Hail in Kentucky, March 23, 2012

Name: Hail in Kentucky, March 23, 2012
Start: 2012-03-23T11:19
End: 2012-03-23T12:43
Location: Kentucky

March 23, 2012 · NWS PAH · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A large upper level low pressure system moved east from Missouri into an area of warm, moist air with dewpoint temperatures in the 60s. Strong mid level winds helped to produce severe thunderstorms, including supercells.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

What forecasters said that 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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 23, 8:57 AM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 23, 8:57 AM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
957 AM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 951 AM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

MINOR UPDATE TO GRID/TEXT/TABULAR FORECAST PRODUCTS WAS MADE TO
ADD AN ADDITIONAL MENTION OF SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY
RAINFALL TO MORNING PORTION OF TODAYS FORECAST. DURING THE LAST
HOUR...FOCUSED VORTICITY WITH LEADING CONVECTIVE BAND HAS BEEN
LEADING TO ENHANCED TURNING PRODUCING MORE PRONOUNCED UPDRAFTS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL TO MODERATE SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUST
POTENTIAL. THE MAIN LIMITATION FOR INCREASED COVERAGE OF THIS
STORM INTENSITY EARLY ON WILL BE CLOUD COVER...INHIBITING SURFACE-
BASED PARCEL LIFT. ENHANCED SHEAR AND THERMAL PROFILES THIS
AFTERNOON WILL LIKELY COMPENSATE FOR POORER INSOLATION...SO
ANTICIPATE GREATER COVERAGE OVER SERN IL/SWRN IN/WRN KY LATER TODAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
ISSUED AT 346 AM CDT THU MAR 22 2012

LARGE AND DEEP OCCLUDED CYCLONE OVER THE PLAINS STATES WILL MOVE
SLOWLY EASTWARD THROUGH SUNDAY. BANDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE TO SPIRAL AROUND THE CIRCULATION CENTER. ONE SUCH
BAND OVER THE EASTERN OZARKS WILL PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI THIS MORNING...AND POSSIBLY INTENSIFY OR REDEVELOP WITH
DAYTIME HEATING THIS AFTERNOON.

THE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTER OVER EASTERN KANSAS EARLY THIS
MORNING WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS MISSOURI TODAY...PASSING NEAR KSTL
THIS EVENING. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED...A BAND OF SHOWERS AND
STORMS WILL CROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI THIS MORNING. AT LEAST A FEW
BREAKS OF SUNSHINE ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THIS ACTIVITY. AS THE
UPPER LEVEL COLD POOL OVERSPREADS THE REGION...CAPES ARE FORECAST
TO APPROACH 1000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER. ONE OR MORE BANDS OF CONVECTION WILL LIKELY BE ARCING
AROUND THE CIRCULATION CENTER THIS AFTERNOON. WET BULB ZERO
HEIGHTS WILL BE QUITE LOW...AVERAGING BETWEEN 7 AND 8K FEET. THIS
COULD RESULT IN SOME PROLIFIC HAIL PRODUCERS...AND HAIL WILL BE
MENTIONED IN THE GRIDS AND ZONES. SHEAR PROFILES WILL BE
FAVORABLE FOR SUSTAINED ORGANIZED STORM STRUCTURES...WITH DEEP
LAYER /0 TO 6 KM/ SHEAR AROUND 40 KNOTS. THE RELATIVELY WEAK
INSTABILITY SHOULD TEMPER THE OVERALL SEVERE THREAT. CONVECTION
WILL LIKELY ORGANIZE ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE OCCLUDED FRONT
/LEADING EDGE OF DRIER AIR/ MARKED BY THE CONVECTION NOW OVER THE
OZARKS AT 08Z.

INSTABILITY WILL WANE WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING THIS
EVENING...LEADING TO A GRADUAL DECREASE IN THE INTENSITY AND
COVERAGE OF STORMS. SOMEWHAT DRIER AND COOLER AIR WILL OVERSPREAD
THE FORECAST AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE OCCLUDED FRONT. LOWS WILL BE
NOTICEABLY COOLER SATURDAY MORNING...THOUGH STILL 5 TO 10 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL.

SATURDAY WILL BE COOLER AND DRIER AS LOW LEVEL WINDS BECOME
NORTHWEST IN THE WAKE OF THE CIRCULATION CENTER. THE CLOSE
PROXIMITY OF THE DEEP UPPER LOW AND COLD POOL WILL PROMOTE
SCATTERED SHOWERS. THUNDER APPEARS UNLIKELY GIVEN THE DRIER AND
MORE STABLE LOW LEVEL AIR MASS...BUT MAINTAINED MENTION OF
ISOLATED THUNDER IN THE AFTERNOON. FAVORED THE COOLER NAM MOS
GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS.

A MID LEVEL RIDGE WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA ON SUNDAY IN
THE WAKE OF THE STORM SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THIS WILL RESULT IN LOTS OF
CLEAR SKY AND WARMER TEMPS...GUIDANCE SEEMS A LITTLE OVERDONE WITH
THE WARMUP CONSIDERING THE SURFACE HIGH WILL STILL BE WEST OF US.
GENERALLY STAYED AT OR BELOW THE COOLER NAM MOS.

