A strong cold front moved through Kentucky during the evening of January 29, 2008, into the overnight hours of January 30th. A line of severe thunderstorms accompanied the front, resulting in widespread wind damage across Eastern Kentucky.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 strong cold front moved through Kentucky during the evening of January 29, 2008, into the overnight hours of January 30th. A line of severe thunderstorms accompanied the front, resulting in widespread wind damage across Eastern 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 Jan 29, 6:39 PM EST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 639 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/ THE PRIMARY FORECAST PROBLEM FOR THE SHORT TERM REMAINS THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY STRONG WINDS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. MODEL SOUNDINGS AND VARIOUS MOS MEMBERS STILL SHOWING VERY STRONG WINDS ALONG AND BEHIND AN APPROACHING AND VERY POTENT COLD FRONT. THE FONT IS CURRENTLY MOVING INTO WESTERN ILLINOIS...KENTUCKY...AND TENNESSEE. SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS OF 35-40KT WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECORDED IN MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES HAVE ALSO DROPPED AS MUCH AS 35 DEGREES IN LESS THAN 3 HOURS IN MISSOURI...AS THE OB OUT OF ST. LOUIS SHOWS. THE TEMPERATURE THERE DROPPED FROM 70 DEGREES TO 35 DEGREES BETWEEN 18 AND 21Z AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE. WIND ADVISORY IS STILL IN EFFECT THROUGH 6AM EST WEDNESDAY. SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL BE LIKELY JUST AHEAD OF AND ALONG THE FRONT...WITH STRONGER WINDS AND HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE BEHIND THE FRONT LATER TONIGHT. IN FACT...THERE WILL BE A 3 TO 4 HOUR PERIOD AFTER THE FRONT PASSES DURING WHICH STRONG WINDS WILL BLOW. THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM OR INTENSE RAIN SHOWER THAT ARE ABLE TO FORM...AS THE DOWNDRAFTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL MIX A GOOD DEAL OF WIND ENERGY AND MOMENTUM TO THE SURFACE. THE SECOND MAJOR CONCERN WITH THIS FORECAST WILL BE THE RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FREEZING OF ROAD SURFACES AND SIDEWALKS. MOTORISTS WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR SLICK SPOTS DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE...AS THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A FEW SLICK SPOTS ON AREA ROADWAYS. TEMPERATURES FOR TONIGHT WERE A COMPROMISE BETWEEN MAV AND METMOS...GOING IN BETWEEN THE TWO...BUT NOT QUITE AS COLD AS THE OUTLIER NGMMOS. DEWPOINTS ALSO NEEDED TO BE TWEAKED A BIT TO REFLECT THE RAPID DRYING OF AIR BEHIND THE FRONT AS IT MOVES ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. MADE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO THE SKY...POP...AND WEATHER GRIDS AS THE FORECAST THERE WAS ALREADY IN GOOD. DID MAKE A FEW CHANGES THOUGHT...TO REFLECT A BIT SLOWER MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT TONIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL ALSO EXIST TONIGHT FOR A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS...BUT THE GROUND WILL LIKELY BE TO WET AND WARM TO SUPPORT ANY ACCUMULATION OF SNOW TONIGHT. .LONG TERM.../FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/ GFS ONCE AGAIN AN OUTLIER AMONGST THE VARIOUS MODELS. GFS MOVES A POTENT AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS SEVERAL HOURS FASTER THAN BOTH THE DGEX AND ECMWF DO. THE GFS LOW IS ALSO SUBSTANTIALLY DEEPER THAN THE OTHER MODELS. WITH GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ECMWF AND DGEX...DECIDED TO GO WITH THE ECMWF FOR THE LONG TERM. PRIMARY WEATHER PROBLEM REMAINS THE PASSAGE OF STRONG LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY FRIDAY MORNING. THE TIMING OF THE SYSTEM WAS SLOWED BY A COUPLE OF HOURS PER THE LATEST MODEL DATA. WENT WITH CATEGORICAL POPS FOR FRIDAY MORNING...WITH WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION SHOWING UP IN MODEL CONSISTENTLY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL RUNS. QPF NUMBERS WERE A LITTLE LOWER IN THE FORECAST THAN THE MODELS ARE SHOWING DUE TO THE FAST FORWARD MOVEMENT OF FRIDAYS SYSTEM. WENT COOLER THAN MOS FOR HIGHS AND WARMER THAN MOS FOR LOWS FRIDAY...SUNDAY...AND NEXT TUESDAY...ACCOUNTING FOR THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER ANTICIPATED ON EACH OF THOSE DAYS. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY LOOK TO BE DRY AND MOSTLY CLEAR WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY. DEWPOINTS AND WINDS WERE ALREADY IN GOOD SHAPE AND ONLY A FEW MINOR TWEAKS NEEDED TO BE MADE PER THE LATEST MODEL DATA. THERE COULD BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF RAIN AND SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...BUT NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/...UPDATED A POWERFUL COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH AND THEN CROSS THE AREA OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS. WEATHER WILL BE IN AND OUT...WITH WIDELY VARIABLE CONDITIONS. TRIED TO TIME FIRST BAND OF RAIN WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS SEEM TO DIE DOWN A BIT WITH RAIN...WHILE CIGS TEND TO GO UP. THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK IN THE ACTION AS THE FIRST AREA OF PRECIPITATION MOVES OFF TO THE EAST. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE COLD FRONT FURTHER TO THE WEST. THIS FRONT IS MOVING VERY FAST AND THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT IS VERY NARROW...BUT INTENSE. TRIED TO TIME PASSAGE OF THE FRONT AT EACH AIRPORT BASED ON OBS...RADAR MOSAIC AND LATEST SHORT RANGE MODEL DATA. BEST ESTIMATE AT THIS TIME IS FOR THE FRONT TO HIT SME ABOUT 0345Z...LOZ AROUND 0415Z AND THEN JKL ABOUT 05Z. BROUGHT A SHORT PERIOD OF THUNDER AT EACH SITE AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. OTHERWISE...WIDELY SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL FILL IN FOR A FEW HOURS BEHIND THE FRONT AS COLD AIR SCREAMS INTO THE AREA. WINDS ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT HAVE BEEN HITTING ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO 75 MPH...MEASURE. SO WINDS WILL BE A PROBLEM IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT AND FOR A FEW HOURS AFTER PASSAGE. CONDITIONS IMPROVE GRADUALLY TOWARDS DAWN. IN SUMMARY... A GOOD NIGHT TO STAY HOME. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM....AR AVIATION...RAY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 452 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-301200- 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 452 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. GUSTY WINDS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING...BUT WILL INCREASE AS THE FRONT PASSES DURING THE EVENING AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONT AND FOR A COUPLE HOURS AFTER THE FRONT PASSES. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED HIGHER WIND GUSTS IN ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT OCCURS ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT LATE TONIGHT... DROPPING WELL BELOW FREEZING BY DAWN. ANY RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO MIX WITH SNOW SHOWERS BEFORE ENDING DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WHILE NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED... ANY MOISTURE LEFT ON THE ROADWAYS WILL LIKELY FREEZE...CREATING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY INSTANCES OF DAMAGING WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON. ABE/AR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 919 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>087-104-106>109-111-112- 114>117-300430- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-ELLIOTT- MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-LEE-BREATHITT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE- 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...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON... SALYERSVILLE...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD... MANCHESTER...HYDEN 919 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 28 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... A LINE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 9:20 PM AND 11:30 PM. DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ARRIVES. IT SHOULD REACH MONTICELLO AND SOMERSET AROUND 9:40 PM. FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING...STANTON...IRVINE...MOREHEAD...AND LONDON CAN EXPECT HIGH WINDS TO ARRIVE BETWEEN 10 PM AND 10:30 PM. WEST LIBERTY...SALYERSVILLE...JACKSON...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...AND MIDDLESBORO CAN EXPECT THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORM WITH HIGH WINDS TO ARRIVE BETWEEN 10:30 PM AND 11:30 PM. HAL
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:35 UTC.
56 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A television tower was blown over by winds estimated at 69 mph.
Trees and power lines blown down county wide by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
Trees were blown down across roads throughout the county by winds estimated at 63 mph.
