A large and intense area of low pressure moved across the Tennessee valley and eventually up the east coast on December 18th and 19th. The initial precipitation began as a heavy wet snow on Friday afternoon December 18th.
Every event with a place to put it; 64 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 large and intense area of low pressure moved across the Tennessee valley and eventually up the east coast on December 18th and 19th. The initial precipitation began as a heavy wet snow on Friday afternoon December 18th. Accumulations around eastern Kentucky ranged between 1 and 4 inches. Ridgetop locations along the Virginia and west Virginia borders saw as much as 6 inches, with 13 inches reported on Flatwood Mountain in Pike County. This initial round of snow fell generally between 2 and 6 pm on the 18th.
After several hours of nothing but rain, another round of widespread and intense snowfall began at around 10 pm. The Jackson weather office picked up 2.6 inches of snow between 10 pm and midnight on the 18th and there were 11 inches on the ground by early Saturday morning. By 7 am on Saturday December 19th 5 to 7 inches of snow blanketed the ground across much of southeast Kentucky. The highest snowfall totals for this event were 16 inches on Black Mountain, 13 inches on Flatwood Mountain in Pike County, and 11 inches at the Jackson weather office. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by the heavy wet snow with widespread and long lasting power outages reported across the area.
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 Dec 18, 12:37 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1237 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/ NOT MANY CHANGES TO THE CURRENT FORECAST AS THE STORM LOOKS ON TRACK AT THIS POINT. CURRENT OBS SHOW THAT RAIN HAS COMMENCED ALONG THE TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY BORDERS WITH A FEW REPORTS OF SOME FLAKES MIXED IN. HIGHER RIDGES ARE STAYING COOLER AND FEEL THIS COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON HOW MUCH VALLEYS SEE VERSUS THE RIDGE TOPS. EXPECT PRECIPITATION TO GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTHWARD THROUGH THE REST OF THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON AND SLOWLY OVERCOMING THE DRY LOWER LEVELS. MOST PRECIPITATION SHOULD START OUT AS RAIN OR A RAIN SNOW MIX AND CHANGE TO ALL SNOW BETWEEN 4 AND 7 PM. AREAS IN THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST SHOULD SEE THE CHANGEOVER BY MID AFTERNOON. AT THIS POINT FEEL THE BIGGEST IMPACTS WILL NOT BE SEEN UNTIL AFTER 5 PM. MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH OVERALL TRACK OF THE SYSTEM... HOWEVER THERE ARE STILL WIDE RANGES OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QPF AMOUNTS. WILL CONTINUE TO GO BELOW THE WETTEST NAM...HOWEVER IT HAS GAINED SOME SUPPORT FROM CANADIAN/UKMET. THIS HAS RAISED SOME CONCERN ABOUT MEETING WARNING CRITERIA IN OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR LATEST TRENDS AND RE- CONSIDER A POSSIBLE UPGRADE TO WINTER STORM WARNING FROM JACKSON TO FLEMING COUNTY WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE. AT THIS POINT THE HIGH END OF THE 2 TO 4 INCH RANGE SEEMS A GOOD POSSIBILITY. THE TIME FRAME COULD BE A BIT LATER WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW FALLING BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND MID MORNING ON SATURDAY. ELSEWHERE IN THE WINTER STORM WARNING...WIDESPREAD 4 TO 6 INCHES STILL SEEMS REASONABLE WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS ON RIDGE TOPS AND THE LOWER AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEYS. STILL EXPECT THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATION TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES IN THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST AND EAST KENTUCKY WITH UP TO A FOOT ON THE HIGHEST PEAKS. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY/ ...WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES TO BE ISSUED FOR THE AREA STARTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON... 07Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTHEAST QUICKLY RETREATING FURTHER THAT WAY IN THE FACE OF A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE CENTER INBOUND FROM THE SOUTHWEST. HIGH CLOUDS FROM THIS HAVE OVERSPREAD EAST KENTUCKY AND SERVED TO LIMIT THE RIDGE TO VALLEY TEMPERATURE SPLIT OVERNIGHT TO JUST A 5 TO 10 DEGREES SPREAD. IN THE FAR SOUTH HIGHER DEWPOINTS HAVE KEPT TEMPS UP THERE...AS WELL. DEWPOINTS VARIED FROM THE MID 30S AT MIDDLESBORO ALONG THE TENNESSEE BORDER TO THE TEENS IN THE NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE CWA. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT BLACK MOUNTAIN IS RUNNING AT 35 DEGREES WITH A RELATIVELY MOIST DEWPOINT OF 22 DEGREES. THE MODELS HAVE GELLED ON A SOLUTION IN THE UPPER PATTERN THAT FEATURES A PHASING OF THE NORTHERN STREAM AND SOUTHERN STREAMS OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AMPLIFYING A TROUGH CROSSING FROM THE PLAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT. THE NAM IS A LITTLE STRONGER WITH THIS UPPER TROUGH BY 18Z SATURDAY THAN THE GFS AND ALSO FURTHER AMPLIFIES IT MORE AS IT MAKES IT TO THE DELMARVA AREA EARLY SUNDAY. BELIEVE THAT MUCH OF THESE DISCREPANCIES STEM FROM THE DIFFERENCE IN RESOLUTION AND ACCORDINGLY HAVE CHOSEN TO FOLLOW THE SOLUTION FROM THE NAM12 FOR WEATHER SPECIFICS RATHER THAN THE ONES FROM THE COARSER GFS AND ECMWF. IN ADDITION...THE NAM SPECIFICS ARE MORE CLIMATOLOGICALLY FAVORED WITH RESPECT TO THE TRACK AND AMPLIFICATION OF THE SFC LOW. FOR SUNDAY...EAST KENTUCKY WILL REMAIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A BROAD AND EXTENSIVE TROUGH THROUGH THE NORTHEAST THIRD OF THE NATION. SENSIBLE WEATHER WILL FEATURE A POTENT NORTHERN GULF LOW CROSSING THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST AND AMPLIFYING AS IT MOVES TO THE CAROLINA COAST LATER TONIGHT. FROM THERE IT WILL RIDE UP THE SOUTHEAST COAST BOMBING FURTHER...OFF OF THE JERSEY SHORE...BY THAT EVENING. WITH THIS...COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE WILL BE PUSHED INTO FAR EAST KENTUCKY LATER TODAY WITH DYNAMIC COOLING LIKELY LEADING TO AN EARLY CHANGEOVER FROM RAIN TO SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE MOISTURE WILL EXPAND AND BUILD NORTHWEST AS THE SFC LOW PASSES AND DEEPENS. AIDED BY THE LOSS OF SOLAR INSOLATION THE MODERATE TO HEAVY PCPN WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW OVER THE BULK OF THE AREA DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. DESPITE THE RELATIVELY WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES THE HEAVINESS OF THE SNOW WILL OVERCOME THE MELTING DURING THE EVENING HOURS AND START TO PILE UP...PARTICULARLY SOUTHEAST OF AN INEZ TO JACKSON TO LONDON LINE. EXPECT THE VALLEYS TO STAY AS RAIN THE LONGEST INTO THE EVENING BUT ONLY FOR AN ADDITIONAL COUPLE OF HOURS AT MOST...BUT IT WILL BE ENOUGH TO CUT INTO THEIR SNOW TOTALS. THE SNOW FROM THIS EVENT WILL BE MOST INTENSE AND HEAVY DURING THE EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT. IN ADDITION...WITH TEMPERATURES NOT FAR FROM FREEZING THE SNOW WILL BE A HEAVY AND WET VARIETY THAT WILL CERTAINLY WEIGH ON THE TREES AND POWER LINES...SO THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE WSW TO BE ISSUED LATER THIS MORNING. THE INTENSITY OF THE SNOWFALL WILL BE ENHANCED BY A SERIES OF JET STREAKS CROSSING THE REGION TONIGHT. DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON A COUPLE STRUCTURE FROM A DEPARTING ONE OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND ANOTHER ACCOMPANYING THE LOW AS IT TRACKS EAST NORTHEAST TO OUR SOUTH. IN ADDITION...A TRAILING STREAK WILL DIVE INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATER IN THE EVENING ADDING ITS DIVERGENCE AND LIFT TO THE EQUATION INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. WHILE CERTAINLY THE WORST OF THE SNOWFALL WILL BE PUSHING EAST BY SATURDAY MORNING...PLENTY OF MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND COMBINED WITH UPSLOPE FLOW AND ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FROM THE PASSING TROUGH SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL...JUST AT A LIGHTER INTENSITY. THIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE TAPERING FOR GOOD FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY SUNDAY. WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE...EXPECT TO SEE A GOOD 2 TO 4 INCH COVERING OF SNOW OVER OUR WESTERN COUNTIES WHERE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE HOISTED...4 TO 6 INCHES FURTHER EAST WHERE A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED WHILE IN THE COUNTIES ALONG THE VIRGINA BORDER 6 TO 10 INCHES WILL OCCUR. THE ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS WILL ALL START AT 4 PM EST TODAY AND CONTINUE UNTIL 6 AM EST SUNDAY...HOWEVER...THE WORST OF THE SNOW WILL DEFINITELY OCCUR THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT AND THIS WILL FACT BE PROMINENT IN THE DISCUSSION PORTION OF THESE PRODUCTS. FOLLOWED THE RAW NUMBERS FROM THE NAM12 FOR TEMPERATURES THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING WITH SOME FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS FOR ELEVATION AND EXPECTED SNOW COVER. THEREAFTER...THE MAV MOS SEEMED MOST REASONABLE AND WAS FOLLOWED AGAIN WITH MINOR ADJUSTMENTS FOR SNOW COVER AND ELEVATION. AS FOR POPS...ALL GUIDANCE WAS PRETTY HIGH AND MATCHED UP WELL WITH OUR POPS THROUGH THE NEXT FOUR PERIODS AND THEN THE MORE MOIST MET WAS FOLLOWED ON SUNDAY AS ITS NUMBERS BETTER REFLECTED THE LINGERING UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS IN OUR EAST. .LONG TERM.../SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/ BROAD TROUGHING ACROSS THE THE EASTERN CONUS WILL TRANSITION TO ZONAL FLOW...BEFORE ANOTHER DEEPENING TROUGH TAKES SHAPE ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY...COLD AND ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH AND ACCOMPANIED WEAKER SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TRACK NORTH OF THE AREA. RIDGING WILL THEN BRING DRY WEATHER TO THE AREA FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM WILL THEN THREATEN THE AREA LATER IN THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY AND INTO THURSDAY. THE LATEST SUITE OF MODEL GUIDANCE SHOWS A LITTLE LESS SPREAD IN THE UPPER LEVEL AND SURFACE PATTERNS...ALTHOUGH DETAILS CONTINUE TO BE VERY UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME. BOTH THE LATEST 00Z RUNS OF THE CANADIAN AND ECMWF HAVE TRENDED MORE TOWARD SHARPER DIGGING OVER THE WESTERN CONUS...CLOSER TO THE LATEST GFS IDEA. WHILE THE GFS REMAINS ON THE EXTREME SIDE WITH THE DIGGING AND THE INTENSITY OF THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE REFLECTION...ALL GUIDANCE APPEARS TO SHOW MORE MODIFYING TEMPERATURES AND MORE OF A RAIN DOMINATED PRECIPITATION TYPE HERE. ACCORDINGLY...HAVE ADJUSTED TEMPERATURES UP...ALTHOUGH NOT AS EXTREME AS THE GFS. LEFT THE CURRENT GOOD CHANCE POPS FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY INTACT. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/...UPDATED VERY FEW CHANGES NECESSARY TO TAFS OR GRIDS ATTM. CEILINGS ARE GRADUALLY LOWERING AS RAIN JUST BEGAN AT SME/LOZ IN LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND IS JUST ALOFT AT JKL AT 1730Z. PRECIPITATION IS WIDESPREAD ON RADAR WHICH WILL SATURATE LOWER LEVELS AND CLOUDS/VISIBILITY WILL CONTINUE GOING DOWN THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE IN ELEVATION AS WELL WHILE SPREADING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. IFR CONDITIONS UNDER LOW CEILINGS WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST SAT NIGHT IN HIGH MOISTURE AND UPSLOPE FLOW. A BREAK ON SUNDAY IS EXPECTED AS LOW LEVEL (BELOW 5 KFT) FLOW TURNS MORE WESTERLY AND DRIER AIR ARRIVES. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-083-104-106-108- 111. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY FOR KYZ080-084>088-107-109-110-112>120. && SHORT TERM...GREIF/SCHOETTMER LONG TERM....GEOGERIAN AVIATION...GV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 108 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009 KYZ080-084>086-107-109-110-112>117-119-192115- LAUREL-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-JOHNSON-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-MARTIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONDON...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...PAINTSVILLE...SALYERSVILLE... PRESTONSBURG...JACKSON...