An isolated strong to severe thunderstorm blew a tree down onto a power line in Whitley county on September 3rd. There were also reports of dime to penny size hail in Martin county on this day.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An isolated strong to severe thunderstorm blew a tree down onto a power line in Whitley county on September 3rd. There were also reports of dime to penny size hail in Martin county 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 Sep 3, 6:21 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 721 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 .SHORT TERM.../REST OF TONIGHT/...UPDATED UPDATED FORECAST TO EXPIRE HEAT ADVISORY AS TEMPERATURES ARE STARTING TO COOL OFF OUR THERE. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY GOT QUITE VIGOROUS OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS...BUT IT IS BEGINNING TO WEAKEN AND DISSIPATE. THIS TREND SHOULD CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT HOUR...WITH DRY CONDITIONS FOUND AFTER 00Z. ALSO...GIVEN THE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT...OPTED TO TOSS IN SOME PATCHY VALLEY FOG LATE TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE SOME HIGH CLOUDS INVADING FROM THE TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE GULF COAST. HOWEVER...WE SHOULD STILL SEE SOME FOG TONIGHT...GIVEN THE ELEVATED DEWPOINTS. OTHERWISE...LOW TEMPERATURES SEEM IN LINE WITH LAST NIGHT AND NO NEED TO ADJUST THEM AT THIS POINT. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/ TROPICAL STORM LEE IS CURRENTLY CHURNING ACROSS THE LOUISIANA COAST. A COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS. MEANWHILE THE OHIO VALLEY AND THE APPALACHIANS ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BROAD HIGH PRESSURE...CENTERED OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. CONVECTION IS FIRING UP ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN VIRGINIA...WITH ONLY SOME MODERATE CU BUILDING EASTERN KENTUCKY THUS FAR. STILL...WITH TEMPERATURES CURRENTLY RUNNING IN THE MID 90S FOR MOST LOCATIONS...WILL LEAVE THE MENTION OF A STRAY STORM IN THE FORECAST THROUGH DUSK...AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN ALOFT. ALL INTERESTS CONTINUE TO BE DIRECTED TOWARD TROPICAL STORM LEE AND ITS INTERACTION WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. THE 12Z GFS AND ECMWF ARE CLUSTERED WELL WITH EACH OTHER...SO HAVE GENERALLY FOLLOWED A BLEND OF THESE MODELS. ANY ISOLATED CONVECTION SHOULD DRY UP THIS EVENING...WITH THE REST OF THE NIGHT GENERALLY RAIN-FREE. HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE STREAMING OVERHEAD FROM LEE ON SUNDAY IN TANDEM WITH THE APPROACH OF THE COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE CLOUDINESS WILL KEEP HIGHS MUCH COOLER THAN TODAY...WITH GENERALLY MID TO UPPER 80S EXPECTED. MOST CONVECTION WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT NEARS. HAVE CONTINUED ADVERTISING THE BEST POPS NEAR THE I-64 CORRIDOR...AND THEN TAPERING BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST. SUNDAY NIGHT...MOISTURE FROM LEE ALONG WITH THE LINGERING COLD FRONT WILL BRING WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TO THE ENTIRE AREA. THERE WILL BE A LITTLE INSTABILITY LEFT IN THE EVENING TO JUSTIFY THUNDER CHANCES EARLY ON...HOWEVER THE SOUNDINGS THEN BECOME WET ADIABATIC LATER IN THE NIGHT...WITH JUST STEADY MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS OCCURRING AS TROPICAL MOISTURE STREAMS IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE AXIS OF WIDESPREAD RAINFALL WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST...AS A DIGGING UPPER TROUGH EVOLVING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY BEGIN TO SHUNT THE DEEPER MOISTURE OFF TO THE EAST. HAVE STILL GENERALLY RAISED POPS THROUGH THE SHORT TERM TO CATEGORICAL FOR MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY...AND THEN CONFINED THESE TO SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE AREA BY MONDAY NIGHT. AS FAR AS ANY FLOODING CONCERNS GO...PROBABILITIES LOOK A BIT LOWER CURRENTLY WITH TOTALS COMING IN A BIT LESS...AND ROBUST FLASH 6 TO 24 HOUR FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES IN PLACE. STILL...WILL LEAVE THE GENERAL MENTION OF SIGNIFICANT RISES ON STREAMS IN THE HWO FOR NOW...TO SEE IF THIS TREND HOLDS. FOR TEMPERATURES...HAVE USED A BLEND OF THE GFS AND INHERITED NUMBERS...FAVORING A LIMITED DIURNAL RANGE IN TEMPERATURES FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WITH ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER AND RAINFALL OCCURRING. .LONG TERM.../TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/ DISCOUNTING THE 6Z OPERATIONAL GFS...THE VAST MAJORITY OF RECENT MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO LEND CONFIDENCE IN A PROLONGED CLOUDY...WET AND COOL PERIOD...ESPECIALLY DURING THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF THE PERIOD. EARLY IN THE PERIOD...THE SHORT TERM PERIOD UPPER LEVEL NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH IS PROGGED TO BE EXITING TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE REGION WITH THE MID LEVEL LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF TS LEE DRIFTING NORTH INTO THE TN AND LOWER OH VALLEYS. THE MODELS PROG THE DEEPER MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH TS LEE AND THE BOUNDARY TO BE EXITING EAST OF THE REGION ON TUE AM. THE 0Z ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN AS WELL AS THE 0Z AND 12Z OPERATIONAL GFS RUNS INDICATE THAT THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL DRIFT FURTHER NORTH INTO THE TN VALLEY AND OH VALLEY BY MIDWEEK AND THEN MEANDER ACROSS THE TN AND OH VALLEY REGIONS THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. THE 12Z GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN ALSO SUPPORTS THIS IDEA AND THE OPERATIONAL GFS. THE 12Z ECMWF AND 12Z GFS AND THE 0Z ECMWF FOR THAT MATTER ARE REASONABLY SIMILAR... AND SOMEWHAT SURPRISINGLY SO AT THIS TIME RANGE. THE