A mix of rain and snow fell across eastern Kentucky on December 29, 2012 as a storm system tracked across the Tennessee Valley. Over northern Kentucky, the precipitation fell as snow for the most part with several inches accumulating north of I-64.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 mix of rain and snow fell across eastern Kentucky on December 29, 2012 as a storm system tracked across the Tennessee Valley. Over northern Kentucky, the precipitation fell as snow for the most part with several inches accumulating north of I-64.
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 28, 6:42 PM EST, 3 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 642 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 524 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 SEVERAL SLEET REPORTS COMING IN VIA TWITTER AS THE PRECIPITATION BEGINS. RECENT BLACK MOUNTAIN OBSERVATION SHOWED A DEWPOINT DOWN TO 4 AND A RH OF 26%. NAM TIME/HEIGHTS SHOW THIS DRY LAYER VERY WELL AND UNTIL THIS MOISTENS UP...EVAPORATIONAL COOLING IN THAT LAYER WILL ALLOW SLEET TO FORM AND REACH THE SURFACE. THE DRY LAYER WILL MOISTEN UP FAST THOUGH...SO DO NOT EXPECT ANY SLEET ACCUMULATIONS. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 300 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 LIGHT RAIN BEGINNING TO SHOW UP ON OUR DOORSTEP BUT WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 30S THIS IS ALL RAIN. HEAVIER RAIN IS STILL IN MIDDLE TENN BUT EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE MOVING NE THIS EVENING. THE BEST PCPN WILL OCCUR IN OUR MORNING HOURS WITH INITIALLY RAIN THEN CHANGING TO SNOW AS THE PARENT LOW PUSHES PAST THE AREA AND THE COLD AIR WRAPS IN BEHIND. THE CHANGE OVER TO SNOW WILL OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER THE BEST RAINFALL IS DEPARTING THE STATE...BUT IN TIME THAT SOME MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR IN NRN KY BEFORE DAWN. EXPECTING 1-2 INCHES GENERALLY NORTH OF I-64 BY DAWN ON SAT AND THEN ANOTHER INCH DURING THE DAY AS THE SYSTEM PULLS AWAY. THE SNOW WILL BEGIN LATER IN THE EAST DUE TO THE WARM AIR ADVECTION. AS THE LOW PULLS AWAY...EXPECT THE SNOW TO BEGIN IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AROUND DAWN ON SAT AND THEN SLOWLY WORK DOWN INTO THE VALLEYS WITH SNOW TOTALS OF 2-3 INCHES FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 1500 FEET AND GENERALLY ROUND AN INCH IN THE VALLEYS. WITH THE WARM AIR PUSHING IN AHEAD OF THE RAIN TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN FAIRLY WARM BUT WILL BEGIN DROPPING SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT FOR THE I-75 AND I-64 CORRIDORS. LOOK FOR TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING FOR THE MORNING LOWS AND WITH THE CLOUDS...SNOW...AND NW WINDS THE MERCURY WILL NOT MOVE MUCH. HIGHS ON SAT WILL ONLY BE A COUPLE DEG ABOVE THE MORNING LOWS. THE LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PULL TO THE NE AND WILL ALLOW HIGH PRESSURE TO BEGIN BUILDING IN LATE SAT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH AND OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL DROP INTO THE MID 20S. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 243 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 WITH A POSITIVE NAO AND THE AO FORECAST TO GO POSITIVE...IT LOOKS LIKE OUR PROGRESSIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH FAST ZONAL FLOW. THIS WILL KEEP OUR WEATHER SOMEWHAT UNSETTLED WITH NO SIGNIFICANT SURGES OF COLD AIR ANTICIPATED. MODELS CONTINUE TO COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN THROUGH MIDWEEK...WITH ONLY SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN THE THERMAL PROFILES WHICH MAY AFFECT HOW MUCH SNOW WE SEE VERSES RAIN. TO BEGIN...SUNDAY...THE AREA WILL BEGIN UNDER A MID LEVEL TROUGH AND MUCH LIKE THE PAST 4 OR 5 SYSTEMS...MODELS ARE WAY TOO FAST IN CLEARING SKIES OUT. THUS...GOING TO GO WITH CLOUDY SKIES SUNDAY AND PERHAPS THIS COULD LAST EVEN INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. HAVE KEPT HIGHS ON THE COOL SIDE...SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW AROUND HERE ON THURSDAY. WE COULD SEE SOME FLURRIES LINGER INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUING. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE AS WELL. OVERNIGHT SUNDAY...THE THERMAL RIDGE FINALLY MAKES ITS MOVE OVER THE AREA LIKELY SCOURING OUT THE LAST OF THE LOW CLOUDS. HOWEVER...CLOUDS WILL ALREADY BE ON THE INCREASE AHEAD OF OUR NEXT WEATHER MAKER. A FRONTOGENTICAL CIRCULATION WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY ON MONDAY GIVING WAY TO A BAND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION. AT THIS TIME...MODELS HAVE THE BULK OF PRECIPITATION OFF TO OUR NORTH CLOSER TO THE BETTER BAROCLINIC ZONE. HOWEVER....SOME LIGHT RAIN/SNOW COULD DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN KENTUCKY BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. FURTHER SOUTH...CEILINGS REALLY NEVER DROP BELOW 9KFT...SUGGESTING MORE OF A THREAT FROM SPRINKLES OR FLURRIES. THE DRY LOW LEVELS MAY MAKE THE THREAT OF FLURRIES MORE LIKELY EVEN WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES APPROACHING 40. BY MONDAY NIGHT...OUR NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH EJECTS NORTHEASTWARD OUT OF THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. THIS WILL SPREAD ANOTHER ROUND OF WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. MODELS STILL IN QUITE A BIT OF DISAGREEMENT ON HOW MUCH LOW LEVEL WARM AIR WILL BE IN PLACE...WITH THE ECMWF SUPPORTING ALL SNOW AND THE GFS GOING WITH MORE OF A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW. GIVEN THE TIME RANGE...GOING TO STICK WITH A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. IF RAIN DOES MIX IN...IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY LIMIT SNOWFALL POTENTIAL. HOWEVER...THIS STORM LOOKS TO TRACK FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE LAST FEW...WHICH MAY FAVOR SNOW. REGARDLESS...SHOULD BE A QUICK HITTING SYSTEM AND ALREADY ON THE WAY OUT BY MIDDAY TUESDAY. A SECONDARY SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPPING SOUTHEAST COULD TRIGGER SOME MORE UPSLOPE FLOW SNOW SHOWERS HEADING INTO TUESDAY EVENING AND TUESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...MOISTURE WILL BE KEY AND RIGHT NOW...DOES NOT LOOK OVERLY IMPRESSIVE. HOWEVER...WILL KEEP THE THREAT IN THE FORECAST. QUIETER WEATHER WILL RETURN BY MIDWEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES OUR WEATHER FOR THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK WITH A SUPPRESSED STORM TRACK TO OUR SOUTH. A NORTHERN STREAM CLIPPER SYSTEM MAY SEND A COLD FRONT SOUTH ON FRIDAY...PROVIDING A QUICK SHOT OF SOME UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 642 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD EAST KENTUCKY FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST THIS EVENING. THE RAIN WILL INITIALLY BE MIXED WITH SLEET BUT THIS MIX SHOULD NOT LAST LONG. WE EXPECT CONDITIONS WILL FALL TO MVFR 2 TO 4 HOURS AFTER THE RAIN BEGINS...AND THEN DROP TO IFR SHORTLY THEREAFTER AS THE AIRMASS MOISTENS FROM THE TOP DOWN. AFTER THE INITIAL RAIN/SLEET MIXTURE...PRECIP TYPE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ALL RAIN AT JKL AND LOZ AND POINTS TO THE EAST TONIGHT. SME MAY MIX WITH SNOW TOWARDS DAWN. LOCATIONS NORTH OF JKL...SUCH AS MT STERLING AND MOREHEAD AIRPORTS WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE MORE SNOW MIXING IN WITH THE RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA AROUND DAWN ON SATURDAY AND THE PRECIP IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE OR JUST END TEMPORARILY BEHIND THIS FRONT. SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL THEN LIKELY COME BACK INTO THE PICTURE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL ALSO PICK UP THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW BECOMING MORE WESTERLY BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM SATURDAY TO 7 AM EST SUNDAY FOR KYZ088-118. && UPDATE...ABE SHORT TERM...DUSTY LONG TERM....KAS AVIATION...ABE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1015 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 KYZ044-050>052-300615- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD 1015 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A MIXTURE OF RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL BECOME ALL SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES. LIGHT SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION AND ALSO TO REPORT SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. KYZ058>060-068-069-079-083-104-106-108-111-300615- ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON-PULASKI-WAYNE-ELLIOTT- MORGAN-WOLFE-LEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...MONTICELLO...SANDY HOOK... WEST LIBERTY...CAMPTON...BEATTYVILLE 1015 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A WINTRY MIX OF RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL FALL TONIGHT. UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE. LIGHT SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION AND ALSO TO REPORT SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. KYZ080-084>087-107-109-110-112>117-119-120-300615- LAUREL-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-JOHNSON-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-BREATHITT- KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONDON...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE... PAINTSVILLE...