On Saturday December 4th, a quick moving clipper system moved through the area. Some wintry precipitation fell creating slick and hazardous roadways.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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.
On Saturday December 4th, a quick moving clipper system moved through the area. Some wintry precipitation fell creating slick and hazardous roadways. Most areas received 1 to 2 inches with larger amounts of 3 to 4 inches reported. A winter weather advisory was issued due to the snow and wintry precipitation. Afterward, a significant upslope event ensued resulting in higher accumulation totals.
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 4, 3:45 AM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 345 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/...UPDATED INITIAL WAVE OF SNOW HAS BEEN DEVELOPING OVER SRN INDIANA STRETCHING DOWN INTO CENTRAL KENTUCKY EARLY THIS MORNING AND HAS BEEN SLOWLY MIGRATING EASTWARD...WITH RADAR INDICATING POCKETS OF SOME FAIRLY HEAVY SPORADIC SHOWERS OVER THE I-75 CORRIDOR. HRRR IS ABOUT THE ONLY MODEL TO HIT UPON THIS AND THE BEST REASONABLE GUESS FOR THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS ACTIVITY LOOKS TO BE THE EXIT REGION OF AN UPPER LEVEL JET COMBINED WITH SOME 850HPA FRONTOGENESIS. NAM AND GFS HAVE IDENTIFIED THESE FEATURES TO SOME EXTENT...BUT BOTH HAVE A BIT OF A WESTWARD BIAS AND NEITHER HAVE MANAGED TO PRODUCE MUCH IF ANY PRECIP FROM THIS. AS A RESULT...HAVE BEEFED UP POPS FOR EARLY THIS MORNING OVER OUR SOUTHWEST. FOCUS FOR THE PERIOD CONTINUES TO CENTER AROUND THE DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN PROGGED TO PASS ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY/TONIGHT...ALONG WITH THE ENSUING PRECIPITATION AND...WITH TEMPS TODAY RUNNING SO CLOSE TO THE FREEZING MARK...EXACTLY WHO WILL END UP SEEING WHAT AS THE RAIN/SNOW LINE STILL LOOKS TO BISECT THE CWA THROUGH MUCH OF THE FIRST PERIOD. AGAIN...BOTH THE NAM AND THE GFS ARE REASONABLY CLOSE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE SYNOPTIC DEPICTIONS OF THIS EVENT BUT AS ALWAYS...MINOR DIFFERENCES ARE EVIDENT AND THIS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OVERALL. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY STILL APPEARS TO BE WARRANTED AS THE GUIDANCE ALONG WITH HPC HAVE TARGETED SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY WITH SOME 50 TO 80 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF SEEING GREATER THAN 4 INCHES OF ACCUMULATING SNOW OVER THE CWA...WITH THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OVER THE KENTUCKY/VIRGINIA/WEST VIRGINIA BORDER. HOWEVER...SINCE THIS LOOKS TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF TODAY AND TONIGHT...THIS ENDS UP BEING A LONGER PERIOD THAN WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MEET WARNING CRITERIA AND AT THIS POINT...AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT ANY WIDESPREAD WARNING CRITERIA WILL BE MET. IF IT DOES...IT WOULD LIKELY BE CONFINED TO A FEW ISOLATED SPOTS ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND EVEN THIS DOES NOT LOOK PROBABLE AS FAVORABLE UPSLOPE FLOW DOES NOT APPEAR TO ARRIVE BEFORE THE DEEPER MOISTURE DEPARTS LATER THIS EVENING. STILL...WITH SOME SHALLOW MOISTURE LINGERING OVERNIGHT...EXPECT FLURRIES ALONG WITH SOME EMBEDDED SHOWERS POSSIBLY PUTTING DOWN ANOTHER HALF INCH TO AN INCH OVERNIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING. FOR TODAY...WILL KEEP EVERYTHING AS SNOW GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE HAL RODGERS...ALONG WITH THE HIGHER TERRAIN NEAR THE VIRGINIA BORDER...WITH A GENERIC 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER THIS AREA. IN THE SOUTH...WILL START WITH SNOW BASED ON THE CURRENT OBSERVATIONS THERE BUT EXPECT TO SEE A MIX OF RAIN/SNOW BEFORE GOING OVER TO A PERIOD OF JUST RAIN BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE WARM SECTOR INFRINGES NORTHWARD INTO THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY. ALONG THIS LINE...A PERIOD OF SOME FREEZING RAIN WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY DEVELOP AND THIS WILL DEFINITELY NEED TO BE MONITORED THROUGH THE DAY AS THIS WILL HAVE SOME IMPACT ON THE HOLIDAY SHOPPERS. DIFFERENCES IN THE SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS BEGIN TO LEND UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO HOW THE AFTERNOON UNFOLDS...AND AGAIN...TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS WILL DEPEND ON HOW SOON THE COLDER AIR ACTUALLY ARRIVES. ATTM...WILL COMPROMISE AND USE A BLENDED CONSENSUS WHICH WOULD HAVE EVERYBODY GOING OVER TO SNOW AFTER SUNSET THIS EVENING. FOR SUNDAY...HAVE KEPT THE CHANCE POPS OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE EAST BUT MOISTURE LOOKS TO CONTINUE DIMINISHING BY THIS POINT SO ANY ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE WELL BELOW A HALF AN INCH AND PROBABLY LESS THAN ONE QUARTER. COLDER AIR BEGINS TO ARRIVE TONIGHT AS WE TRANSITION OVER TO SNOW AROUND 00Z...BUT THE COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL NOT REALLY GET GOING UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WHEN RECORD HIGHS MAY BE IN JEOPARDY. OVERALL...MOS TEMPERATURES GENERALLY LOOKED TOO WARM...