An isolated occurrence of freezing rain occurred at the Jackson weather office on the last day of February.
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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.
An isolated occurrence of freezing rain occurred at the Jackson weather office on the last day of February.
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 28, 12:32 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1232 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009 .SHORT TERM.../THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT/...UPDATED ...MESOSCALE UPDATE... AFTER WATCHING EVENT UNFOLD WE ARE BEGINNING TO THINK THAT FREEZING RAIN MAY BE MORE OF A THREAT... AT LEAST INITIALLY... FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY. TEMPERATURES HERE AT THE OFFICE AND POINTS NORTH ARE HOOVERING NEAR 32F WITH RAIN DEVELOPING. LAPS DATA AND SPC RUC BASED MESOANALYSIS TOOL SHOWS WARM NOSE ALOFT EXPANDING AS 850 MB LOW TRACKS TO OUR SOUTH ACROSS TENNESSEE. RAIN WAS STILL FALLING OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY UNTIL JUST RECENTLY WHEN SOME SLEET BEGAN TO MIX IN AND WARM NOSE MAY BE JUST WARM ENOUGH TO KEEP PRECIP LIQUID UNTIL 850 MB LOW PASSES BY AND COLD ADVECTION BEGINS ALOFT THIS EVENING. THIS MAY PROVE TO BE GOOD NEWS IN A WAY AS IT MAY KEEP SNOWFALL TOTALS DOWN SOME. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR BUT NO CHANGES TO ONGOING FORECAST OR SNOW AMOUNTS AT THIS TIME. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSIONS FOLLOW... /REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT/...ISSUED AT 947 AM EST SAT FEB 28 2009 ONE OF THE MORE COMPLICATED FORECASTS I HAVE SEEN IN A WHILE. FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE TO POINT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A BAND OF HEAVY WET SNOW DEVELOPING LATER TODAY AS PRECIPITATION EXPANDS ALONG DEFORMATION ZONE SETTING UP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. LOCATION OF THIS BAND CONTINUES TO SHIFT AROUND DEPENDING ON WHAT MODEL YOU VIEW HOWEVER. WILL THEREFORE KEEP CURRENT ADVISORY AS IS FOR NOW AND MONITOR RADAR TRENDS CLOSELY TODAY FOR ANY POSSIBLE UPGRADE TO A WARNING. MOST LIKELY LOCATIONS TO EXPERIENCE MORE SNOW THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST AFTER VIEWING THE PLETHORA OF MODEL DATA OUT THERE LOOKS TO BE THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY CORRIDOR. INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT BOTH THE 28/12Z NAM AND 28/06Z GFS INITIALIZED TOO WARM AT ILN THIS MORNING. WARM NOSE ALOFT AS DEPICTED IN MODEL DATA DOES EXIST THOUGH AS BLACK MOUNTAIN SITS IN THE UPPER 30S RIGHT NOW AND THIS WARM NOSE IS RESULTING IN FZRA ALL THE WAY TO OUR WEST OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY. GFS SEEMS TO HAVE THIS HANDLED THE BEST. -SN WAS NOTED AT BNA A LITTLE EARLIER HOWEVER AS HEAVIER BAND OF PRECIP MOVED OVERHEAD. THUS FLUCTUATING PRECIP TYPES TODAY... RAIN IN LIGHTER PRECIP AND RAIN MIXED WITH WET SNOW IN HEAVIER PRECIP BANDS WHERE FORCING AND RESULTING DYNAMIC COOLING CAN OVERCOME WARM LAYER ALOFT... SEEMS THE BEST WAY TO GO. ONCE STRONGER FORCING BECOMES ESTABLISHED LATE THIS AFTERNOON... THE PRECIP TYPE SHOULD TREND OVER TO MORE WET SNOW. ONGOING FORECAST AND ADVISORY PRODUCT LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE AND WILL SIMPLY FRESHEN UP SOME WORDING THIS MORNING. /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/...ISSUED AT 338 AM EST SAT FEB 28 2009 A COMPLICATED FORECAST EARLY IN THE PERIOD. WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. MODELS CONTINUE TO DIFFER IN BOTH RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY...AND INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS. DID NOT COUNT ON ANY ONE MODEL FOR THE FORECAST...BUT RATHER USED A BLEND OF WHAT I BELIEVED EACH MODEL WAS HANDLING THE BEST. AN H5 LOW WILL DROP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS TODAY...REACHING THE GULF COAST STATES SUNDAY. SOME PHASING IS EXPECTED OVER OUR AREA DURING THE PERIOD AS WELL. A DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE EAST OUT OF TEXAS...TRACKING ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA AND GEORGIA TODAY. THE LOW SHOULD REACH THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE STRENGTHENING AND TRACKING NORTHEAST ALONG THE EAST COAST. A MIX OF RAIN...SLEET...SNOW...AND SOME FREEZING RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED TO THE NORTH OF THE LOW. THERMAL PROFILES LOOK FAVORABLE THOUGH FOR MORE OF A SLEET AND SNOW MIX...WITH SOME RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN AS WELL. SHOULD SEE AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS DURING THE DAY TODAY...WITH SOME LIGHT ICING IN A FEW LOCATIONS WHERE ANY FREEZING RAIN OCCURS. WILL START THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AT 1 PM. TONIGHT ANY MIX OF PRECIP SHOULD QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW. PARTS OF OUR AREA MAY NEED TO BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING IF/WHEN IT