Numerous trees were blown down county wide by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
Trees blown down on Highway 490 east of Livingston and on Calloway Branch Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Winds blew half of a tin roof off of a shed. Numerous trees and power lines down county wide. Damage caused by winds estimated at 63 mph.
A thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 60 mph occurred near Stanton in Powell county. One small tree and two large limbs blown down in Stanton.
Trees and power lines blown down all across the county by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
One tree blown down by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
A barn was destroyed along Highway 1955 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
A small barn was blown into Cherry Grove Road at Mill Creek Road. A tree was blown down across Watson Road. All damage was caused by winds estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Tapp Lane and Stepstone Road by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Oscar Morgan Road at Highway 1470 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 801 at Cave Run Lake by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down in the Wolf Creek, Tackett Creek, and Corn Creek areas. Trees were also down along the Cumberland Falls Highway and north of Williamsburg. Other trees were blown down on Highway 204 east of Williamsburg and Highway 1804 in the south part of the county. All damage caused by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
Approximately 50 trees were blown down in District 2, or the southern portion of Jackson County. A roof was blown off a barn on Highway 2002. A tree was blown onto a house in Anville. All damage was caused by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
A television tower was blown over by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
A 62 mph wind gust was measured by London Corbin Airport ASOS.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 30 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Highway 1167 was blocked by fallen trees that were blown down by winds estimated at 61 mph.
A trailer was blown off its foundation on Hizer Hill Road. Numerous trees were also blown down county wide by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 11 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 92 near Mossy Gap by winds estimated at 61 mph.
Trees and power poles were blown down throughout the county by winds estimated at 67 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 32 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 52. Numerous other reports of trees being blown down were received from throughout the county. All damage was caused by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highways 2499, 172, and 460 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
A couple of trees were blown down near the High School by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Six or seven large trees were blown down onto Little Bloody Creek Road by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees were blown down along Highway 30 West by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees blown down in the Wolverine community by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down along Highway 1482 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Siding was blown off a trailer near Jackson by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 7, Route 32, Route 755, and Highways 1620, 885 and 173 by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
One tree was blown down onto Route 15 by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down in Pineville and throughout the county by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
Trees were blown down in the South Fork area by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
A small storage building was destroyed near the county school bus garage along U.S. Highway 421; parts of the building were blown off into U.S. Highway 421 by winds estimated at 62 mph.
One tree was blown down in Hyden. Multiple trees and power lines were blown down elsewhere throughout the county by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Couchtown Road by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Numerous trees were blown down along Route 378 by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
A 195 foot tall communications tower was blown over by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
A portion of a barn roof was ripped off along Route 30. Telephone poles were also snapped off in the same area by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees were blown down onto Highway 987 in the Brownies Creek area by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees were blown down by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees and power lines were blown down along KY 550 by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees and power lines were blown down on Perkins Mountain Road and Big Branch Road in the Perkins Mountain area by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Numerous trees were blown down county wide. Trees were also down and blocking Highway 1750. This damage was caused by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
Trees and power lines were blown down near the intersection of Highway 160 and KY 15 by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
The Road Dept responded to reports of approximately 25 trees blocking roads all across the county. Highway 3190 was still blocked by downed trees as of 230 pm EST. This damage was caused by wind gusts estimated at 63 mph.
Approximately 10 trees were blown down and blocking roads. This damage was caused by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees were blown down and blocking roads at several locations across the county. Highways 2032, 1884 and 2550 were all blocked by felled trees by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Tree blown down on Highway 160 near Premium by wind gusts estimated at 61 mph.
Trees were blown down on U.S. 119 near the top of Pine Mountain by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
Trees were blown down on KY Highway 805 near Fleming-Neon by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
One injury resulted from this event. A guard shack was blown over with a guard inside of it. The guard sustained minor injuries. A few trees were also blown down by wind gusts estimated at 67 mph.
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, January 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: 69078, 69079, 69080, 69081, 69082, 69083, 69084, 69085, 69086, 69087, 69088, 69089, 69090, 69095, 69096, 69097, 69098, 69101, 69106, 69111, 69114, 69115, 69118, 69120, 69121, 69122, 69123, 69124, 69125, 69127, 69131, 69134, 69135, 69137, 69143, 69145, 69146, 69152, 69154, 69156, and more.