On January 6th a disturbance moved in from the northern Plains and was followed by an up slope event combined with another weak disturbance. The activity prompted a Winter Weather Advisory to be issued for snowfall across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 35 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 January 6th a disturbance moved in from the northern Plains and was followed by an up slope event combined with another weak disturbance. The activity prompted a Winter Weather Advisory to be issued for snowfall 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 Jan 6, 2:48 PM EST, 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 248 PM EST THU JAN 6 2011 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...UPDATED A SERIES OF CLIPPER SYSTEMS WILL TAKE AIM ON THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD AS A TROUGH DEEPENS OVER THE GREAT LAKES. CONCERNS CONTINUE TO BE TIMING THE FEATURES AND THEIR RESULTING SNOW INTO AND OUT OF THE AREA...AND SNOW AMOUNTS OF COURSE. WHILE THE SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT IN GENERAL...THE PROLONGED NATURE OF THE SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL ALLOW FOR SOME DECENT ACCUMULATIONS IN SOME AREAS. THE FIRST SHORTWAVE WILL PASS ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING WITH AN ATTENDANT COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. SHOWERS ARE BEGINNING TO FILL IN ALONG THE FRONT OVER INDIANA AND ILLINOIS AND STILL THINK SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS WILL IMPACT THE AREA THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD...PER THE 06/16Z HRRR RUN. AM LESS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OVERNIGHT AFTER LOOKING OVER THE 12Z MODEL RUNS...BUT LOCALIZED ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO AN INCH MAY CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS INTO THE FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE SO WILL CONTINUE THE INHERITED ADVISORY AS IS FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. ANOTHER CLIPPER SYSTEM COINCIDENT WITH A 140 KT PLUS H3 JET STREAK THEN TAKES AIM ON THE AREA FOR FRIDAY. GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT ON THIS SYSTEM WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW LIKELY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY...AND LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE NORTH. WILL THEREFORE EXTEND THE ADVISORY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A MCKEE... HAZARD...WHITESBURG LINE THROUGH MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT. NO WELL DEFINED SHORTWAVE PASSAGE AFTER FRIDAY...BUT THE UPPER LOW WILL BE PIVOTING AROUND TO OUR NORTH WITH STRENGTHENING COLD ADVECTION AND A LITTLE BETTER UPSLOPE COMPONENT. WE SHOULD THUS SEE AT LEAST SCATTERED SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY WITH SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN THEIR DOWNWARD TREND TONIGHT AND STAYED WELL BELOW GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS TOMORROW AND SLIGHTLY BELOW FOR SATURDAY. UNDERCUT GUIDANCE AS WELL FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AS COLD ADVECTION RAMPS UP LATE IN THE NIGHT. .LONG TERM.../SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...UPDATED THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST WILL FEATURE A BRIEF BREAK FROM THE SNOWY WEATHER FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND...BEFORE THE WEATHER TURNS MORE ACTIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS A STRONGER STORM FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK...AND IS CLEARLY THE BIGGEST FORECAST ISSUE IN THE LONG TERM. MID/UPPER LEVEL HEIGHTS WILL BUILD FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE REGION. SKIES WILL SLOWLY CLEAR THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH CLOUDS HANGING ON THE LONGEST IN THE FAR EAST. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY FALL BELOW GUIDANCE SATURDAY NIGHT GIVEN THE CLEARING SKIES...WHILE SUNSHINE SHOULD HELP TEMPERATURES CLIMB TO NEAR GUIDANCE ON SUNDAY. BY SUNDAY NIGHT...A POTENT SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE WILL EMERGE FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE LOTS OF GULF MOISTURE TO WORK WITH...SO THE EXACT TRACK WILL BE CRITICAL ON SNOW POTENTIAL AND IMPACTS ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. AS OF RIGHT NOW...THE MAJORITY OF THE GFS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS TAKE THE MAIN SURFACE LOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF...WHICH WOULD KEEP THE SYSTEM FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO LIMIT SNOW CHANCES INTO MONDAY EVENING. THE 12Z ECMWF HAS COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE GFS ENSEMBLE. AT THIS TIME...OPTING TO KEEP THE HIGHEST POPS IN THE SOUTH...AND LEAVE THE LOWER POPS IN THE NORTH. THE CANADIAN IS AN OUTLIER...BRINGING THE SURFACE LOW ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA/GEORGIA. THIS TRACK WOULD BE VERY FAVORABLE FOR HEAVIER SNOWFALL ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. HOWEVER...OPTING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE OUTLIER SOLUTION AT THE MOMENT. CLEARLY MODELS ARE FAVORING A SCENARIO WITH A LITTLE LESS IMPACT WITH THE HEAVIER SNOW SLIDING BY TO OUR SOUTH. REGARDLESS...ANY SHIFT NORTHWARD IN THIS SYSTEM...WOULD BRING THE SNOW INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY. THE DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO THIS SYSTEM...WILL LEAD TO UNCERTAINTY INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. IF THE SYSTEM GETS MORE WRAPPED UP AND TAKES A FARTHER NORTH TRACK...WE COULD GET SOME WRAP AROUND UPSLOPE SNOWS INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS...WITH SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. HOWEVER...IF THE SOUTHERN TRACK VERIFIES...THE SYSTEM MAY DEPART QUICKLY...AND ONLY SNOW POTENTIAL FOR MIDWEEK MAY BE A