A strong pressure gradient associated with a powerful cold front caused strong winds to blow throughout the day across eastern KY on April 3rd. Damage occurred across several counties due to these winds between 10 am and 1 pm on this day.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 pressure gradient associated with a powerful cold front caused strong winds to blow throughout the day across eastern KY on April 3rd. Damage occurred across several counties due to these winds between 10 am and 1 pm on this day.
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 3, 3:28 AM EST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 428 AM EDT SAT APR 3 2010 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/ AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WAS OVER THE EASTERN SEABOARD EARLY THIS MORNING WITH A TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS AND ENTERING THE MS VALLEY. AT THE SFC...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS WELL NW OF THE AREA...ENTERING WESTERN ONTARIO WITH A COLD FRONT TRAILING SOUTH THROUGH THE MS VALLEY. A BAND OF CONVECTION WAS LOCATED ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THIS BOUNDARY. DEWPOINTS ACROSS THE REGION REMAIN RATHER LOW AT THIS TIME IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S FOR THE MOST PART. HOWEVER...LATEST VWP INDICATES STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT TO AROUND 30KT AT 2 KFT MSL AND AROUND 35 KT AT 3KFT MSL. TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH/SHORTWAVE PASSING TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE AREA. AT THE SAME TIME...THE COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO HEAD EAST ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH TODAY...EXITING THE CWA BY EARLY EVENING. FORCING AND MOISTURE WILL BE BEST ACROSS THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE CWA WITH THIS SCENARIO AND INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY LIMITED. HOWEVER...THE GFS AND NAM BOTH HAVE SOME QPF FROM THE CONVECTIVE BAND OVER THE WESTERN CWA...WITH THE NAM HAVING A BIT MORE FURTHER TO THE EAST. MOS POPS WERE LIKELY ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE CWA AND IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE RANGE IN THE EAST. THIS WAS GENERALLY IN LINE WITH 21Z SREF POPS AS WELL. THE 3Z SREF HAS TONED POPS DOWN IN THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA AS COMPARED TO THE 21Z SREF. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND...GENERALLY FOLLOWED THIS TREND WHICH WAS RELATIVELY CLOSE TO PERSISTENCE. WINDS WILL BE A BIT STRONGER TODAY AS THE FRONT APPROACHES AND JUST BEHIND IT AS COMPARED TO THU AND FRI. IN ADDITION...DEEP MIXING AND BEST MOISTURE TRANSPORT GENERALLY WEST OF THE AREA WILL LEAD TO RH POSSIBLY NEARING OR REACHING THE 25 PERCENT MARK IN THE EASTERN CWA THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THIS AREA SHOULD EXPERIENCE LIGHTER WINDS ON AVERAGE. WE WILL MENTION THE ENHANCED WILDFIRE THREAT IN THE HWO AND HIGHLIGHT IN THE FWF AT THIS POINT...BUT THIS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED. BEHIND THE TROUGH...THE PATTERN ACROSS THE CONUS WILL BECOME MORE ZONAL IN NATURE. ANOTHER SFC AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO QUICKLY BUILD ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND MOVE EAST OF THE AREA ON SUN. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO YET ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF RIDGE/VALLEY TEMP SPLITS...THOUGH THE ONE ANTICIPATED FOR TONIGHT SHOULD BE SMALLER IN MAGNITUDE AS COMPARED TO THE ONE AT PRESENT AND WHAT HAS OCCURRED EARLIER THIS WEEK. THE HIGH SHOULD BRING A DRY END TO THE WEEKEND...BUT THE AIRMASS WILL BE MORE TYPICAL OF EARLY APRIL...AND HIGHS SHOULD REMAIN IN THE 70S. LOW AFTERNOON RH WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ON SUN...ESPECIALLY SINCE LITTLE IF ANY RAIN IS EXPECTED TODAY AND THE RECENT DRY WEATHER SHOULD LIKELY LEAD TO A BIT OF FEEDBACK ON DEWPOINTS AND TEMPS. IN ADDITION...WITH DRY AIR EXPECTED INITIALLY ON SUN IN THE 800 TO 900 MB LAYER...IT APPEARS AS IF THE MOS DEWPOINTS ARE OVERDONE. CLOUDS ESPECIALLY HIGH CLOUDS SHOULD INCREASE ON SUN NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. WITH THE RIDGE TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA... ANOTHER RIDGE/VALLEY TEMP SPLIT SHOULD OCCUR ON SUN NIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...UPDATED MODELS COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT THRU THE FIRST HALF OF THE PERIOD...PARTICULARLY IN REGARDS TO THE WARM FRONT LIFTING THRU THE AREA AND THE ENSUING CHANCES FOR PRECIP MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. DECIDED TO RAISE POPS A BIT IN THIS WINDOW AS THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A BIT OF CONSISTENCY HERE AND CONSENSUS IS STRENGTHENING. HOWEVER...THIS STILL LOOKS TO BE A PRETTY LOW QPF EVENT WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS IN THE NORTH APPROACHING A QUARTER INCH...WHILE TOTALS IN THE SOUTH