Low pressure drew an unseasonably warm and moist air mass across the region. Convection organized ahead of the low and brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds to the area from the evening of the 21st into the morning of the 22nd.
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 ILN wrote it up.
Low pressure drew an unseasonably warm and moist air mass across the region. Convection organized ahead of the low and brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds to the area from the evening of the 21st into the morning of the 22nd.
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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 21, 6:49 PM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
649 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE FOCUS
FOR HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING THE
REGION WILL PUSH THE FRONT ACROSS OUR AREA AS A COLD FRONT
TONIGHT...BRINGING WITH IT A CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. COOLER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT TO START THE WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/...
SHARP SURFACE FRONT IS BEGINNING TO LIFT NORTHWARD WITH HEAVIER
PRECIPITATION ENDING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE DAYTIME AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING AS THE
MAJORITY OF THE CWA SETS UP IN THE WARM SECTOR. CURRENT THINKING
IS THAT THE NORTHWESTERN ZONES WILL CONTINUE TO SEE STEADY
PRECIPITATION FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...WITH INTERMITTENT
LIGHTER RAIN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE ZONES. FLOODING WILL
CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT ACROSS THE AREA WITH EARLIER SNOW
MELT...DEPARTING AND ONGOING AREAS OF RAINFALL...AND FORECASTED
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN OVERNIGHT. WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE THE FLOOD
WATCH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT TIME PERIOD FOR ALL ZONES.
A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIFT
NORTHEASTWARD FROM TX/AR AND ARRIVE IN THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT.
AHEAD OF THE IS LOW...WARM/MOIST AIR WILL CONTINUE TO BE DRAWN
NORTH INTO THE OHIO VALLEY WITH DEWPOINTS REACHING THE LOWER 60S
SOUTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND PWATS NEARING OR BREAKING RECORD
VALUES FOR DECEMBER. THIS MOISTURE SURGE AHEAD OF THE LOW WILL
ALLOW FOR HIGH RAIN RATES WITH ANY PRECIPITATION OCCURRING THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT AS THE LOW TRACKS ACROSS THE REGION.
OUT AHEAD OF THIS LOW...A QLCS/SQUALL LINE TYPE OF FEATURE THAT IS
DEVELOPING ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL TRACK
NORTHEASTWARD...AFFECTING MOST LOCATIONS IN THE WARM
SECTOR...WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE ILN
CWA. WIND SHEAR WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES LATE THIS EVENING AS THIS LINE APPROACHES FROM
THE SOUTHWEST...WITH THE TIMING OF THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR SEVERE
IN THE ILN CWA BEING BETWEEN 10 PM AND 3 AM. HEAVY RAINFALL AND
FLOODING WILL BE A THREAT THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT AS A LARGE SWATH OF
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THE QLCS AND AREAS NORTH OF
THE QLCS. THIS WILL LIKELY WORSEN EXISTING FLOOD ISSUES AND CREATE
NEW FLOODING ISSUES ACROSS THE AREA.
IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING TONIGHT AND
THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SEVERE WEATHER LATE THIS
EVENING...SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 MPH
WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE OF CONVECTION
TONIGHT.
BY THE END OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD...RAIN IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF
IN THE WESTERN ZONES...WITH THE MAIN BAND OF PRECIPITATION
ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT BEGINNING TO EXIT OUR EASTERN
ZONES.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
THE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK NORTHEASTWARD AND AWAY FROM THE ILN
CWA ON SUNDAY. COLD ADVECTION WILL DEVELOP AND BRING IN COOLER AIR
THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD.
SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY ACROSS THE
AREA AS AN UPPER TROUGH DIGS SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES
WITH A WEAK TROUGH HELPING TO PRODUCE MAINLY RAIN ACROSS THE
SOUTHEASTERN ZONES AND SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN ZONES.
EVENTUALLY...ANY LINGERING SHOWERS WILL BE ALL SNOW AS SUFFICIENT
COLD AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION. AT THIS TIME...LITTLE TO NO SNOW
ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED FROM SNOW SHOWERS THAT MAY OCCUR DURING
THIS TIME PERIOD.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
GIVEN SHORT TERM CONCERNS...NOT MUCH TIME SPENT ON THIS TIMEFRAME.
