A strong cold front produced severe thunderstorms across Eastern Kentucky during the evening of April 5th. Numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds were received.
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 produced severe thunderstorms across Eastern Kentucky during the evening of April 5th. Numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds were received.
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 Apr 5, 8:13 PM EST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 913 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TONIGHT/...UPDATED COLD FRONT PUSHING THRU CNTRL KY WITH A LINE OF STORMS FROM CVG TO BNA MOVING EAST AT MORE THAN 25 MPH. INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THE LINE ARE TRACKING TO THE NE AT GREATER THAN 55 MPH. SVR TSRA WATCH ISSUED UNTIL 2 AM FOR ALL OF ERN KY. WARM AIR IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT IS BEGINNING TO RAISE DWPTS WHILE TEMPS REMAIN IN THE LOWER 70S. LLVL JET FROM THE SW JUST IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT AND S TO SW WINDS AT THE SFC GUSTING TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH. COLD FRONT AND SVR THREAT SHOULD EXIT TO THE EAST OF THE STATE SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/ GET READY FOR A WILD RIDE. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES A WARM FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA WITH DEWPOINTS JUMPING INTO THE MID TO UPPER 40S TO THE SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY. LOW PRESSURE CURRENTLY OVER ILLINOIS WILL RACE TO NEAR CLEVELAND BY DAWN ON MONDAY AND THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY BY OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT TO BE FOLLOWED BY A BIG TIME CHANGE IN AIRMASS AND A RETURN TO WINTER. CONCERNS FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD INCLUDE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING... THE POSSIBILITY OF HEADLINES FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES FROM LATE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT... AND THEN GUSTY WINDS THROUGHOUT. WILL REFRESH ONGOING SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT REGARDING THESE CONCERNS. MODELS... GENERALLY PREFERRED A 05/12Z NAM SOLUTION THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE TRANSITIONING OVER THE THE 05/12Z GFS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT FOR ANY TWEAKS TO INHERITED FORECAST. MOST NOTEWORTHY TREND IN THE PROGS IS FOR A QUICKER EXIT OF DEEPER MOISTURE MONDAY NIGHT... WHICH DEFINITELY HELPED IN THE OVERALL DECISION TO NOT ISSUE AN ELEVATION BASED WINTER STORM WATCH FOR OUR VIRGINIA BORDER COUNTIES. MORE ON THAT BELOW. BIGGEST DEVIATION FROM GUIDANCE WAS FOR TEMPS ON TUESDAY AS WE HELD EXPECTED HIGHS WAY BELOW MOS DUE TO CONTINUED COLD ADVECTION... CLOUD COVER AND PRECIP. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL... SPC EXTENDED THE SLIGHT RISK AREA TO INCLUDE THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WITH THE MIDDAY UPDATE. SQUALL LINE IS NOW TAKING SHAPE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND THIS SHOULD RACE ACROSS THE STATE THIS EVENING. DEWPOINTS ARE JUMPING TOWARD 60F OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE. DO NOT EXPECT SUCH A RESPONSE ON THIS END OF THE STATE HOWEVER AS LOW LEVEL DOWNSLOPE FLOW DRIES OUT THE LOW LEVELS KEEPING INSTABILITY PARAMETERS IN CHECK. THIS... AND THE FACT THAT THE SQUALL LINE WILL BE MOVING THROUGH AFTER SUNSET ARE THE ONLY NEGATIVES WITH THIS SYSTEM THOUGH AS SHEAR IS IMPRESSIVE. WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THE SEVERE THREAT IN THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS. CHANGEOVER TO SNOW AND SNOW AMOUNTS... MUCH COLDER TEMPS WILL SURGE IN BEHIND THE FRONT LATE TONIGHT WITH TEMPS FALLING THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON MONDAY. AXIS OF H5 TROUGH WILL PASS BY MIDDAY MONDAY WITH STRENGTHENING UPSLOPE FLOW BEHIND. RAIN SHOWERS WILL TRANSITION OVER TO SNOW SHOWERS FROM TOP DOWN AS BOUNDARY LAYER COOLS LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING... REACHING THE VALLEY FLOORS BY OR SHORTLY AFTER DARK. MOISTURE DEPTH AND OMEGA ARE MAXIMIZED AROUND 00Z TUE... WHEN HEAVIEST PRECIP SHOULD OCCUR. MOISTURE DEPTH THEN DECREASES BUT GOOD UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUES INTO TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. COORDINATED WITH MRX ABOUT POSSIBLE ISSUANCE OF A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR OUR VIRGINIA BORDER COUNTIES BUT AT THIS TIME WE EXPECT AN ADVISORY CRITERIA EVENT WITH AMOUNTS RANGING FROM AN INCH OR TWO IN THE VALLEYS UP TO 4 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 2500 FEET (OVER A 36 TO 42 HOUR PERIOD). THIS IS A TOUGH CALL THOUGH... BUT ONE THAT IS BACKED UP BY THE LATEST MODEL TRENDS WHICH PULL THE