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD... MANCHESTER...HYDEN...INEZ 108 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A DEVELOPING WINTER STORM WILL BRING SNOW TO EAST KENTUCKY BEGINNING AS EARLY AS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED DURING THIS PERIOD. THE HEAVY AND WET NATURE OF THIS SNOW WILL MAKE FOR TREACHEROUS TRAVEL TONIGHT AND ALSO COULD BRING DOWN TREES MAKING POWER OUTAGES A POSSIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN JACKSON. KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-083-104-106-108-111-192115- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-WAYNE-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-WOLFE-LEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...MONTICELLO...SANDY HOOK... WEST LIBERTY...CAMPTON...BEATTYVILLE 108 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A DEVELOPING WINTER STORM WILL BRING SNOW TO EAST KENTUCKY BEGINNING AS EARLY AS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED DURING THIS PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL LIKELY BE IMPACTED ACROSS THE ADVISORY AREA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WITH SNOW AND SLUSH COVERED ROADS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN JACKSON. KYZ087-088-118-120-192115- BELL-HARLAN-LETCHER-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...HARLAN... WHITESBURG...PIKEVILLE 108 PM EST FRI DEC 18 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A DEVELOPING WINTER STORM WILL BRING SNOW TO EAST KENTUCKY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED DURING THIS PERIOD. UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE HIGHEST PEAKS ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER. TRAVEL WILL LIKELY BECOME HAZARDOUS ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WITH SNOW AND SLUSH COVERED ROADS POSSIBLE AS EARLY AS LATE THIS AFTERNOON ON HIGHER ELEVATION ROADWAYS SUCH AS U.S. 421...119 AND KENTUCKY HIGHWAY 160. THE HEAVY WET SNOW WILL ALSO LIKELY BRING DOWN TREES MAKING POWER OUTAGES A POSSIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN JACKSON. SCHOETTMER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
30 heavy snow, 25 winter weather, 9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Two and a half inches of snow was reported on the ground in Pineville.
McCreary county emergency management reported that Highway 92 was closed at the intersection with 1470 due to slick roads. Approximately 20 other accidents had also been reported around the county. Two to 3 inches of snow were estimated to be on the ground.
Numerous noninjury accidents were reported along KY 632 on Phelps Mountain, US 23 on Dorton Mountain, and US 460 on Card Mountain near Pikeville.
Two inches of snow were reported on the ground with numerous car accidents county wide.
Bell county dispatch estimated 6 to 7 inches of snow on the ground at the Bell County courthouse in Pineville.
A an inch of snow was reported on the ground. A tree was downed by the heavy wet snow in Corbin and the snow had changed to rain and was turning the snow into slush.
Two to 3 inches of snow was reported on the ground across eastern Wayne county. The bulk of the snow fell between 2 and 6 pm before changing over to rain between 6 and 7 pm.
A resident near the base of Pine Mountain reported 4-5 inches of snow on the ground.
Thirteen inches of snow had fallen on Flatwood Mountain since 2 pm.
Four to 5 inches of snow had accumulated in Harlan mainly between 2 and 7 pm.
Four inches of snow had fallen since around 2pm with snow still coming down at Lick Creek.
Six inches of snow had fallen at the Williamsburg Airport with 3 inches on the ground in Williamsburg.
One and a half inches of snow fell in Mount Carmel.
The 911 dispatch center reported that trees and power lines were down across the county.
The Perry County fire dept reported trees down in the Vicco area. Power outages were reported in the Woodland section of Hazard.
An observer reported that 2 tree limbs 10-14 inches in diameter had fallen due to the weight of heavy wet snow on them.
The Perry county fire dept reported trees down across Highways 463 and 699 in southern Perry county.
Three inches of snow was reported on the ground along US 23 near Prestonsburg.
The McCreary county emergency manager reported that 37,000 customers state wide were without power as of 2pm on the 19th. The southern Kentucky RECC reported that 3500 customers in McCreary county alone were without power. The Cumberland Valley RECC reported that 250-300 customers were without power in McCreary county as broken or damaged power lines were being replaced or repaired.
Five and three quarters of an inch of snow had fallen since 3 pm on the 18th. Numerous trees and power lines were still down around the county. Many secondary roads were still impassable due to the heavy wet snow and downed trees and power lines. Power was out across the county with most residents without power as of report issuance.