THIS PERIOD CHARACTERIZED BY LONGWAVE RIDGING NEAR/OFF THE WEST
COAST OF THE UNITED STATES WHICH SUPPORTS TROUGHING IN THE NORTHEAST
CONUS. THIS IS A BELOW-NORMAL TEMPERATURE REGIME FOR THE OHIO
VALLEY...AND HAVE DERIVED MAX/MIN TEMPS FIRST FROM AN ECMWF/ENSEMBLE
MOS AND ADJUSTED FROM THERE TO MEET DETERMINISTIC THOUGHTS ON
ADVECTION. REALLY NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER SYSTEMS IN THIS
REGIME...THE ONLY APPRECIABLE CHANCE AT PRECIPITATION COMES WITH A
WEAK SYSTEM ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY...BUT THESE ARE MINOR THREATS AT
BEST AS BEING DEPICTED IN THE 21.12Z ECMWF/GFS MODELS AT THIS TIME.
SUPPOSE THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A LAKE-INDUCED SNOW SHOWER THREAT
IN THE COLD ADVECTION BEHIND EITHER SYSTEM...BUT THOSE MESOSCALE
PROCESS ARE NOT WELL DEFINED AT THIS TIME RANGE THIS FAR FROM THE
LAKES.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
MVFR TO OCCASIONALLY IFR CONDITIONS WERE OCCURRING THIS EVENING
ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ATTENDANT WARM FRONT AND
COLD FRONT. SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM CONTINUED TO SWEEP
ACROSS THE TAF SITES FROM THE SW TO NE THIS EVENING. EXPECT SHOWERS
TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT IN THIS VERY MOIST REGIME AND END FROM
THE WEST SUNDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN OUT OF THE SOUTH
WITH GUSTS OVER 20 KNOTS TONIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES CLOSER AND THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS. POSSIBILITY EXISTS OF A SQUALL LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE COLD FRONT. INCLUDED THUNDERSTORMS IN ALL
TAF SITES EXCEPT KCMH AND KLCK AFT 02Z TO 04Z FOR SEVERAL HOURS.
LESS LIKELY TO SEE THUNDER AS FAR NORTH AS KCMH AND KLCK BUT WILL
MONITOR CONDITIONS. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO MVFR ON SUNDAY
WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE WEST LATER SUNDAY AFTERNOON. POSSIBILITY
OF WRAP AROUND SHOWERS AFTER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM EXITS REGION
SUNDAY BUT SINCE THAT IS TOWARD THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD ANY
FORECAST OF SHOWERS WAS LEFT OUT.
OUTLOOK...MVFR CEILINGS EXPECTED TO LINGER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO
MONDAY.
&&
.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR OHZ026-034-035-042>046-
051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088.
KY...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR KYZ089>100.
IN...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR INZ050-058-059-066-
073>075-080.
&&
SYNOPSIS...LATTO
NEAR TERM...LATTO
SHORT TERM...LATTO
LONG TERM...BINAU
AVIATION...PARKERHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 412 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-222115- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO- SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT- PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE- SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON- FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY- FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN- HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 411 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT SWINGS ACROSS THE REGION. DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS ARE THE MAIN CONCERN AT THIS TIME...THOUGH A BRIEF TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 71. THUNDERSTORMS WOULD CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN RATES...AND COULD BRING A FLASH FLOOD THREAT. IN ADDITION...GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT OUT OF THE SOUTH...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS FROM 20 TO 25 MPH...AND GUSTS TO 35 MPH. IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT ON SUNDAY...WESTERLY WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS EVENING.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
825 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 PM HEAVY RAIN 4 NW DOWNTOWN DAYTON 39.81N 84.24W
12/21/2013 M2.47 INCH MONTGOMERY OH AMATEUR RADIO
STORM TOTAL THUS FAR.
0815 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 W BROOKVILLE 39.42N 85.02W
12/21/2013 M2.10 INCH FRANKLIN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL THUS FAR. 1.5 INCHES SINCE 7 AM.
&&SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
904 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
INZ059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>092-094-095-OHZ070-077-220245-
UNION IN-SWITZERLAND IN-OHIO IN-FRANKLIN IN-DEARBORN IN-RIPLEY IN-
KENTON KY-OWEN KY-BOONE KY-CARROLL KY-GALLATIN KY-GRANT KY-BUTLER OH-
HAMILTON OH-
904 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
...A LINE OF STRONG STORMS WILL AFFECT WESTERN HAMILTON...WESTERN
BUTLER...GRANT...GALLATIN...CARROLL...BOONE...OWEN...KENTON...RIPLEY.
..DEARBORN...FRANKLIN...OHIO...SWITZERLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN UNION
COUNTIES THROUGH 945 PM EST...
AT 900 PM EST...RADAR INDICATED STRONG STORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM 21 MILES NORTHWEST OF HOLTON TO 19 MILES WEST OF LOCUST TO 31
MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOCUST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WINDS TO 50 MPH...