.LONG TERM / SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
ISSUED AT 346 AM CDT THU MAR 22 2012

HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL MAKE FOR TWO SUNNY AND
PLEASANT DAYS TO START THE NEW WORK WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE
10-15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.

THE 00Z ECMWF AND GFS EACH DEVELOP SOME CONVECTION ALONG A FRONT TO
OUR NORTH AND NORTHWEST TUESDAY EVENING...AND SHIFT IT EAST
SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE 00Z
ECMWF HAS COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE GFS IN GENERATING WEST
NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND PUSHING THE FRONT THROUGH THE AREA BY
WEDNESDAY EVENING. MODEL SOUNDINGS DO NOT INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT
CAP...BUT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE MAY BE THE LIMITING FACTOR FOR
DEVELOPMENT COVERAGE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT TUESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

THE MODELS DIVERGE FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH THE ECMWF CARVING
OUT A DEEPER TROUGH OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST. THIS DRIVES
THE FRONT WELL SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND ALLOWS MORE
SIGNIFICANT SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD ACROSS THE REGION
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE END RESULT OF THE LATEST ECMWF IS A DRY END
TO THE WEEK. THE GFS IS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND KEEPS THE FRONT JUST
SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND THEN BEGINS TO LIFT IT BACK ACROSS
THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY WITH A DECENT CHANCE OF
CONVECTION.

PUT AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE POP IN THE FORECAST THURSDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY...BUT WILL HAVE TO MONITOR CLOSELY TO SEE IF THE LATEST ECMWF
SOLUTION GAINS MOMENTUM. THE ECMWF WOULD ALSO LEAD TO SOME COOLING
FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...BUT WE SHOULD STILL BE ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION...
ISSUED AT 645 AM CDT THU MAR 22 2012

TIMING OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS THE MAIN AVIATION CONCERN.
MAIN BAND OF CONVECTION OVER SE MISSOURI AT 11Z WILL SWING NORTHEAST
ACROSS KPAH/KCGI THIS MORNING. THIS BAND MAY WEAKEN OR EVEN
DISSIPATE LATER THIS MORNING...BUT DIURNAL HEATING WILL CAUSE
REGENERATION OF A LINE OF STORMS BY MIDDAY. KEVV/KOWB AREA WILL
LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY STORMS BY 18Z OR SO. THE EXACT TIMING IS STILL
VERY DIFFICULT...BUT CONFIDENCE IS HIGH IN STORMS OCCURRING IN THE
16Z TO 22Z TIME FRAME. MUCH OF TONIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AS COOLER AND
DRIER AIR WORKS INTO THE REGION. OUTSIDE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ONCE THE EARLY
MORNING LOW CLOUDS LIFT.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IN...NONE.
KY...NONE.
&&

UPDATE...SMITH
SHORT TERM...MY
LONG TERM....DRS
AVIATION...MY

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 23, 11:02 AM CST, 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1202 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-240930-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
1202 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 101 IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL
OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...WEST KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND A SMALL
PART OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...NEXT TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...AND PARTS OF WESTERN KENTUCKY THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN HAZARD REMAINS LARGE HAIL...BUT
ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS AND EVEN A TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

ONE OR MORE LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND EAST OF
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE ACTIVITY WILL WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET AS A
COLD FRONT PASSES EAST OF OUR REGION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SMALL HAIL
AND GUSTY WINDS MAY ACCOMPANY ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP.

A SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE WEATHER CANNOT BE RULED OUT TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED TODAY. ACTIVATION OF SPOTTERS
IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.

MY/DRS/SMITH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 23, 10:27 AM CST, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1127 AM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1126 AM     HAIL             METROPOLIS              37.15N 88.71W
03/23/2012  M0.75 INCH       MASSAC             IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

JAYSONW

Local storm report, Mar 23, 10:49 AM CST, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1149 AM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1136 AM     FUNNEL CLOUD     E FRUITLAND             37.45N 89.64W
03/23/2012                   CAPE GIRARDEAU     MO   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS POSSIBLE FUNNEL NEAR P AND G PLANT ON 177
            EAST OF FRUITLAND.

&&

JAYSONW

Local storm report, Mar 23, 10:50 AM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1150 AM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1142 AM     HAIL             1 E SIMPSON             37.47N 88.74W
03/23/2012  M0.75 INCH       JOHNSON            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JAYSONW

Local storm report, Mar 23, 11:08 AM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1208 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1133 AM     TORNADO          1 W NEELYS LANDING      37.50N 89.52W
03/23/2012                   CAPE GIRARDEAU     MO   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS POSSIBLE BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN

&&

JAYSONW

Local storm report, Mar 23, 11:09 AM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1209 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1208 PM     HAIL             CARRIER MILLS           37.69N 88.63W
03/23/2012  M0.75 INCH       SALINE             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JAYSONW

Local storm report, Mar 23, 11:17 AM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1217 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1214 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     5 N DE SOTO             37.89N 89.23W
03/23/2012                   JACKSON            IL   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

JAYSONW

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 22 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, McCracken

When: March 23, 11:19 AM CST
Where: McCracken County, 0.69 mi S of Reidland
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.010, -88.530

Hail, Union

When: March 23, 12:43 PM CST
Where: Union County, 0.55 mi W of Sturgis
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.550, -87.990

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, March 2012

Sources

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: 374175, 374177.