Seven inches of snow had fallen in southern Knox county.
Two inches of snow was reported on the ground by the Middlesboro rescue squad.
The television media reported an estimated snowfall of 6 inches on Black Mountain.
Two inches of snow was estimated in Eastern Owsley county. In western Breathitt county, hills were icy on Highway 30 near Turkey.
Four to 5 inches of snow was reported on US 23 near the Kentucky Virginia state line 1 mile south of Shelby Gap.
An inch of snow fell in Manchester.
Pike county emergency management reported a power line that had been downed by heavy wet snow was on fire in some trees along River Road in Mouthcard.
One and a half inches of snow was reported on the ground just outside of Pikeville.
The state highway garage reported as much as 4-5 inches of snow on the ground countywide.
An inch of fluffy snow had accumulated at the weather office after having changed from rain back to snow at around 10 pm.
A weather observer estimated that 3.5 to 4 inches of snow had fallen in Island City. Widespread power outages were also reported.
Power was out in Heidelberg.
An inch of new snowfall was measured in Elkhorn City. The snowflakes were the size of half dollars and fell in a one hour period with snow covering the roads.
A trained spotter measured three quarters of an inch of snow 4 miles west of Paintsville.
An estimated 3.5 inches of snow had fallen in Paintsville between 2 pm and midnight. Most of the snow fell between 930 pm and midnight.
Six inches of snow fell 1 mile northwest of Meta.
The power was out in Booneville.
Pike County emergency management reported that numerous trees and power lines were down across the county.
Three inches of snow was measured on the ground on Card Mountain along Highway 460 in southern Pike county near Dorton. The snow began falling around 330 pm.
Three and a half inches of snow had accumulated near Sandy Hook and the snow was picking up again.
A trained weather observer reported 1 inch of snow accumulation in a fifteen minuter period. The flakes were the size of silver dollar coins.
Eight to ten inches of snow were still on the ground around Whitesburg. Trees were still falling across roads due to the weight of snow on the branches.
One and six tenths of an inch of snow had fallen 3 miles west of Prestonsburg. The snow began falling again at 917 pm. The storm total snowfall at the time of report was 2.5 inches.
One and a half to 2 inches of snow had fallen 4 miles west of Prestonsburg since around 10 pm.
An inch of snow was measured up to 1130 pm with an additional inch falling between 1130 pm and 1230 am at the weather office.
Three inches of heavy, wet snow had accumulated near Moon. Snow had accumulated on power lines with power flickering because of it.
Four inches of snow had fallen since around 10 pm Friday night with light snow continuing.
Ten inches of snow was on the ground. The total snowfall from 10 pm Friday night through early Saturday morning was 11 inches.
Five inches of snow had accumulated along Route 205 on the ridge along the Morgan and Wolfe county line.
A spotter reported that 5-6 inches of snow had fallen throughout Lee county.
Five and four tenths of an inch of snow had fallen since 10 pm Friday night near Talbert.
A caller reported that 4 to 5 inches of snow were on the ground in Sturgeon.
A snow depth of 4.5 inches was measured near Ned.
Five inches of snow were reported on the ground near Flat.
Power was out in Inez. Five inches of snow was on the ground with fine snow still falling.
An observer measure 6 inches of snow at 9 am in Alcorn.
Five inches of snow had fallen in Island City since 10 pm Friday night.
Five and a half inches of snow fell 10 miles north of Salyersville.
At least 7 inches of snow had fallen since 10 pm Friday night. Power has been out since 830 pm on December 18th.
Several large trees were down across Highway 30 between Highway 15 and the airport.
Total snowfall from event is 6 inches.
A total of 3 inches of snow had fallen in just west of Prestonsburg since 1120 pm Friday night. A total of 4.9 inches was on the ground.
One to 2 inches of snow were on the ground in Monticello.
An NWS employee reported a measured snowfall of 3.6 inches since midnight. The storm total snowfall west of Prestonsburg was 5.5 inches.
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, December 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: 203125, 203129, 203128, 203131, 203134, 203136, 203138, 203144, 203150, 203152, 203153, 203161, 203184, 203189, 203190, 203193, 203194, 203196, 203197, 203199, 205436, 203126, 203132, 203133, 203137, 203139, 203140, 203143, 203148, 203151, 203159, 203192, 203124, 203149, 203156, 203186, 203188, 203191, 203130, 203146, and more.