A series of super cell thunderstorms produced numerous instances of giant hail across portions of eastern Kentucky on April 8, 2015. The largest hail stones ranged from golf ball to slightly larger than tennis ball size.
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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 JKL wrote it up.
A series of super cell thunderstorms produced numerous instances of giant hail across portions of eastern Kentucky on April 8, 2015. The largest hail stones ranged from golf ball to slightly larger than tennis ball size.
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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 8, 11:13 AM EST, 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1213 PM EDT WED APR 8 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1215 PM EDT WED APR 8 2015 BIGGEST CHANGE TO THE FORECAST WAS INCREASING POPS ALONG THE NORTHERN COUNTIES TO ACCOUNT FOR THE POSSIBLE SOUTHWESTERN EXTENSION OF THE MCS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN OHIO. HAVE INCLUDED LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...WITHIN THE WX GRIDS FOR THE NORTHERN COUNTIES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SPC SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 32. ADDITIONALLY...UPDATED T AND TD GRIDS TO ALIGN THEM WITH MOST RECENT OBS. SENT UPDATED GRIDS TO WEB SERVERS AND NDFD. UPDATE ISSUED AT 745 AM EDT WED APR 8 2015 THE ARRIVAL OF LOWER CLOUDS FROM THE WEST HAS ALLOWED THE EARLIER DENSE FOG TO BREAK UP AROUND DAWN. ACCORDINGLY...THIS UPDATE WAS MAINLY TO REMOVE THE ADVISORY AND FOG MENTION...BUT ALSO UPDATED THE POPS THROUGH NOON AND ADJUSTED TEMPS/DEWPOINTS PER THE LATEST OBS AND TRENDS. THE GRIDS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE NDFD AND WEB SERVERS ALONG WITH UPDATES TO THE ZFP AND HWO. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 400 AM EDT WED APR 8 2015 07Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS A STATIONARY BOUNDARY JUST NORTH OF KENTUCKY PLACING THE AREA IN A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS. THE CONVECTION OF THE PAST DAY AND EVENING LEFT PLENTY OF GROUND MOISTURE BEHIND AND NOW THAT CLOUDS ARE CLEARING OFF TO THE EAST...EXPECT WIDESPREAD FOG TO DEVELOP AND BECOME LOCALLY DENSE THIS MORNING. ALREADY JKL...SME...AND LOZ ARE SEEING DENSE FOG. AS A RESULT...A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH DAWN. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S FOR MOST LOCATIONS WHILE DEWPOINTS ARE GENERALLY WITHIN A DEGREE OF THE DRY BULB TEMP...ALSO WINDS REMAIN LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ALOFT THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST. THEY ALL SHOW SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER KENTUCKY WITH PACKETS OF ENERGY PASSING THROUGH THE REGION EVERY FEW HOURS. SOME HEIGHT FALLS WILL GET INTO THE MIX LATE IN THE PERIOD ON THURSDAY AS A LARGER TROUGH SWEEPS EAST AND INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST. THE KEY TO THIS UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL BE THE SMALLER FEATURES THAT THE HIGHER RESOLUTION MODELS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF CATCHING. EVEN SO...THE CONFIDENCE IN ANY PARTICULAR SOLUTION IS LOW SO THE FORECAST HAS AN ELEMENT OF HEDGING TO IT WITH THE HRRR AND NAM12 FAVORED. THE NAM12 ACTUALLY DID A DECENT JOB DEPICTING THE CONVECTION OF THE PAST DAY SO AM INCLINED TO GIVE IT HIGHER WEIGHTING TODAY. SENSIBLE WEATHER WILL LIKELY BE A REPEAT OF TUESDAY WITH A CLUSTER OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLY DEVELOPING BY EARLY AFTERNOON AND TRACKING THROUGH THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PORTION OF THE CWA. THIS IS THE SAME PLACE THAT WAS HIT HARD YESTERDAY AND PWS WILL BE SIMILAR TODAY...SO CONSIDERED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THESE LOCATIONS. HOWEVER...THE UNCERTAINTY IS STILL TOO HIGH BARRING OBVIOUS UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENT SO WILL HIT THIS THREAT WITH AN SPS FOR NOW. THE CONVECTION SHOULD DIE DOWN LATER IN THE EVENING WITH PATCHY FOG...LOCALLY DENSE AGAIN...A CONCERN. THE SET UP REMAINS SIMILAR FOR STORMS ON THURSDAY...IF NOT A TAD BETTER AS THE MAIN TROUGH APPROACHES. ACCORDINGLY...HAVE CONTINUED THE FAIRLY HIGH CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AGAIN USED THE SHORTBLEND COMPOSITE MODEL AS A STARTING POINT FOR THE WINDS/T/TD GRIDS THROUGH THE FIRST 18-24 HOURS AND THE SUPERBLEND THEREAFTER. DID MAKE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON TERRAIN FOR TONIGHT/S TEMPERATURES. AS FOR POPS...ENDED UP CLOSE TO OR A BIT HIGHER THAN A BLEND OF THE MAV AND MET VALUES THROUGH THE PERIOD. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 421 AM EDT WED APR 8 2015 AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...WITH SEVERAL SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED AND ROTATING WITHIN IT...WILL PUSH FROM THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY EASTWARD FROM 0Z FRIDAY AND THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. OVERNIGHT FRIDAY AND INTO THE DAY SATURDAY...THIS WAVE WILL WEAKEN AND CONTINUE TO SHIFT EASTWARD...WHILE BUILDING HEIGHTS AND DEAMPLIFIED RIDGING TAKES HOLD ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. LONG RANGE MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT OF THIS FLOW BECOMING ZONAL THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH A SHORTWAVE DEVELOPING AND RIDING EASTWARD ACROSS KY LATE IN THE DAY AND CONTINUING INTO MONDAY. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE REST OF THE EXTENDED...THE FEATURES ARE WELL AGREED UPON...BUT THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT IS NOT. SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY MORNING A UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW WILL LIKELY DEVELOP OVER THE TX/NM AREA...CAUSING AMPLIFICATION AND EVENTUALLY FALLING HEIGHTS ACROSS KY AS THE LOW STARTS TO MOVE NEWARD DURING THE DAY MONDAY...LOSING CONSIDERABLE STRENGTH AS IT REACHES THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY TUESDAY. MULTIPLE WEAKER SHORTWAVES WILL MOVE AROUND THESE CLOSED LOWS...TRAVELING DIRECTLY INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. AT THE SURFACE...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE COLLOCATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ON FRIDAY AND FOLLOW THE TRACK NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. THIS WILL SEND A COLD FRONT EASTWARD AND INTO THE STATE OF KY...STARTING OFF IN THE FAR WEST AROUND 0Z TO 3Z...AND REACHING THE JKL CWA BY LATE MORNING FRIDAY BEFORE QUICKLY SHIFTING EASTWARD IN THE AFTERNOON...JUST AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXITS. BEST INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE WILL BE LOCATED ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES EXPECTED TO INCREASE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...BEFORE QUICKLY TAPERING OFF ONCE THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH AND A STRONG SHOT OF DRIER AND COOLER NRLY FLOW MOVES IN. AS HEIGHTS BUILD SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...EXPECT SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO BE IN CHARGE...WITH LIGHT WINDS AND GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES. THE COULD CREATE SOME RIDGE VALLEY SPLIT CONDITIONS FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS...AS WAS REFLECTED IN THE FORECAST. BY SUNDAY...THE NEXT SHORTWAVE WILL BEGIN ENCROACHING UPON THE REGION...WITH YET ANOTHER SURFACE LOW LOCATED JUST TO OUR SW. STRONG SRLY FLOW WILL TAKE HOLD...WHICH COUPLED WITH INSTABILITY/LIFT FROM THE NEARBY SYSTEM...WILL CREATE ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY EVENING AND INTO THE DAY MONDAY. FINALLY...THE FUN CONTINUES AS SEVERAL MORE SHORTWAVES TRAVERSE THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE REGION TO CONTINUE OUT THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED. GIVEN THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT DISCREPANCIES OF THE LONG RANGE MODELS...CONTINUED WITH A MODEL BLEND AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...ONE NOTE...IF THE GFS40 MODEL PANS OUT...SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS COULD PUT DOWN SOME HEAVY RAINS...WITH PWATS TOPPING OUT ABOVE 1.3 TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 800 AM EDT WED APR 8 2015 THE FOG PROVED TO BE FLEETING THIS MORNING AS A LAYER OF LOW TO MID CLOUDS MOVED IN AND CLEARED OUT THE LOWER VIS. LATER TODAY ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE STAYED WITH A VCTS FOR THIS WITH MORE REFINEMENT POSSIBLE WITH FUTURE TAF ISSUANCES AS THE TIMING AND EFFECTS OF THIS NEXT WAVE BECOME MORE CLEAR. AFTER THIS WAVE OF ACTIVITY PASSES PATCHY FOG WILL BE A POSSIBILITY MAINLY...IN THE VALLEYS...AND HAVE ADDED SOME TO THE SME AND LOZ TAFS. WINDS WILL REMAIN MAINLY LIGHT FROM THE SOUTH...OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...JVM SHORT TERM...GREIF LONG TERM...JMW AVIATION...GREIF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 745 AM EDT WED APR 8 2015 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-091445- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...CAMARGO... JEFFERSONVILLE...MOUNT STERLING...OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD... IRVINE...RAVENNA...CLAY CITY...STANTON...FRENCHBURG...BRODHEAD... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...ANNVILLE...BURNSIDE...SOMERSET...LONDON... MONTICELLO...STEARNS...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG... BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...CUMBERLAND...HARLAN... SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON... SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...WHEELWRIGHT...BEATTYVILLE... JACKSON...HINDMAN...PIPPA PASSES...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD... MANCHESTER...HYDEN...JENKINS...WHITESBURG...INEZ...COAL RUN... ELKHORN CITY...PIKEVILLE...SOUTH WILLIAMSON 745 AM EDT WED APR 8 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID AFTERNOON AND BRING A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND FLASH FLOODING TO PARTS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY...PARTICULARLY NORTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES FROM THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH A THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY INSTANCES OF HAIL...WIND DAMAGE...OR FLOODING FROM STORMS TODAY. GREIF
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:48 UTC.
16 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail ranging from quarter to half dollar size was reported at Fleming County High School.
Vehicles had to pull over due the hail.
Hail up to the size of quarters fell for up to 15 minutes.
Large hail damaged several vehicles in Woodman.
A significant accumulation of golf ball size hail occurred in Woodman. The hail caused severe damage to the vehicle and roof of the house of the person who phoned in this report.
A member of the public reported hail of varying sizes up to baseball size. The hail at this location dented vehicles and smashed out vehicle windshields.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2015
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: 569359, 569360, 569361, 569373, 569363, 569364, 569362, 569365, 569366, 569369, 569367, 569368, 569370, 569371, 569374, 569372.