WILL PROBABLY BE ON THE ORDER OF A FEW HUNDREDTHS. FOCUS THEN SHIFTS TO THE DEVELOPING LOW EJECTING OUT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS. STILL SEEING QUITE A BIT OF SPREAD AMONG THE MODELS...WITH THE GFS ON THE FASTER END OF THE SPECTRUM AND THE EUROPEAN GAINING SOME SUPPORT WITH ITS SLOWER SOLUTION. LATEST RUNS HAVE AS MUCH AS A 24 HOUR DISPARITY WITH THE TIMING OF A COLD FRONT SWINGING THRU THE AREA...LEAVING SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO PRECIP. HAVE OPTED TO KEEP THE BROAD BRUSH OUT AND CONTINUE TO USE A BLEND FOR NOW. AS FOR TEMPS...WENT WITH A BLEND OF MOS AND PERSISTENCE WHICH TURN OUT TO BE PRETTY CLOSE SINCE THE BULK OF THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE WAS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. FOR SENSIBLE WEATHER WE BEGIN WITH A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT DROPS SOUTHWARD TOWARDS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY EARLY IN FORECAST WINDOW. THIS BOUNDARY SETTLES INTO OUR AREA BEFORE MORPHING INTO A WARM FRONT IN RESPONSE TO DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CNTRL PLAINS. IN GENERAL...CONTINUED TO CARRY A SLIGHT POP...EXCEPT CHANCE POPS NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 64 CORRIDOR SINCE THOSE AREAS ARE CLOSEST TO THE BOUNDARY. THEREAFTER EASTERN KENTUCKY REMAINS IN THE WARM SECTOR OF DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM THAT WILL APPROACH OUR AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. TIMING PLACES THIS FRONT THROUGH THE HEART OF OUR CWA THURSDAY MORNING...OR ABOUT 18 HOURS SLOWER THAN THE GFS AND ABOUT 6 HOURS FASTER THAN THE 0Z ECMWF. WENT DRY ON WEDNESDAY AND BROAD BRUSHED POPS FOR UNCERTAINTY FROM THAT POINT FORWARD... RAMPING THEM UP INTO LOW CHANCE CATEGORY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WENT WITH A SOLID CHANCE POP WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY PROPER THURSDAY MORNING AND THEN ALLOWED SHOWERS TO LINGER...TAPERING POPS OFF THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. ADJUSTED TEMPS FROM THERE ACCORDING TO LATEST THOUGHTS...TRYING TO GO WARMER THAN MOS GUIDANCE BEFORE THE MAIN SYSTEM HITS OUR AREA WHILE MAINTAINING COLLABORATION THRESHOLDS. THEREAFTER WENT CLOSER TO GUIDANCE...OR SLIGHTLY COOLER BEHIND DEPARTING SYSTEM AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE NOT SHOWING ANY SUPER IMPRESSIVE SFC BASED INSTABILITY...AND HAVE TRENDED MORE STABLE OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. BUT ENOUGH REMAINS TO WARRANT KEEPING A MENTION OF THUNDER IN THE FORECAST FOR NOW...ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE TIME OF YEAR. && .AVIATION.../06Z TO 06Z/ A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR EAST WILL GIVE WAY TO A COLD FRONT TO MOVE THROUGH FROM WEST TO EAST ON SATURDAY. SEVERAL HOURS OF CEILINGS IN THE 4-8K FEET RANGE SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...WITH A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS AND AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE. THE LOW END VFR CEILINGS AND POSSIBLE SHOWERS SHOULD ARRIVE IN THE WEST AROUND MONTICELLO AND SOMERSET AROUND 15Z...AND PROGRESS EAST TO PIKEVILLE BY ABOUT 19Z. CLOUDS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE FROM NW TO SE 19Z TO 23Z. WINDS WILL PICK UP WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLD FRONT ON SATURDAY...WITH SUSTAINED SW WINDS EXPECTED IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE...AND GUSTS FROM 25-30 KT AT TIMES. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM....RAY/MB AVIATION...JP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 648 AM EDT SAT APR 3 2010 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-041100- 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- 648 AM EDT SAT APR 3 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 30 TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE. THE GUSTY WINDS COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL LEAD TO AN ENHANCED THREAT OF WILDFIRES...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA BORDERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY AND WILL LEAD TO AN ENHANCED THREAT OF WILDFIRES. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING...AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY EVENING INTO THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. JP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down and onto a power line blocking a portion of West Fog Hollow Road 5 miles north of Somerset.
A tree was blown down and onto Highway 200 in Hidalgo.
A tree was blown down 2 miles north of Monticello.
A tree was blown down on Joy Drive in Somerset.
A tree was blown down in Beattyville.
A tree was blown down onto Highway 32 near the Fleming Rowan county line.
A tree was blown down on Highway 30 a mile east of Lerose.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2010
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: 219581, 219582, 219583, 219584, 219585, 219586, 219588.