Hail in Kentucky, May 27, 2014

Name: Hail in Kentucky, May 27, 2014
Start: 2014-05-27T15:05
End: 2014-05-27T15:05
Location: Kentucky

May 27, 2014 · NWS RLX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms formed during the afternoon in a warm and moist environment. Brief downpours were the main result, but some large hail did occur.

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: 1

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 RLX wrote it up.

Thunderstorms formed during the afternoon in a warm and moist environment. Brief downpours were the main result, but some large hail did occur.

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 27, 2:24 PM EST, 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 27, 2:24 PM EST, 41 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
324 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
MUGGY AIR WITH ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH DOWNPOURS
THROUGH THURSDAY. STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING LATE WEDNESDAY INTO
THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE THIS WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
A VERY SUMMER LIKE ATMOSPHERE IS NOW IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION.
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE UNDER A WEAK UPPER RIDGE...THE VERY WARM...MOIST
AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE NOW IN PLACE WILL COMBINE WITH HEATING TO
PRODUCE MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY. WHILE GOING WITH LIKELY AFTERNOON POPS
REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...LITTLE
IF ANY LEFTOVER CONVECTION AND LOW POPS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH
LOSS OF HEATING. WITH PW'S AT OR ABOVE 1.50 INCHES AND AN UPPER FLOW
THAT IS WEAKENING WITH TIME...WILL MENTION LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. THIS
WILL ESPECIALLY BE TRUE ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...THE MAIN FOCUSING
MECHANISM FOR THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES WILL BE A SLOW COOL FRONT
DRIFTING SOUTHWARD...ONLY REACHING OUR NORTHERN BORDER BY THE END OF
THE DAY WEDNESDAY. SO MOST OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THIS PERIOD
WOULD MOSTLY LIKELY ONLY ORGANIZE INTO SMALL CLUSTERS AND PROPAGATE
FAIRLY QUICKLY FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER. AND WITH HIGH FLASH FLOOD
GUIDANCE AT TIME...WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY FLOOD WATCHES AND CONTINUE
HEIGHTENED AWARENESS IN HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PRODUCT.

ENOUGH BREAKS IN CLOUDS WEDNESDAY TO GO WITH HIGHER TEMP GUIDANCE IN
THE 80S. DEFINITELY GOING ON THE HIGH SIDE OF TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE
AT NIGHT...GIVEN ALL THE MOISTURE AND HIGH DEWPOINTS. MUGGY NIGHTS
IN STORE.

&&

.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
SHORT TERM PERIOD STARTS WITH ONE VORT MAX MOVING OUT TO THE
EAST...AS ANOTHER APPROACHES...WITH A COLD FRONT SINKING SOUTH AT
THE SURFACE. TRIED TO SHOW A BREAK IN POPS BETWEEN THE TWO VORT
MAXES...BUT WITH THE FRONT AROUND STILL KEPT MOST OF THE AREA IN
CHANCE THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...THEN RAMPING BACK UP TO
LIKELY AS THE SECOND VORT MAX DROPS IN FROM THE NW. WITH SLOW
STEERING FLOW ALOFT...CONVECTION SHOULD BE SLOW MOVING WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. WILL KEEP HWO AS IS. AS THE COLD FRONT HEADS
SOUTH...THINGS BEGIN TO DRY OUT FROM NORTH TO SOUTH WITH ANY
LINGERING PRECIP ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA ENDING LATE FRIDAY. HIGHS
AND LOWS RUNNING SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
A SURFACE HIGH DROPS THROUGH THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES SATURDAY AND
LINGERS ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD SUNDAY...WITH WEAK RIDGE ALOFT.
THIS SHOULD GIVE A DRY WEEKEND ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA.
COULD GET SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED PRECIP SUNDAY AFTERNOON
ACROSS EXTREME SW CWA...CLOSER TO ANY LINGERING MOISTURE...AS
UPPER RIDGE BEGINS BREAKING DOWN. GFS AND ECMWF DIFFER SOME IN
HANDLING SYNOPTIC FEATURES FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. GFS SHOWS A WARM
FRONT LIFTING THROUGH MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...ATTACHED TO A SURFACE
LOW IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THE ECMWF SHOWS A COLD FRONT SINKING
IN FROM THE NORTH. STUCK VERY CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE THROUGH THE
LONG TERM.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
18Z TUESDAY THRU 18Z WEDNESDAY...
EXPECT NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING IN
MOST AREAS. EXCEPT FOR LOCALLY MVFR TO IFR IN HEAVIER CONVECTION
THIS AFTERNOON...AND MVFR CEILINGS IN MAINLY THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS
TIL 19Z...EXPECT VFR CEILINGS 4000 TO 6000 FEET AND UNRESTRICTED
VISIBILITY. CONVECTION WANES RAPIDLY THIS EVENING WITH LOSS OF
HEATING...BUT AREAS RECEIVING RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
CAN EXPECT SOME MVFR/IFR FOG TONIGHT. BY 03Z...EXPECT LITTLE
LEFTOVER CONVECTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT...BUT ALSO EXPECT
MVFR TO IFR IN ESPECIALLY RIVER AND VALLEY FOG 05Z TO 13Z.