DEEPER MOISTURE OUT OF THE AREA QUICKLY MONDAY NIGHT. WINDS... WINDS ARE ALREADY RESPONDING TO THE TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS EVENING WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT... OF COURSE HIGHER IN ANY CONVECTION. WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH SHOULD CONTINUE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT ON THROUGH TUESDAY WITH STRONG ONGOING COLD ADVECTION. THIS IS JUST UNDER LAKE WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA. FREEZE... AFTER COORDINATION WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES... WE WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUING ANY FREEZE HEADLINES AT THIS TIME DUE MAINLY TO SHORT TERM SEVERE CONCERNS. IT IS A PRETTY GOOD BET THOUGH THAT FREEZING TEMPS WILL OCCUR JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT. WE DID HOLD TEMPS UP SLIGHTLY ABOVE GUIDANCE NUMBERS THOUGH DUE TO HEAVY CLOUD COVER AND GUSTY WINDS BUT LOWS EACH NIGHT SHOULD DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S. LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/ A PLETHORA OF SYSTEMS TO CONTEND WITH DURING WHAT SHOULD BE AN ACTIVE PERIOD. ANY LINGERING FLURRIES WITH THE EARLY WEEK SYSTEM WILL BE LEAVING THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE NEXT SYSTEM COULD ALREADY BE HERE ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IT IS A WEAK ONE...AND HAS COME ON THE SCENE AS A PRECIP THREAT SINCE SATURDAY...SHOWING UP IN BOTH THE GFS AND WRF. A COMBINATION OF AN UPPER JET AND LOW LEVEL ISENTROPIC LIFT COULD BRING RAIN SHOWERS FOR OUR NE COUNTIES. ONCE THIS PASSES...WILL EXPECT A BRIEF LULL LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY THURSDAY. THE NEXT SYSTEM AT THE END OF THE WORK WEEK WILL BE MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL. LOW PRESSURE WILL HEAD EAST FROM THE PLAINS ON ITS TRACK UP THE OH VALLEY. WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF IT THREATENS RAIN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON...BUT IT IS MORE LIKELY TO OUR WEST. THE BIGGER THREAT OF RAIN FROM ISENTROPIC LIFT AND UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT IS ON THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH A LIKELIHOOD ON FRIDAY AS WELL AS THE SURFACE SYSTEM PASSES. THE GFS AND ECMWF DO DIFFER ON THE TRACK AND TIMING OF THE SYSTEM. THE IMPACT OF THIS WOULD BE ON TEMPERATURES AND HOW LONG POPS HOLD ON. HAVE TRIMMED BACK A BIT FROM THE WARM GFS TEMPERATURES WITH THE GFS TRACK BEING FURTHER NORTH. HAVE ALSO GONE ABOUT 10 PERCENT ABOVE GFS MEXMOS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT...SINCE THE ECMWF IS SHOWING A SLOWER EXIT. THE ECMWF IS ALSO DEEPER WITH ITS SLOWER PROGRESSING ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH...WHICH ALLOWS FOR A COLDER AIR MASS IN THE WAKE OF THE SURFACE SYSTEM. THE GFS MEXMOS FROM BOTH 00Z AND 12Z ON 4/5/09 LOOKED TOO WARM DURING THE WEEKEND...EVEN MATCHED UP AGAINST THE GFS MODEL IT IS BASED ON. WITH THAT SAID...HAVE UNDERCUT THE MEXMOS BY SEVERAL DEGREES AT THAT TIME. YET ANOTHER SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE IT WILL ROLL OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TOWARD US AT THE END OF THE PERIOD. TRACKING AND TIMING ISSUES ABOUND AT THAT LONG RANGE. THE 00Z 4/5/2009 GFS SUGGESTED PRECIP WOULD BE POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY...BUT THE 06Z AND 12Z GFS AS WELL AS THE 00Z ECMWF WERE SLOWER. WILL HOLD OFF ON POPS DURING THE DAY SUNDAY. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/ A LINE OF STRONG TSRA ARE RACING TO THE NE AT MORE THAN 50 MPH WHILE THE ENTIRE LINE IS TRACKING EAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. THIS LINE...IN CENTRAL KY...WILL ENTER ERN KY AROUND 7 PM...SME AROUND 8 PM...LOZ AROUND 8:45 PM AND JKL AROUND 9 PM. EXPECT STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH FROM THE SW UNTIL FRONTAL PASSAGE WHEN THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE W AND WNW BUT REMAIN GUSTY. CIGS WILL LOWER BEHIND THE FNT TO IFR RANGE AND SHRA WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA IN WRAP AROUND MOISTURE AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE UP THE OH RVR. SHRA WILL CONTINUE OFF AND ON FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE DAY WITH FALLING TEMPERATURES UNTIL THE AIR IS COLD ENOUGH TO CHANGE TO SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY FOR KYZ044- 050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...ABE/DUSTY LONG TERM....HAL AVIATION...DUSTY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 408 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-061130- 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- 408 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES AND MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BEING THE MAIN THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY WEST OF I-75. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. BLUSTERY AND MUCH COLDER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE COLD FRONT FOR MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. RAIN SHOWERS WILL MIX WITH SNOW MONDAY AFTERNOON...BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW BY LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS WILL THEN CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF TUESDAY NIGHT. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR TWO OF WET SNOW ARE LIKELY WITH THIS SYSTEM FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2500 FEET ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER...3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FROM LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE HAIL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON TONIGHT. SPOTTERS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. WJM/ABE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 400 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-060400- 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 400 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A RETURN OF COLD AND SNOW FOR THE START OF THE WORK WEEK... A STRONG AND SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A PERIOD OF ACTIVE AND UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER TO EASTERN KENTUCKY FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE NEW WEEK. THE FIRST IMPACT OF THIS SYSTEM ON THE AREA WILL BE STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT AS A POTENT COLD FRONT TRACKS ACROSS THE BLUEGRASS STATE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY WEST OF INTERSTATE 75. BREEZY AND MUCH COLDER CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. AFTER EARLY MORNING HIGHS IN THE 40S MONDAY MORNING... TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE MID TO UPPER 30S BY THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...AND THEN BELOW FREEZING MONDAY NIGHT. RAIN SHOWERS WILL MIX WITH SNOW MONDAY AFTERNOON...AND THEN CHANGE TO ALL SNOW BY LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL THEN PERSIST INTO THE DAY ON TUESDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING TUESDAY NIGHT. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR TWO OF WET SNOW ARE LIKELY WITH THIS SYSTEM FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2500 FEET ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER...3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FROM LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE COLD TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO IMPACT ANY EARLY EMERGING VEGETATION AND BLOOMING FRUIT TREES. FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THOSE WITH AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS ARE URGED TO KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT CROPS AND VEGETATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/JACKSONKY. ABE
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:16 UTC.
18 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A heavy downpour of rain and strong winds were also occurring at time of report.
One inch hail and winds of 50-55 mph were occurring in Quail.
A barn was blown down and onto Hwy 618. Another barn was blown down on Ridge Farm Road. A roof was blown off a house on Hwy 1505. Trees were down in all locations including Brodhead.
A thunderstorm wind gust of 68 mph was measured in Brodhead.
The spotter also reported a large pine tree down across Hwy 125.
Several trees were blown down in Mount Vernon.
Several trees were blown down on Highway 594. There were also roofs blown off of 2 sheds in the same area.
Two large trees were down on Hwy 89N. Trees and large limbs were also downed across the county on Hwys 1955, 30W, 577, and 578.
Trees were down on Highway 52.
Two trees were down on Hwy 1274.
Trees were blown down on Highways 460, 2498, and 772.
Two trees were blown down on Hwy 849.
Multiple trees were blown down on Highways 1933, 540, 1110, and 1812.
Several pine trees were blown donw on Hwy 719.
One tree was blown down on Hwy 542.
Four large limbs were blown down at the property of an NWS employee.
Trees and power lines were blown down near Glomawr.
Several trees and large limbs were blown down.
Several trees were blown down on Highways 979 and 122.
Trees were down and were blocking old Hwy 119.
The roof was blown off a home at Millard. A tree was blown onto a mobile home at Buscurk. Trees and power lines were blown down at Slaters Branch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2009
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: 163813, 163814, 163815, 163962, 163816, 163817, 163818, 163821, 163819, 163820, 163822, 163823, 163948, 163949, 163950, 163951, 163952, 163963, 163954, 163957, 163958, 163959, 163961.