Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 21, 2013

Name: Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 21, 2013
Start: 2013-02-21T15:00
End: 2013-02-21T20:00
Location: Kentucky

February 21, 2013 · NWS PAH · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A low pressure system moved slowly northeast from the southern Plains into western Missouri. A warm front extending east from the low pressure center lifted north across the Tennessee Valley.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 7

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.

A low pressure system moved slowly northeast from the southern Plains into western Missouri. A warm front extending east from the low pressure center lifted north across the Tennessee Valley. A large area of wintry precipitation developed ahead of the warm front. Between one-tenth and one-quarter inch of ice glazed trees and power lines, mainly along the Ohio River counties from Henderson to Paducah. Isolated power outages were reported due to downed tree limbs. Short bursts of heavy freezing rain occurred in thunderstorms.

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 Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST, 9 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 4:08 AM CST, 10 hours 52 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
408 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-221015-
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-
408 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY...WITH THE
BIGGEST IMPACTS EXPECTED TO LIE NORTHWEST OF A POPLAR BLUFF
MISSOURI TO CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI TO FAIRFIELD ILLINOIS LINE. A
WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THOSE LOCATIONS FOR THE
LIKELIHOOD OF SIGNIFICANT SLEET AND OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS. SLEET
ACCUMULATION IN THESE AREAS SHOULD AVERAGE AN INCH OR LESS WITH
ICE ACCUMULATION OF AT LEAST ONE QUARTER INCH...WITH HIGHER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE OVER CARTER AND WAYNE COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI.

MINOR ACCUMULATIONS OF FREEZING RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE
NORTHWEST OF A PADUCAH KENTUCKY TO PRINCETON INDIANA LINE...MAINLY
THIS MORNING OVER THE WESTERN TIP OF KENTUCKY AND EARLY TO MID
AFTERNOON OVER THE WABASH RIVER VALLEY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND OTHER WEATHER OBSERVERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
SEND IN ANY REPORTS OF SLEET OR ICE ACCUMULATION TO THE NWS
PADUCAH FORECAST OFFICE.

JAP

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:09 PM CST, 51 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:16 PM CST, 44 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:32 PM CST, 28 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:46 PM CST, 14 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:55 PM CST, 5 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Feb 21, 3:00 PM CST, 0 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Ballard

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Ballard forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Carlisle

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Carlisle forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.853, -88.971 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Livingston

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.210, -88.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Crittenden

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Crittenden forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Union

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Henderson

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, McCracken

When: February 21, 3:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: McCracken forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, February 2013

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 433227, 433228, 433229, 433230, 433231, 433232, 433233.