINUE TO ONLY MENTION VCSH WITH A CB GROUP DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...UNTIL THE MAIN SQUALL LINE ARRIVES 10Z- 13Z AT THE TAF SITES. WENT WITH TWO TO THREE HOURS OF THUNDER...WITH GUSTY WINDS. THESE STORMS COULD POSSIBLY BE SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS THE THREAT. ONCE STORMS PASS...STRONGER WINDS FROM ALOFT SHOULD MIX DOWN WITH GUSTY WINDS THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 6 PM EST WEDNESDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...WJM LONG TERM....JP AVIATION...DUSTY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 424 PM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-061200- 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 424 PM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 6 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT WEST OF HIGHWAY 23. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT. IN ADDITION...WINDS OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL GUST UP TO 45 MPH LATE TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY CONTAIN LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL LATE TONIGHT WEST OF HIGHWAY 23...WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS...BRINGING SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS NEAR BANK FULL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE PASSING THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING...ACCOMPANIED BY A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS IN THE MORNING...WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LINGERING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON FOR AREAS EAST OF HIGHWAY 23. IN ADDITION...WIND GUSTS OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE UP TO 55 MPH AT TIMES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING. THIS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS...BRINGING STREAMS AND CREEKS NEAR BANK FULL. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN ON MONDAY. AT THIS TIME...LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...FLOODING...OR OTHER SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. WJM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 432 PM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-060500- 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 432 PM EST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 6 PM EST WEDNESDAY... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY... AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST FROM EASTERN OKLAHOMA. THIS LOW WILL REACH OHIO WEDNESDAY MORNING. A STRONG COLD FRONT TRAILING SOUTH FROM THE LOW WILL REACH THE INTERSTATE 75 CORRIDOR AROUND 7 AM...AND WILL BE EXITING EASTERN KENTUCKY AROUND 1 PM. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT AFTER 3 AM NEAR THE INTERSTATE 75 CORRIDOR. THE STORMS WILL MOVE FURTHER EAST...REACHING AREAS WEST OF HIGHWAY 23 TOWARDS DAWN...AND AREAS EAST OF HIGHWAY 23 AFTER SUNRISE. DUE TO STRONG WINDS ALOFT...SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...MOIST GROUND FROM RECENT RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS...BRINGING SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS NEAR BANK FULL. IN ADDITION...THERE WILL ALSO BE GUSTY WINDS DEVELOPING OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST TO AROUND 45 MPH LATE TONIGHT...WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY IN THE TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/JACKSONKY. WJM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down county wide between 9 pm and midnight. The worst damaged appeared to have occurred in the western portion of the county.
Trees were blown down county wide beginning at 9 pm.
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: 83845, 83847.