In the wake of an Arctic cold front, northwest winds increased to 20 to 30 mph. Peak wind gusts were measured around 45 mph, except slightly lower in the Tennessee border counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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 PAH wrote it up.
In the wake of an Arctic cold front, northwest winds increased to 20 to 30 mph. Peak wind gusts were measured around 45 mph, except slightly lower in the Tennessee border counties. Peak wind gusts were measured up to 46 mph at the Madisonville airport. A wind gust to 45 mph was measured at the mesonet site near Marion. At the Paducah airport, the wind gusted to 45 mph.
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 Jan 26, 9:48 PM CST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
948 PM CST Sun Jan 26 2014
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 948 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014
Just a brief resend, to update the WWA section below.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Tuesday night)
ISSUED AT 339 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014
Surface analysis shows low pressure centered over central
Wisconsin and an associated cold front extending across northern
Iowa into southeast Wyoming. Models show the front moving through
the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys this evening through
09z. Models show some very light post frontal precipitation across
eastern portions of the PAH forecast area between 06z and 12z.
Very cold air will be quickly filtering into our region behind
the front. Soundings indicate any light precipitation will fall as
snow, and model QPF indicate a dusting to maybe a tenth of an
inch at best. Along with any light snow, winds will really crank
up for a few hours just behind the front, also making any real
accumulation challenging. Between 06z and 12z, sustained northwest
winds of 20 to 25 kts with gusts to 35 kts are expected, gradually
decreasing to around 15 kts by 18z. Wind chill readings will drop
into the -10 to -15 degree range for a few hours late tonight into
early Monday, so will issue a wind chill advisory for our northern
counties. After morning lows in the middle single digits and
teens, temperature will struggle to reach 10 to 15 degrees north
to around 20 degrees southwest.
High pressure will continue to build southeast out of southwest
Canada Monday night. Low temperatures will range from around -3
north to around +5 degrees southwest. With north winds at 5 to 10
kts late Monday night into Tuesday morning, wind chill readings
will be in the -5 to -15 degree range. Highs Tuesday will reach
the middle to upper teens. With winds becoming light southerly
late Tuesday night, temperatures will stay above zero in the
single digits to help begin a gradual warm up.
.LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Sunday)
ISSUED AT 316 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014
The early week cold starts to moderate by mid week. Wednesday should
still be a day that remains below the freezing mark, but the mercury
will flirt with exceeding it, at least in the Ozark foothills.
High pressure anchors to the east and by Thursday, return flow
southerlys warm the profile back above the freezing mark. Some 40s
may be noted across our southern counties.
A cold front is approaching from the north and west during the day
Thursday, and looks to make passage Thursday night. The ECMWF is a
little more robust with it, while the GFS breaks it apart a little
bit upon passage. Both are generally light with pcpn altogether, and
so we'll have a smallish Thursday night pop for system passage. The
profile looks cold enough then for snow.
Friday into the weekend marks the beginning of a wetter forecast,
although not wet in entirety, but rather in chance category pcpn.
The aforementioned boundary looks to return as some sort of warm
sector, again the models differ a little on strength and magnitude
of said return/warming. But generally speaking for the days 6-7
period, the boundary returns north/wobbling, and transitions to
liquid pops for much of the weekend for the bulk of the area. Some
changeover or mix time may be expected as this occurs, but not
looking to be too big of an event at this stage in the game at
least. Monitor closely however, with changeover timing and some
mornings of sub freezing lows for mainly northern parts of the
region.
&&
.AVIATION...
ISSUED AT 846 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014
Modified the current WFO PAH TAF's to account for the impressive
wind shift/gust expected with the frontal passage/pressure
gradient boundary in central IL and MO at this time. There may be
some loss in wind speeds with time, but expect gusts 40 to 45
knots may last for several hours overnight.
&&
.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...WIND ADVISORY until 6 AM CST Monday FOR ILZ075>078-080>094.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY from 3 AM to 9 AM CST Monday FOR ILZ075>078-
080>087.
MO...WIND ADVISORY until 6 AM CST Monday FOR MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114.
IN...WIND ADVISORY until 6 AM CST Monday FOR INZ081-082-085>088.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY from 3 AM to 9 AM CST Monday FOR INZ081-082-
085>088.
