A very large and strong area of high pressure brought a heat wave to eastern Kentucky on August 10th. During the afternoon and evening hours on this day, high temperatures in numerous locations soared to between 93 and 98 degrees, with heat index values around 100 degrees.
Every event with a place to put it; 26 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 very large and strong area of high pressure brought a heat wave to eastern Kentucky on August 10th. During the afternoon and evening hours on this day, high temperatures in numerous locations soared to between 93 and 98 degrees, with heat index values around 100 degrees.
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 Aug 10, 7:10 AM EST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 810 AM EDT TUE AUG 10 2010 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY/ LOOKS LIKE THE PRIMARY WEATHER ISSUE FOR DAYS 1-3 OF THE FORECAST WILL BE THE HOT AND HUMID WEATHER...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SEVERAL COUNTIES ALONG THE TENNESSEE BORDER NORTHWARD TO ROUGHLY THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY EXPERIENCED TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDICES THAT MET OR EXCEEDED HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. WITH THE LATEST MAV/METMOS TEMPS COMING IN MUCH WARMER FOR TODAY...AND CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY...DECIDED TO INCREASE HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY ACROSS THE BOARD. THE MAV ACTUALLY HAS COUPLE OF LOCATIONS REACHING THE UPPER 90S TODAY...BUT THIS IS LIKELY BEING OVERDONE. THIS INCREASE IN TEMPS ALSO RESULTED IN A LARGER NUMBER OF COUNTIES MEETING OR EXCEEDING HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THEREFORE...WENT AHEAD AND EXPANDED THE HEAT ADVISORY TO INCLUDE ALL THE COUNTIES WEST OF A LINE FROM ROWAN COUNTY TO BREATHITT COUNTY TO HARLAN COUNTY. TODAYS HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONSISTENTLY IN THE MID 90S ACROSS THE BOARD...WITH HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 98 AND 105 DEGREES POSSIBLE IN THE ADVISORY AREA. THE LATEST RUNS OF THE SREF AND GFS MODELS BOTH AGREE QUITE WELL THAT A SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SAG ACROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY OF THIS WEEK. WITH SUCH A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS ALREADY IN PLACE...IT WONT TAKE MUCH FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO FIRE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THE LATEST MODEL SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHTS ALSO SUPPORT INCREASED COVERAGE IN PRECIP ON BOTH DAYS WITH CAPE VALUES RUNNING BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000 J/KG WITH VERY LITTLE CIN AND GOOD OMEGA. INSPITE OF THE UTTER LACK OF JET DYNAMICS TO SUPPORT IT...THE EXTREMELY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR COMBINED WITH THE LIFT ALONG THE APPROACHING FRONT SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE LACK OF GOOD UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT. ALL THAT BEING SAID...WENT AHEAD AND INCREASED PRECIP CHANCES BY AT LEAST 10 PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR TOMORROW AND THURSDAY. BASED ON THESE CHANGES...ALSO INCREASED CLOUD COVER ACCORDINGLY AND RERAN THE QPF AND WEATHER GRIDS TO ACCOUNT FOR CHANGES IN POP FORECAST. FOR TODAY...ALSO INCREASED PRECIP CHANCES FOR THIS AFTERNOON SLIGHTLY BASED ON THE ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT POPPED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON...AS CONDITIONS STILL LOOK FAVORABLE FOR SIMILAR ACTIVITY TODAY. USED THE LATEST SREF WINDS TO TOUCH UP THE WIND FORECAST A BIT...BUT NO MAJOR CHANGES WERE REALLY MADE THERE. WITH INCREASING CLOUD COVER AND HIGHER PRECIP CHANCES FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...TEMPS AND HEAT INDICES SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA BOTH DAYS. THE DEWPOINT GRIDS WERE ALSO TWEAKED A BIT TO REFLECT THE WARMER TEMPS BEING FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MOST RECENT TRENDS SEEN IN THE OBSERVED DATA. WILL SEND OUT THE EXPANDED HEAT ADVISORY AND ZONE FORECAST TEXT PRODUCT IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES OR SO. .LONG TERM.../THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/ FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE PERIOD OUR