AFTER 14Z...GENERALLY VFR SCT-BKN 3500-4500 AGL AND UNRESTRICTED
VSBY EXCEPT IN REDEVELOPING CONVECTION BY AROUND 16Z.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY...

FORECAST CONFIDENCE: LOW TO MEDIUM.

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING COULD
END FASTER WITH LOSS OF HEATING. FOG FORMATION TONIGHT DEPENDS
HEAVILY ON WHERE AND HOW MUCH IT RAINS...AND HOW MUCH CLOUD REMAINS.

EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY
OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION:
H = HIGH:   TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.
M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS.
L = LOW:    TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.

UTC 1HRLY       20   21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   07
EDT 1HRLY       16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01   02   03
CRW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    M
HTS CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    M
BKW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
EKN CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
PKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    M
CKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    M

AFTER 18Z WEDNESDAY...
IFR POSSIBLE IN SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS INTO THURSDAY.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...NONE.
OH...NONE.
KY...NONE.
VA...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...JMV/MZ
NEAR TERM...JMV
SHORT TERM...MZ
LONG TERM...MZ
AVIATION...JMV

Hazardous weather outlook, May 27, 2:18 AM EST, 12 hours 47 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
318 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-
013>020-024>040-046-047-280730-
GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-
JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE-
CABELL-MASON-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-TYLER-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-
ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-BRAXTON-
GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-RALEIGH-FAYETTE-
NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH-
318 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST
KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND MUCH OF WEST
VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

IN THE MUGGY AIR...ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. DOWNPOURS ARE LIKELY.
THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE MOVING SLOWER ON WEDNESDAY AND
THURSDAY...COMPARED TO TODAY.

IF REPETITIVE CONVECTION HITS THE SAME STREAM BASINS...FLASH
FLOODING MAY OCCUR. THE HIGHER RISK APPEARS TO BE WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY EVENING.

IF THIS THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING INCREASES...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
WOULD BE POSTED FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE COUNTIES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

KTB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 27, 12:16 PM EST, 2 hours 49 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
116 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

WVZ011-020-031-032-040-271815-
BARBOUR WV-DODDRIDGE WV-HARRISON WV-TAYLOR WV-TYLER WV-
116 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR TYLER...TAYLOR...NORTHERN BARBOUR...
NORTHEASTERN DODDRIDGE AND HARRISON COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM EDT...

AT 113 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 16 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF MIDDLEBOURNE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE PEA-SIZED HAIL. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL
FROM THIS STORM...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY
FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR SEDALIA AROUND 125 PM...SALEM AROUND 130
PM...WALLACE AROUND 140 PM...WOLF SUMMIT AROUND 145 PM...LUMBERPORT
AROUND 200 PM...MEADOWBROOK AND CLARKSBURG AROUND 205 PM.