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...OSGOOD...VERSAILLES...
BATESVILLE...OLDENBURG...CARROLLTON...MILAN...DILLSBORO...VEVAY...
BROOKVILLE...AURORA...RISING SUN...WARSAW...LAWRENCEBURG...GREENDALE
AND KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY.
ALSO...HOLTON...NEW MARION...REXVILLE...OTTER VILLAGE...NAPOLEON...
BENHAM...LOCUST...VERSAILLES LAKE...OLEAN AND MOOREFIELD ARE NEAR THE
PATH OF THIS LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
LAT...LON 3920 8545 3927 8530 3943 8530 3957 8481
3890 8454 3848 8457 3834 8476 3838 8490
3842 8489 3842 8495 3851 8499 3851 8503
3856 8501 3858 8522 3874 8534 3874 8526
3870 8521 3891 8521 3891 8545
ASLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
935 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0930 PM TSTM WND GST UNION CITY 40.20N 84.79W
12/21/2013 M71 MPH DARKE OH EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
MJPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
939 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0929 PM TSTM WND GST 2 W BATESVILLE 39.30N 85.26W
12/21/2013 E50 MPH FRANKLIN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MJPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
941 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
INZ073>075-080-KYZ089>096-OHZ077-220330-
SWITZERLAND IN-OHIO IN-DEARBORN IN-RIPLEY IN-KENTON KY-OWEN KY-
PENDLETON KY-BOONE KY-CAMPBELL KY-CARROLL KY-GALLATIN KY-GRANT KY-
HAMILTON OH-
941 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN
HAMILTON...GRANT...GALLATIN...CARROLL...CAMPBELL...BOONE...
NORTHWESTERN PENDLETON...NORTHERN OWEN...KENTON...SOUTHERN RIPLEY...
SOUTHWESTERN DEARBORN...OHIO AND SWITZERLAND COUNTIES THROUGH 1030 PM
EST...
AT 937 PM EST...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM AVONBURG TO CARROLLTON TO 9 MILES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE
71 AT MILE MARKER 40...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WINDS TO 50 MPH...
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...VEVAY...OWENTON...
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY...WARSAW...RISING SUN...BURLINGTON...
WILLIAMSTOWN...DRY RIDGE...UNION...CRITTENDEN...FLORENCE...WALTON...
ERLANGER...INDEPENDENCE AND FORT MITCHELL.
ALSO...FRIENDSHIP...WORTHVILLE...EASTERDAY...MOUNT STERLING...
GRATZ...FAIRVIEW...GHENT...FARMERS RETREAT...BEAR BRANCH AND
JACKSONVILLE ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
LAT...LON 3849 8500 3852 8499 3850 8501 3851 8503
3856 8501 3856 8507 3859 8509 3858 8520
3870 8522 3870 8521 3891 8521 3891 8525
3897 8526 3908 8436 3866 8433 3846 8495
ASLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
948 PM EST SAT DEC 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0947 PM TSTM WND GST KVES VERSAILLES APT 40.20N 84.53W
12/21/2013 M58 MPH DARKE OH AWOS
&&The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:58 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were downed county wide due to thunderstorm winds.
Numerous large trees were down in Alexandria and surrounding areas due to thunderstorm winds.
Minor flooding of typical low lying locations was reported due to heavy rainfall.
Two roads were closed due to high water over typical low lying locations due to heavy rainfall.
Water was reported running off a hill and across Highway 42 due to heavy rainfall.
A couple of large trees were downed due to thunderstorm winds.
Significant street flooding was reported throughout the county due to high water caused by heavy rainfall. Several roads were closed due to rushing water across the southern portions of Campbell County.
Trees were reported down in the Wheatley and New Liberty areas due to thunderstorm winds.
Several trees were reported down due to thunderstorm winds across the southern part of Grant County, including along Highway 330.
Two trees were reported down along Highway 330 and several trees were downed across other portions of Pendleton County due to thunderstorm winds.
Trees were downed and blocking New Zion Road due to thunderstorm winds.
The wind gust was measured at the Mason County mesonet station.
Roof damage occurred to a home in Vanceburg due to thunderstorm winds. Scattered trees were downed around the county as well as some road closures due to the downed trees.
The gust was measured by the mesonet in Lewis County.
Rushing water due to heavy rainfall ripped up pavement on Highway 467 between Highway 35 and Route 127.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, December 2013
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: 489520, 489521, 489187, 489189, 489169, 489170, 489171, 489172, 489173, 489174, 489175, 489176, 489178, 489181, 489185, 489193.