KY...WIND ADVISORY until 6 AM CST Monday FOR KYZ001>022.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY from 3 AM to 9 AM CST Monday FOR KYZ014-018-
019.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 903 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-271100- 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- 903 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY. REFER TO THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR DETAILS. THE ADVISORY COVERS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND NORTHWEST KENTUCKY. VERY STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP AS A STRONG ARCTIC FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT. REFER TO THE PRODUCT FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ELEVATED FIRE DANGER DUE TO LOWERING HUMIDITY...GUSTY WINDS...AND DRY FUELS IS FORECAST MONDAY AFTERNOON...PARTICULARLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND THE OZARK FOOTHILLS. ADDITIONAL WIND CHILL ADVISORIES MAY BE NECESSARY MONDAY NIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY AS THE VERY COLDEST ARCTIC AIR ARRIVES...PLUMMETING AIR TEMPERATURES TO NEAR ZERO...WITH RESULTANT WIND CHILLS WELL THROUGH THE NEGATIVE DIGITS AGAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 400 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-271000- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION... MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO... CARMI...CARBONDALE...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN... JONESBORO...VIENNA...GOLCONDA...ELIZABETHTOWN...CAIRO... MOUND CITY...METROPOLIS...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG...POSEYVILLE... EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE...ROCKPORT...HICKMAN...CLINTON... BARDWELL...WICKLIFFE...PADUCAH...MAYFIELD...SMITHLAND...BENTON... MURRAY...MARION...EDDYVILLE...CADIZ...PRINCETON...MORGANFIELD... DIXON...MADISONVILLE...HOPKINSVILLE...HENDERSON...OWENSBORO... CALHOUN...GREENVILLE...ELKTON...PERRYVILLE...MARBLE HILL... CAPE GIRARDEAU...PIEDMONT...VAN BUREN...DONIPHAN...POPLAR BLUFF... BLOOMFIELD...SIKESTON...CHARLESTON...NEW MADRID 400 PM CST SUN JAN 26 2014 ...ANOTHER PERIOD OF BITTER COLD IS ON THE WAY... THE BRIEF WARM UP ENJOYED TODAY WILL BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER BLAST OF ARCTIC AIR THAT WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY TOMORROW MORNING IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. LOWS TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS NORTH TO THE TEENS SOUTH. TEMPERATURES WILL HARDLY RISE...IF AT ALL...THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS MONDAY. SO HIGHS WILL RANGE THROUGH MAINLY THE TEENS MONDAY AFTERNOON...WITH SOME LOWER 20S POSSIBLE SOUTH. THEN COMES THE MOST BITTER COLD. UNDER IDEAL COOLING CONDITIONS MONDAY NIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET TO NEAR ZERO. NEGATIVE DIGITS ARE EXPECTED IN THE NORTH. COMBINED WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WIND...THIS WILL MAKE WIND CHILL READINGS RANGE THROUGH THE NEGATIVE DIGITS...FLIRTING WITH THE ADVISORY THRESHOLD OF MINUS 10 OR COLDER...FROM LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS TUESDAY. EXTREME COLD IS DANGEROUS FOR ANY EXPOSED SKIN...AS FROSTBITE CAN OCCUR QUICKLY. HYPOTHERMIA CAN DEVELOP AS WELL IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. LEAVING PETS UNATTENDED TO IN THE COLD PUTS THEM IN DANGER AS WELL. THESE COLD CONDITIONS ONCE AGAIN WILL INCREASE THE CONCERN FOR FREEZING AND BURSTING OF WATER PIPES. UNLIKE CONDITIONS ON CALM...VERY COLD NIGHTS...THIS BITTER COLD WILL BE WIND DRIVEN. THIS CAN CAUSE THE VERY COLD AIR TO INFILTRATE POORLY INSULATED AREAS MORE EFFICIENTLY. TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE OF THIS COMING EXTREMELY COLD WIND CHILLS...ESPECIALLY TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2014
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: 490241, 490242, 490244, 490245, 490246, 490247, 490248, 490249, 490250, 490251, 490252, 490253, 490254, 490256, 490257.