NHC TRACK TAKES THE REMNANT SFC LOW INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BY 12Z WED AND INTO SOUTHERN WV BY 12Z THU...OR A BUT FURTHER EAST THAN PREVIOUS FORECASTS. THIS TRACK IS SLOWER THAN OPERATIONAL MODEL GUIDANCE BRINGING THE LOW NORTH...BUT IS MORE IN LINE WITH CLIMATOLOGY AS POINTED OUT BY A RECENT NHC DISCUSSION ON TS LEE. OVERALL...WE HAVE CONTINUED TO CARRY THE HIGHEST POPS EARLY IN THE PERIOD AND THEN MAINTAINED POPS THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. THE RECENT TREND HAS BEEN TOWARD LOWER QPF EARLY IN THE PERIOD DUE TO A QUICKER DEPARTURE OF THE DEEPER TROPICAL MOISTURE. IN FACT...THE HEAVIEST RAIN SHOULD FALL BEFORE THE START OF THE PERIOD. TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE WITH THE CLOUDS AND PRECIP TO WARM ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT HAS BEEN OBSERVED THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS FOR MAX T...AND HAVE TRENDED DAYTIME HIGHS DOWN A TAD MORE FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY TOWARD MODEL CONSENSUS. OVERALL...HAVE LEANED MAX T BELOW THE 12Z MEX GUIDANCE...BUT STAYED ABOVE HPC GUIDANCE MAX T. DIURNAL RANGES WILL BE LIMITED...TO NOT MUCH MORE THAN 15 DEGREES EARLY IN THE PERIOD...IF THAT. A SLOW WARM UP IS THEN LIKELY LATE IN THE WEEK AND WILL KEEP WITH THE IDEA OF HIGHS RETURNING TO THE MID TO UPPER 70S BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. LAPSE RATES AND FORECAST INSTABILITY ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THUNDER CHANCES EARLY IN THE PERIOD...AND THIS IS PERSISTENCE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST WEATHER. LAPSE RATES AND INSTABILITY ARE SUFFICIENT BY THE END OF THE PERIOD TO PUT IN A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDER. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/...UPDATED VFR CONDITIONS WILL START THE TAF FORECAST PERIOD. SOME VALLEY IFR TO MVFR FOG WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT...MAINLY IMPACTING THE TAF SITES AT KLOZ AND KSME MUCH LIKE THE PAST FEW NIGHTS. AFTER FOG BURNS OFF AROUND 13Z TOMORROW MORNING...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST TOMORROW AFTERNOON. IN CONJUNCTION WITH MOISTURE FROM THE TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE GULF COAST PUSHING NORTHWARD...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. AT THIS POINT...STILL SOME QUESTION ON TIMING OF THE BEST CHANCES...SO OPTING TO KEEP TEH VCTS IN THE FORECAST WITH THE CB GROUP. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...GEOGERIAN/KAS LONG TERM....JP AVIATION...KAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 705 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-050000- 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- 705 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE COULD ALSO RESULT IN HEAVY RAINFALL MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...WHICH MAY IN TURN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA STREAMS ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM LONDON...TO HAZARD....TO PRESTONSBURG. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. KAS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 617 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 KYZ119-120-032245- MARTIN-PIKE- 617 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING... EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN MARTIN AND NORTH CENTRAL PIKE. AT 617 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SIDNEY...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLIAMSON...MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. KAS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 631 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 KYZ119-032300- MARTIN- 631 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTY THROUGH 700 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING... CENTRAL MARTIN. AT 632 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DELONG...OR NEAR INEZ...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 5 MPH. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. KAS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 635 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 KYZ088-115-118-032300- LETCHER-PERRY-HARLAN- 635 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING... SOUTHWESTERN LETCHER... SOUTHEASTERN PERRY AND NORTHEASTERN HARLAN. AT 635 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHAD...OR 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WHITESBURG...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. KAS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
648 PM EDT SAT SEP 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0628 PM HAIL 2 S INEZ 37.84N 82.54W
09/03/2011 M0.75 INCH MARTIN KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
DIME SIZED HAIL OBSERVED BY SHERIFFS DEPUTY
&&
DUSTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
650 PM EDT SAT SEP 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0626 PM HAIL PILGRIM 37.80N 82.42W
09/03/2011 M0.75 INCH MARTIN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL FELL BETWEEN 626 AND 641 PM.
&&
DUSTYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 756 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 KYZ085>087-040030- WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL- 756 PM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 830 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING... SOUTH CENTRAL KNOX... EAST CENTRAL WHITLEY AND SOUTHWESTERN BELL. AT 756 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR GOINS...OR 12 MILES EAST OF WILLIAMSBURG...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. KAS
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:28 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down and onto a power line at the intersection of KY836 and Lloyd Wilson Rd.
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, September 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: 339382.