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGHS TODAY AND TOMORROW...SO STAYED AT OR BELOW THE COLDER MAV NUMBERS THROUGH THE PERIOD. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...UPDATED UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN STORY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...BEFORE SOME MODIFICATION OCCURS AS DEEP UPPER TROUGH IN THE EAST PULLS OUT...LEAVING MORE OF A ZONAL FLOW PATTERN IN ITS WAKE ACROSS THE CONUS. MADE VERY LITTLE CHANGES TO THE INHERITED FORECAST. LATEST MEX MOS CONTINUES TO TREND COLDER ON TUESDAY FOR THE HIGHS...WITH JKL REMAINING IN THE LOWER 20S. THIS IS SOME 25 DEGREES COLDER THAN NORMAL HIGHS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. HAVE NUDGED THE NUMBERS DOWN JUST A BIT MORE CLOSER TO THESE NUMBERS...AS WELL CONTINUING TO STAY A BIT HIGHER ON THE LOWS WITH PLENTY OF STRATOCU IN PLACE WITH A FEW LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS. HIGH TEMPERATURES HAVE COME UP QUITE A BIT FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY COMPARED TO PREVIOUS RUNS. HAVE BUMPED NUMBERS UP SOMEWHAT...HOWEVER HAVE STILL STAYED BELOW THE LATEST GUIDANCE. NEXT SMALL CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO LOOK LIKE ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...AS A MAINLY NORTHERN STREAM DOMINATED SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. THE LATEST ECMWF IS NOT PHASING IN THE SOUTHERN STREAM NEARLY AS MUCH NOW...THWARTING A RETURN OF GULF MOISTURE INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY. CURRENT INHERITED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WORKS WELL FOR THIS SYSTEM. THE PREVIOUS LONG TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON KEEPING THE COLD AIR AROUND THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY WITH THINGS MODERATING TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. WITH THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION AND THE ARCTIC OSCILLATION EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEGATIVE THROUGH NEXT WEEK...THIS WOULD SUPPORT CONTINUED TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE COUNTRY...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. EVEN THE MODERATING TEMPERATURES TOWARDS WEEKS END WILL LIKELY REMAIN A TAD BELOW NORMAL. WITH THIS IN MIND...DROPPED HIGHS A FEW MORE DEGREES EACH DAY FROM MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. KEPT THE SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES IN THE FORECAST THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. WE SHOULD GET SOME ADDED MOISTURE FROM LAKE MICHIGAN WITH A GOOD FETCH WITH SOME UPSLOPE FLOW INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THUS...THE SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BE SLOW TO DEPART. HOWEVER...I AM NOT EXPECTING MUCH...IF ANY ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. THE COLDER WEATHER WITH PERIODIC SNOW SHOWERS COULD KEEP SOME SLIPPERY SPOTS ON AREA ROADWAYS THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK. AFTER A BREAK FROM PRECIPITATION AROUND MIDWEEK... PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL RETURN FRIDAY AS A NORTHERN STREAM SYSTEM ATTEMPTS TO PHASE WITH A SOUTHERN STREAM SYSTEM...TAPPING INTO GULF MOISTURE AND PULLING THIS MOISTURE INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY. TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS SCENARIO TO GO WITH MUCH MORE THAN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION AT THIS POINT. && .AVIATION.../06Z TO 06Z/ VFR CONDITIONS OBSERVED AT TIME OF ISSUANCE...BUT DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ARE ON THE WAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING A MIXED BAG OF WEATHER TO THE TAF SITES TODAY. RAIN/SNOW LINE IS EXPECTED TO SET UP ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS MORNING...BUT EXACT LOCATION IS STILL DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN AND WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTH OVER THE COURSE OF THE AFTERNOON...MAKING THINGS EVEN TRICKIER. END RESULT WILL BE A TRANSITION FROM VFR CONDITIONS EARLY THIS MORNING TO IFR CIGS AND VSBYS...OR WORSE...AT ALL SITES BY 15Z. HAVE KEPT PRECIP TYPE AT JKL AS ALL SN AS THEY LOOK TO REMAIN COLD ENOUGH THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...FORECAST IS NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE FOR LOZ AND SME WHERE RA AND FZRA THIS MORNING WILL BEGIN TO MIX WITH SN AT SOME POINT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING TIME FRAME BEFORE CHANGING OVER COMPLETELY TO -SN BY AROUND 22Z TONIGHT. VSBYS WILL IMPROVE AS THE SNOW BEGINS TO TAPER OFF TONIGHT...BUT LOW CIGS WILL LIKELY KEEP CONDITIONS AT IFR OR WORSE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-104-106>115-118>120. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR KYZ079-080-088-116-117. && SHORT TERM...MB LONG TERM...KAS/GEOGERIAN AVIATION...MB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 500 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 KYZ044-050>052-060-104-106-107-119-051300- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-MENIFEE-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-MARTIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...FRENCHBURG...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY... PAINTSVILLE...INEZ 500 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH ACCUMULATIONS FROM TWO TO FOUR INCHES EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOWFALL TOTALS TODAY AND TONIGHT. KYZ058-059-068-069-108>115-118-120-051300- ESTILL-POWELL-ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT- KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-LETCHER-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IRVINE...STANTON...MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE... CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON... HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...WHITESBURG...PIKEVILLE 500 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES. SOME LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. LITTLE OR NO ICE ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AND ANY OCCURRENCE OF FREEZING RAIN TODAY AND TONIGHT. KYZ079-080-088-116-117-051300- PULASKI-LAUREL-HARLAN-CLAY-LESLIE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOMERSET...LONDON...HARLAN...MANCHESTER... HYDEN 500 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW AND RAIN ARE EXPECTED DURING THE DAY TODAY...AND POSSIBLY LASTING INTO TONIGHT. THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE OR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES IS EXPECTED...WITH LITTLE OR NO ICE ACCUMULATION FROM FREEZING PRECIPITATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AND ANY OCCURRENCE OF FREEZING RAIN TODAY AND TONIGHT. KYZ083>087-051300- WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MONTICELLO...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE 500 AM EST SAT DEC 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. RAIN AND SNOW ARE EXPECTED TODAY...AND POSSIBLY LASTING INTO TONIGHT. THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE OR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION SHOULD BE AN INCH OR LESS...WITH LITTLE OR NO ICE ACCUMULATION FROM FREEZING PRECIPITATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AND ANY OCCURRENCE OF FREEZING RAIN TODAY AND TONIGHT. JJ/MB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Two and a half inches of snow fell 1 mile north of Irvine.
A storm total snowfall of 4 inches was reported 1 mile north northwest of Lookout.
An amateur radio operator reported that an estimated 2 inches of snow had fallen 3 miles north of Virgie and that KY Hwy 122 was snow covered.
An inch of snow fell in Viper.
A storm total snowfall of 3 inches was reported in Mousie.
The total snowfall was 2 inches.
The total snowfall was 2 inches.
A storm total snowfall of 3 inches was reported 1 mile north northwest of Lookout.
A storm total snowfall of 2.5 inches was reported 2 miles southeast of Shelbiana.
A storm total snowfall of 2 inches was reported 4 miles east of Frenchburg.
Two inches of snow fell 2 miles NNW of Dice.
Two and a half inches of snow fell in Watts.
An inch and a half of snow fell in the Lick Creek community 2 miles of Mouthcard.
Two inches of snow fell near the mouth of Marrowbone Creek in the Regina area.
An inch of snow fell 3 miles west of Prestonsburg.
A storm total snowfall of 2.6 inches was reported 6 miles northwest of Pikeville.
A storm total snowfall of 2 inches was reported 3 miles northeast of Belcher.
The total snowfall was 3 inches.
A storm total snowfall of 2 inches was reported in Thousandsticks.
A storm total snowfall of 1.8 inches was reported in Flatgap.
A two vehicle collision occurred around 1145 am Saturday morning near the MHSA Creekside Office Building on Hwy 550, a half mile east of Hindman. One person was injured in the accident. Two inches of snow had fallen overnight and into the early morning hours on December 4th, leading to hazardous conditions on area roadways.
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, December 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: 268766, 269825, 268767, 268768, 268641, 268642, 268643, 268645, 268646, 268647, 268769, 268770, 268771, 268772, 268773, 268774, 268775, 268776, 268777, 268778, 277140.