QUICK MOVING SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS WILL YIELD ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL. AT THIS POINT...THE GREATEST IMPACT WILL COME FROM A MORE NORTHERLY STORM TRACK...WHICH WOULD GENERATE AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF SNOWFALL FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY FROM EARLY NEXT WEEK THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THIS STORM TRACK IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON. VERY FEW CHANGES TO TEMPERATURES IN THE EXTENDED WITH FORECAST REMAINING BELOW GUIDANCE...AS COLD AIR GETS REINFORCED IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING STORM SYSTEM NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/ VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS ALTHOUGH A 5-6K FT STRATOCU LAYER WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST AT TIMES TO 20 KTS. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN ENTER THE PICTURE AND PASS FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN 23Z AND 03Z. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT AS IT PASSES...AND THEN CONTINUE FROM TIME TO TIME BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. PROGS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE SNOW PRODUCED WITH THIS SYSTEM TONIGHT BUT NOW INDICATE A MORE ROBUST SYSTEM WILL DROP SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY ON FRIDAY AND THIS MAY DRIVE A MORE IMPACTFUL PERIOD OF SNOW TO END THE TAF PERIOD. WILL ADVERTISE IFR CONDITIONS WITH THIS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EST FRIDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-104-106>113-119-120. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST FRIDAY NIGHT FOR KYZ068-069-079-080-083>088-114>118. && SHORT TERM...ABE LONG TERM...KAS AVIATION...ABE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 435 AM EST THU JAN 6 2011 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-071245- 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 435 AM EST THU JAN 6 2011 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER INTO SATURDAY EVENING. SNOW IS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY NIGHT GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY AND KY HIGHWAY 80 CORRIDOR. SNOW SHOWERS ARE THEN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE DURING THE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIOD...ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS NEAR THE TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA BORDERS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RELAY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. AR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
27 winter weather, 8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Two and a half to 3 inches of snow fell in the last 24 hours 7 miles east of London.
The total snowfall 3 miles northeast of Monticello was 2.3 inches.
An inch and a half of snow had fallen since 114 pm. A total snow fall of 3.5 inches had occurred since 5 am in Fonde.
An estimated 4-5 inches of snow had fallen along Route 119 on top of Pine Mountain at an elevation of 2600 feet.
Four inches of snow fell 4 miles northwest of Crummies.
Two inches of snow fell in Strunk.
An inch and a half of snow had fallen 3 miles northeast of Monticello.
Four inches of snow had accumulated in Fonde.
The 12 hour snowfall total in Thousandsticks was 3.2 inches.
Two inches of snow had fallen 2 miles north northwest of Dice.
Two inches of snow fell in Faubush.
Three tenths of an inch of snow fell 2 miles east southeast of Trimble.
A half an inch of snow had fallen in Hazard. Roads were slick in spots.
A half an inch of snow had fallen in Harlan.
The 12 hour snowfall total from 6 pm last to 6 am this morning was 1.5 inches. The 24 hour snowfall total since 6 am yesterday in Thousandsticks was 4.7 inches.
Nine inches of snow had fallen 4 miles east of Deane over the past 24 hours.
Two inches of snow fell in Fonde since 630 am.
An average snow fall of 3 inches was measured in Thornton since 7 am.
A half an inch of snow fell 2 miles east southeast of Trimble.
One and eight tenths of an inch of snow fell 2 miles east southeast of Trimble.
Six inches of snow had fallen 2 miles southwest of Pineville.
Four and a half inches of snow had fallen in Fonde since yesterday afternoon.
Two inches of snow had fallen since 530 pm on Friday, with 5 inches of snow on the ground in Thornton.
Two and three tenths of an inch of snow had fallen in Inez since Friday evening.
Four inches of snow had fallen in Pikeville since yesterday evening.
Five inches of snow had fallen 6 miles south southeast of Shelbiana since yesterday evening.
Seven inches of snow had fallen since Friday evening in Thornton. Two inches of snow had fallen since 530 am.
Three inches of snow had fallen since yesterday evening in Turkey Creek.
Three inches of snow had fallen 4 miles south of Paintsville.
Four and a half inches of snow had fallen since yesterday evening in Dice. Whiteout conditions occurred around 950 am this morning as a snow squall moved through the area.
Three and a half inches of snow had fallen since midnight 2 miles east southeast of Talbert.
Three inches of snow had fallen in Lerose.
Six tenths of an inch of snow had fallen near Prestonsburg.
Two and a half inches of new snow had fallen 4 miles east southeast of Prestonsburg. Most of the snow fell in a one hour period this morning.
An inch of snow had fallen 2 miles east southeast of Talbert between 910 and 925 am. The total snow depth was 5 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2011
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: 272457, 272455, 272458, 272461, 272465, 272467, 272469, 272474, 272463, 272464, 272466, 272468, 272471, 272472, 272488, 272491, 272456, 272459, 272470, 272473, 272484, 272494, 272478, 272483, 272490, 272492, 272485, 272489, 272493, 272486, 272479, 272480, 272477, 272487, 272482.