A strong cold front moved east of Kentucky during the overnight hours of January 30, 2008. Strong wind gusts behind the front caused damage in the higher terrain of far Eastern Kentucky, bringing down several trees.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 strong cold front moved east of Kentucky during the overnight hours of January 30, 2008. Strong wind gusts behind the front caused damage in the higher terrain of far Eastern Kentucky, bringing down several trees.
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 30, 12:04 AM EST, 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1204 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TONIGHT/...UPDATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 28 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANOTHER HOUR FOR MARTIN... PIKE AND LETCHER COUNTIES BUT SEVERE WIND THREAT HAS ENDED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. WIND ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS... BUT WINDS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE AND GUSTS WILL DROP OFF TOWARDS DAWN. A FAIR AMOUNT OF WIND DAMAGE REPORTS RECEIVED ALREADY... SEE LSRJKL... BUT SUSPECT MANY MORE WILL COME IN TOMORROW MORNING ONCE THE SUN COMES UP. UPDATE WAS SENT TO FRESHEN UP THE FORECAST SUITE AS JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A RAIN OR SNOW SHOWER REMAINS BEHIND THE FRONT FOR MOST AREAS. TEMPS ARE QUICKLY FALLING BELOW FREEZING IN CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND BLACK ICE WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE... IN ADDITION TO DOWNED TREES AND LIMBS. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /THE REST OF TONIGHT/ HAVE BEGUN TRIMMING COUNTIES FROM WATCH NUMBER 28 AND WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE PROGRESSION OF THE LINE AS IT CROSSES THE CWA. EXTENDED THE WATCH TO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR COUNTIES EARLIER... DESPITE THE FACT THAT LIGHTNING ACTIVITY IS WANING. DAMAGING WIND THREAT CONTINUES... THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /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/ 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/ABE 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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1053 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0945 PM TSTM WND DMG SOMERSET 37.08N 84.61W
01/29/2008 PULASKI KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN COUNTY WIDE.
&&
SCHOETTMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1113 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 PM TSTM WND DMG LIVINGSTON 37.30N 84.22W
01/29/2008 ROCKCASTLE KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
ONE TREE DOWN ON HWY 490 EAST OF LIVINGSTON AND ONE TREE
DOWN ON CALLOWAY BRANCH ROAD.
&&
SCHOETTMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1118 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 PM TSTM WND DMG WHITLEY CITY 36.72N 84.48W
01/29/2008 MCCREARY KY CO-OP OBSERVER
NUMEROUS TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN COUNTY WIDE.
&&
SCHOETTMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1145 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1011 PM TSTM WND GST CLAY CITY 37.86N 83.93W
01/29/2008 E60 MPH POWELL KY NWS EMPLOYEE
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST ESTIMATED AT 60 MPH.
&&
SCHOETTMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1150 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1106 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 S QUICKSAND 37.52N 83.34W
01/29/2008 BREATHITT KY NWS EMPLOYEE
ONE TREE DOWN ON ROUTE 15.
&&
SCHOETTMERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1204 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1110 PM TSTM WND DMG MOUNT VICTORY 37.03N 84.39W
01/29/2008 PULASKI KY TRAINED SPOTTER
WINDS BLEW HALF OF A TIN ROOF OFF OF A SHED. NUMEROUS
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN COUNTY WIDE.
&&
SCHOETTMERThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down on U.S. 119 at Sukie Ridge by wind gusts estimated at 46 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: 69077.