BECOMES MORE APPARENT WHERE ANY DEFORMATION BANDS SET UP. WILL INCLUDE A MENTION OF HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN THE ADVISORY FOR THIS AS WELL. MODEL PLACEMENT ANY HEAVIER SNOW HAS CHANGED FROM RUN TO RUN. FELT THE BEST APPROACH NOW IS TO ISSUE AN ADVISORY AND MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGHER AMOUNTS...AND UPGRADE IF NEEDED. TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT SHOULD BE 2 TO 4 INCHES...AGAIN WITH SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. FOR AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 64...AND AREAS NEAR THE TENNESSEE BORDER...1 TO 3 INCH AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED. THINGS SHOULD BE TAPERING OFF SUNDAY MORNING...WITH ANY ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN AN INCH. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO NUDGE INTO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. USED A BLEND OF MODEL TEMPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/ THE LATEST SUITE OF MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE CURRENT FORECAST. THE MAIN CHANGE WAS TO WARM MAX TEMPS A COUPLE OF DEGREES QUICKER FROM WED THROUGH FRI...THOUGH NOT AS QUICK AS THE LAST COUPLE OF GFS RUNS AND ASSOCIATED MEX GUIDANCE WOULD SUGGEST AS THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO BE SLOWER TO WARM UP THE AIRMASS AND SHIFT THE THE UPPER THROUGH EAST. LATE IN THE PERIOD...THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY...THOUGH A TREND TOWARD A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE REGION THU INTO FRI AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE PASSES BY TO THE NORTHWEST AND RIDGING OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO HELPING TO HOLD UP THE SOUTHWARD PROGRESSION OF THE BOUNDARY BEYOND THE OHIO RIVER SEEMS TO BE THE CONSENSUS....AND WAS IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUS FORECAST GRIDS. THE PERTINENT PARTS OF THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ARE BELOW: THE PERIOD CONTINUES TO APPEAR RATHER TRANQUIL AS A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN TAKES SHAPE ALOFT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. WE DELAYED THE WARM UP A BIT BASED ON LATEST GUIDANCE HOLDING UPPER TROUGH IN A LITTLE LONGER OVER THE EASTERN CONUS... BUT TEMPS SHOULD REACH THE 50S FOR MOST LOCATIONS BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LOADS OF UNCERTAINTY WITH A POSSIBLE SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE REGION TO END THE PERIOD. 27/12Z GFS IS THE MOST BULLISH BRINGING A QUICK MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT. 27/12Z ECMWF LOOKS RATHER SIMILAR SO WILL OFFER A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/...UPDATED PRECIPITATION... INITIALLY RAIN BUT MIXING WITH AND CHANGING TO SNOW WITH TIME LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... WILL BRING REDUCED VSBYS AND CIGS INTO THE IFR RANGE THROUGH MUCH OF THE TAF PERIOD. PLEASE SEE INDIVIDUAL TAFS FOR TIMING AND CONDITIONS. EXPECT PRECIP TO DIMINISH BY 12Z BUT MVFR CIGS SHOULD LINGER THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS WILL AVERAGE AROUND 10 KTS FOR MOST LOCATIONS THROUGH MUCH OF THE TAF PERIOD. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST SUNDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...WJM/ABE LONG TERM...ABE/JP AVIATION...ABE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 516 AM EST SAT FEB 28 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-011200- 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 516 AM EST SAT FEB 28 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET...AND RAIN IS EXPECTED TODAY. SOME PATCHY FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE. AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED TODAY. THE WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL SNOW THIS EVENING. FOR AREAS BETWEEN INTERSTATE 64 AND THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY...ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TONIGHT...PRODUCING STORM TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. FOR LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA...AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET IS EXPECTED TONIGHT...PRODUCING STORM TOTALS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE FROM FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY...WITH ANY ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN AN INCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY INSTANCES OF FREEZING RAIN...AS WELL AS SNOW AND SLEET AMOUNTS...TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON THROUGH SUNDAY. WJM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Freezing rain occurring with a temperature of 32 degrees. A light glaze was forming on metal surfaces outside of the weather office building. Occasional sleet was also occurring at the time of this report.
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, February 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: 152715.