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...JACKSON...HINDMAN... BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 1015 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. RAIN WILL MIX WITH SLEET AND SNOW AT TIMES BUT LITTLE IF ANY SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD REMAIN AN INCH OR LESS. LIGHT SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION AND ALSO TO REPORT SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. KYZ088-118-300615- HARLAN-LETCHER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARLAN...WHITESBURG 1015 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A MIXTURE OF RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW WILL FALL TONIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE PREDOMINATELY SNOW ABOVE 2500 FEET ELEVATION. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO AN INCH ARE EXPECTED ABOVE 2500 FEET ELEVATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES EXPECTED...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ABOVE 2500 FEET ELEVATION. LIGHT SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION AND ALSO TO REPORT SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. ABE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1004 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 KYZ058>060-068-069-079-083-104-106-108-111-291000- ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON-PULASKI-WAYNE-ELLIOTT- MORGAN-WOLFE-LEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...MONTICELLO...SANDY HOOK... WEST LIBERTY...CAMPTON...BEATTYVILLE 1004 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 ...LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY... AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY TONIGHT BRINGING A MIXTURE OF RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW. THE PRECIPITATION WILL THEN TRANSITION TO SNOW SHOWERS ON SATURDAY...WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY EVENING BEFORE ENDING. UP TO AN INCH OF WET SNOW AND SLEET IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT. THIS WINTRY PRECIPITATION MAY FALL HEAVILY ENOUGH AT TIMES TO COAT ROADWAYS AND CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD REMAIN LESS THAN AN INCH. EVEN A DUSTING OF SNOW CAN CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. DRIVERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING...ESPECIALLY OVER BRIDGES...OVERPASSES AND AREAS THAT ARE NORMALLY SHADED. THESE AREAS WILL FREEZE BEFORE THE MAIN ROADWAYS. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/JACKSONKY. KYZ080-084>087-107-109-110-112>117-119-120-291000- LAUREL-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-JOHNSON-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-BREATHITT- KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONDON...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE... PAINTSVILLE...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...JACKSON...HINDMAN... BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 1004 PM EST FRI DEC 28 2012 ...LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY... AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY TONIGHT BRINGING RAIN TO THE AREA. THE RAIN MAY BE MIXED WITH SNOW AND SLEET AT TIMES BUT LITTLE IF ANY SNOW OR SLEET ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL THEN TRANSITION TO SNOW SHOWERS ON SATURDAY...WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY EVENING BEFORE ENDING. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD REMAIN LESS THAN AN INCH. EVEN A DUSTING OF SNOW CAN CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. DRIVERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING...ESPECIALLY OVER BRIDGES...OVERPASSES AND AREAS THAT ARE NORMALLY SHADED. THESE AREAS WILL FREEZE BEFORE THE MAIN ROADWAYS. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/JACKSONKY. ABE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Two inches of snow fell in Owingsville. Numerous traffic accidents occurred while the snow was falling.
Two and a half inches of snow fell 2 miles north of Flemingsburg.
One and nine tenths of an inch of snow fell 6 miles northeast of Morehead.
Two inches of snow fell 1 mile north of Stark.
Two tenths of an inch of snow fell 4 miles east of Frenchburg.
Two inches of snow fell in Mount Sterling.
Two and a half inches of snow fell in Mount Carmel.
One and eight tenths of an inch of snow fell 4 miles northwest of Flemingsburg. There was also a power outage in the area between 6 and 9 am.
Three inches of snow fell in Ewing.
Three and a half inches of snow was reported 1 mile north of Sharpsburg.
Four inches of snow was reported 1 mile southeast of Science Hill.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, December 2012
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: 422547, 422548, 422549, 422550, 422552, 422553, 422557, 422558, 422559, 424120, 424121.