AREA SHOULD BE ON THE NE EDGE OF AN UPPER RIDGE...WITH A SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO OUR NE. A HOT AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL BE IN PLACE. A STRONG MID LEVEL CAP IS NOT EXPECTED...SO ONCE MORNING INVERSIONS ARE BROKEN AND MIXING REACHES THE CONVECTIVE CONDENSATION LEVEL...SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE A GOOD BET. WOULD EXPECT A LATE DAY PEAK...BUT NOCTURNAL CONVECTION IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY WITH MCS ACTIVITY TRYING TO MAKE IT IN FROM THE NW. THE BIGGEST QUESTION WOULD SEEM TO BE COVERAGE. HAVE USED HIGHEST POPS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AT 30-40 PERCENT...WITH MINS DURING THE NIGHT AT 20-30 PERCENT. LATE IN THE PERIOD...THE 00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF LOOKS MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE SCENARIO WHICH WAS IN THE GFS YESTERDAY...AND IS STILL THERE. THIS INVOLVES A LARGE IMPULSE SWINGING THROUGH AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND SE CANADA DURING THE WEEKEND...AND SENDING A COLD FRONT TOWARD OUR FORECAST AREA FROM THE NW ON SUNDAY. MODELS NOW SUGGEST THE COLD FRONT TO TRANSITION SE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...WITH DRYING BEGINNING BEHIND THE FRONT AT THE VERY END OF THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION.../12Z TO 12Z/...UPDATED MVFR/IFR FOG AT SME/LOZ THIS MORNING. DWPTS IN THE LOWER 70S TODAY. FOR TODAY... FORECAST SOUNDINGS FROM AROUND THE AREA ARE ADVERTISING CONSIDERABLE INSTABILITY DEVELOPING BY LATE MORNING...WITH BOTH TEMPERATURES AND MOISTURE INCREASING THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SOME SHRA ALREADY FORMING JUST ACROSS OUR ERN BORDERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPAND AS THE DAY HEATS UP. CONVECTION LOOKS TO BE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED IN NATURE AND THUS WILL NOT FAVOR ANY ONE PARTICULAR SITE OVER ANOTHER SO ADDRESSED THIS WITH CB GROUPS AT ALL SITES FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044-050-051-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>087-108-111-114-116. && SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM....HAL AVIATION...DUSTY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 344 AM EDT TUE AUG 10 2010 KYZ052-088-104-106-107-109-110-112-113-115-117>120-111045- ROWAN-HARLAN-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-BREATHITT-KNOTT- PERRY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOREHEAD...HARLAN...SANDY HOOK... WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...JACKSON... HINDMAN...HAZARD...HYDEN...WHITESBURG...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 344 AM EDT TUE AUG 10 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PATCHY FOG WILL AFFECT VALLEY LOCATIONS EARLY THIS MORNING...BECOMING LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. KYZ044-050-051-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>087-108-111-114-116- 111045- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-WOLFE-LEE-OWSLEY- CLAY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG...MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE... SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...CAMPTON... BEATTYVILLE...BOONEVILLE...MANCHESTER 344 AM EDT TUE AUG 10 2010 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PATCHY FOG WILL AFFECT VALLEY LOCATIONS EARLY THIS MORNING...BECOMING LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. TEMPERATURES IN MOST LOCATIONS WILL WARM INTO THE 90S EACH DAY THIS WEEK...ALONG WITH INCREASING HUMIDITY LEVELS. THE HEAT INDEX WILL CLIMB INTO THE 100 TO 105 DEGREE RANGE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AND A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HEAT INDEX VALUES OF AROUND 100 ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. AR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
26 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
High temperatures were between 93 and 98 degrees with heat indices around 100.
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, August 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: 245276, 245277, 245280, 245281, 245282, 245283, 245285, 245286, 245287, 245288, 245289, 245291, 245294, 245295, 245296, 245298, 245299, 245300, 245410, 245411, 245414, 245416, 245417, 245418, 245419, 245420.