YOU MAY REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

LAT...LON 3930 8077 3948 8074 3948 8067 3944 8055
      3947 8047 3944 8028 3940 8020 3941 8011
      3939 8009 3940 8004 3946 7994 3944 7990
      3931 7989 3924 7982 3911 7982

21

Special weather statement, May 27, 12:42 PM EST, 2 hours 23 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
142 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

OHZ083-086-087-WVZ006-007-014-271845-
CABELL WV-GALLIA OH-JACKSON OH-LAWRENCE OH-MASON WV-PUTNAM WV-
142 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR LAWRENCE...SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON AND
GALLIA COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST OHIO...AND NORTHERN CABELL...MASON AND
NORTHWESTERN PUTNAM COUNTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA UNTIL 245 PM EDT...

AT 138 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTH OF
RIO GRANDE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE SMALL HAIL. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM
THIS STORM...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL
ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.

YOU MAY REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

LAT...LON 3868 8277 3869 8276 3868 8272 3875 8270
      3876 8267 3884 8266 3886 8267 3897 8192
      3844 8195 3841 8251 3860 8276 3865 8278

21

Special weather statement, May 27, 2:25 PM EST, 40 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
325 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

WVZ005-013-026-272030-
BOONE WV-LINCOLN WV-WAYNE WV-
325 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR EASTERN WAYNE...NORTHWESTERN BOONE
AND SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM EDT...

AT 318 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF WAYNE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AND HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM THIS STORM...AND WILL
CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND
SMALL STREAMS.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR RANGER AROUND 330 PM...GILL AROUND 340 PM...
MUD AROUND 350 PM...WOODVILLE AROUND 400 PM AND JULIAN AROUND 410 PM.

YOU MAY REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

LAT...LON 3821 8237 3821 8184 3799 8185 3800 8196
      3801 8196 3802 8194 3802 8197 3802 8202
      3801 8207 3803 8238

50

Special weather statement, May 27, 2:37 PM EST, 28 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
337 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

OHZ075-084-085-272000-
ATHENS OH-MEIGS OH-VINTON OH-
337 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR CENTRAL VINTON...NORTHWESTERN MEIGS
AND SOUTHWESTERN ATHENS COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM EDT...

AT 332 PM EDT...A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS LOCATED 4
MILES WEST OF MCARTHUR...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR ZALESKI AROUND 350 PM AND LAKE HOPE
STATE PARK AROUND 400 PM.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

YOU MAY REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

LAT...LON 3932 8264 3934 8217 3914 8219 3917 8254
      3918 8254 3918 8261 3919 8265

50

Special weather statement, May 27, 2:56 PM EST, 9 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
356 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

KYZ101-OHZ083>087-272030-
GALLIA OH-GREENUP KY-JACKSON OH-LAWRENCE OH-MEIGS OH-VINTON OH-
356 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR NORTHERN GREENUP COUNTY IN
KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHERN VINTON...WESTERN MEIGS...LAWRENCE...JACKSON
AND GALLIA COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST OHIO UNTIL 430 PM EDT...

AT 348 PM EDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE FROM WELLSTON TO 11 MILES SOUTH OF PORTSMOUTH...MOVING
EAST AT 25 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AND HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY
FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR WURTLAND AROUND 410 PM...CARPENTER
AROUND 420 PM AND WATERLOO AROUND 430 PM.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

YOU MAY REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY POSTING YOUR REPORT TO THE
CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR
BY USING THE TWITTER HASHTAG...NWSRLX.

LAT...LON 3874 8300 3876 8293 3876 8289 3874 8286
      3859 8284 3860 8275 3868 8277 3869 8271
      3875 8270 3876 8267 3884 8266 3885 8277
      3894 8276 3895 8281 3899 8281 3921 8265
      3919 8198 3850 8256 3851 8316

50

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:06 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Greenup

When: May 27, 3:05 PM EST
Where: Greenup County, Load
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 38.550, -82.970

Hail fell that was as large as quarters.

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 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, May 2014

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: 508646.