A prolonged cold snap, beginning on the 15th, worsened as Arctic high pressure combined with a deep snow pack to produce some of the coldest temperatures since January 1994 during the morning of February 20th. Several locations fell to 20 below zero and colder, temperatures not observed during the month of February in eastern Kentucky since 1899.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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 JKL wrote it up.
A prolonged cold snap, beginning on the 15th, worsened as Arctic high pressure combined with a deep snow pack to produce some of the coldest temperatures since January 1994 during the morning of February 20th. Several locations fell to 20 below zero and colder, temperatures not observed during the month of February in eastern Kentucky since 1899. The prolonged cold temperatures resulted in several counties experiencing widespread water outages due to frozen water lines and frozen intakes caused by ice covered rivers.
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 Feb 18, 10:16 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1016 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1015 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTH HALF OF THE CWA...THOUGH THEY ARE BECOMING LIGHTER IN NATURE /MORE FLURRIES IN MANY LOCATIONS/. EXPECT SHOWERS TO SLOWLY TAPER OFF OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS...WHILE FLURRIES MAY LINGER THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. UPDATED THE POP AND WEATHER GRIDS TO BETTER ACCOUNT FOR THE CURRENT CONDITIONS...AND EXPECTED DISSIPATING TREND. ALSO...TOOK A LOOK AT THE LATEST SATELLITE AND HI RES MODEL DATA...AND ADJUSTED THE SKY GRIDS ACCORDINGLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT AS WELL...AS IT SEEMS SOME OF THE SOUTHWEST HAS ALREADY BEGUN CLEARING OUT...WHILE LOW CLOUDS CONTINUE IN THE NORTHERN CWA. LOADED IN THE LATEST OBSERVATIONAL DATA FOR TEMPS...DEW POINTS...AND WINDS...TO MAKE SURE NEAR TERM GRIDS REFLECTED ONGOING CONDITIONS. SO FAR...FALLING TEMPERATURES SEEM TO BE WELL REFLECTED IN THE FORECAST...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR ANY UPDATES AS WE CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THIS EVENING. UPDATE ISSUED AT 734 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE TO WIND DOWN THIS EVENING. WENT AHEAD AND LET THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXPIRE AT 0Z FOR THE WESTERN COUNTIES. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLEARING THIS EVENING FOR BOTH THE SNOW SHOWERS AS WELL AS THE CLOUDS. AS CLOUDS CLEAR OUT...THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FALLING TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT...ADJUSTING THE FORECAST ACCORDINGLY. ANOTHER UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY...INCORPORATING SOME OF THE LATEST OBSERVATIONAL DATA AS WELL. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 445 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 THE PATTERN OF AN EASTERN TROUGH AND WESTERN RIDGE WAS IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS WORKING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY REGION...WHILE A CLOSED UPPER LOW WAS DROPPING FROM ONTARIO INT OTHER NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. AT THE SFC...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS MOVED FROM THE GREAT LAKES AND OH VALLEY REGION AND INTO THE NORTHEASTERN US AND APPALACHIANS. THE FLOW BETWEEN THIS SYSTEM AND A SFC HIGH OVER THE PLAINS HAVE BEGUN TO USHER IN WHAT IS LIKELY THE COLDEST AIR MASS OF THE SEASON AND BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. FOR TONIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST TONIGHT...BUT WEAK IMPULSES IN NORTHWEST FLOW SHOULD MOVE FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE OHIO VALLEY AND INTO THE APPALACHIANS INTO THURSDAY. MEANWHILE...THE CLOSED UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO DIP SOUTH INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND THEN WORK INTO THE NORTHEASTERN US THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. AS THIS DIPS SOUTH...THAT IS WHEN THE AIR MASS ALOFT SHOULD BE AT ITS COLDEST. THE WEAK DISTURBANCES IN NORTHWEST FLOW SHOULD BRING CONTINUED LOW CLOUDS OR PERIODS OF LOW CLOUDS AND CHANCES FOR SNOW SHOWERS INITIALLY AND THEN FLURRIES. THE COLD ADVECTION AND WEST TO NORTHWEST UPSLOPE FLOW WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY THURSDAY. AS A RESULT...SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING AND NIGHT...GRADUALLY DIMINISHING IN INTENSITY TO JUST FLURRIES FROM THE EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LOCALIZED AND AVERAGE AN INCH OR LESS. WINDS COULD ALSO LEAD TO BLOWING OF THE FLUFFY SNOW AT TIMES INTO THIS EVENING. LOCATIONS THAT EXPERIENCE LINGERING STRATOCU INTO THURSDAY SHOULD SEE FLUFFY FLURRIES AT TIMES. LOW TEMPS TONIGHT ARE A TOUGH FORECAST...ESPECIALLY IS THERE IS ANY CLEARING WITH THE DEEP SNOW COVER IN MOST LOCATIONS...SOME OF WHICH IS FRESH FROM TODAY. IN ADDITION...THE AIR MASS MOVING IN IS VERY COLD WITH 850 MB TEMPS BOTTOMING OUT AROUND MINUS 26 C ON THURSDAY. SINCE THE LAST SNOW STORM WE HAVE HAD A FEW LOCATIONS FALL A FEW TO SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW ZERO WHEN CLEARING HAS OCCURRED AND THIS IS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN TONIGHT. COOP MOS GUIDANCE SUPPORTS THIS AS WELL. HOW LOW TO GO IS THE QUESTION. THE COMBINATION OF THE COLD AIR MASS AND WINDS AVERAGING 5 TO 15 MPH THROUGH TONIGHT AND ON THURSDAY WILL BRING WIND CHILLS INTO THE 20 TO 30 BELOW RANGE AT TIMES...OR WIND CHILL WARNING RANGE THROUGH MIDDAY ON THURSDAY... ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS AND ON THE HIGHER RIDGES TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY WILL LIKELY HAVE ONLY A MINIMAL RISE OR IN SOME CASES HOLD NEARLY STEADY DUE TO THE COLD AIR ADVECTION. THE WINDS SHOULD SLACKEN A BIT LATER ON THU AS THE HIGH GETS CLOSER AND THE PRESS GRADIENT SLACKENS AND TEMPS RISE A BIT...LEADING TO SLIGHTLY WARMER WIND CHILLS MORE IN THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY RANGE. ENOUGH CLEARING AND A GRADUAL DIMINISHMENT OF THE WINDS AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE WORKS OVERHEAD SHOULD COMBINE WITH THE SNOW COVER TO BRING LOWS INTO THE 10 TO 20 BELOW RANGE IN MANY AREAS FOR THURSDAY NIGHT. THE LIGHT WINDS SHOULD LEAD TO WIND CHILLS EVEN AS LATE AS THU NIGHT INTO THE 15 TO 25 BELOW ZERO RANGE. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 554 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 ...COMPLEX WINTER STORM SYSTEM TAKES AIM AREA THIS WEEKEND... MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW BACKS QUICKLY THROUGH THE FIRST 24 TO 48 HOURS OF THE EXTENDED AS SHORT WAVE ENERGY SHOOTS OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN AND THROUGH THE PLAINS. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A ROUND OF WINTRY WEATHER THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH FEATURES OVERALL...DEVELOPING A SURFACE LOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WHICH THEN TRACKS UP THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. HOWEVER...CRITICAL DIFFERENCES ULTIMATELY CROP UP WITH SENSIBLE WEATHER DETAILS AND IN PARTICULAR WITH RESPECT TO STORM TRACK AND PRECIPITATION TOTALS. OVERRUNNING PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WITH A VERY COLD BOUNDARY LAYER IN PLACE. TEMPERATURE PROFILES APPEAR COLD ENOUGH THAT PRECIPITATION SHOULD FALL MAINLY AS SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT...THOUGH SOME SLEET CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED...WITH INITIAL ESTIMATES RANGING FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES. AS DAWN APPROACHES PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TO MIX WITH SLEET AND THEN FREEZING RAIN THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...GENERALLY FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. THERE IS EXTRA CONCERN WITH OUR EASTERN VALLEYS AS IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT AT BEST TO SCOUR OUT COLD AIR DAMNED UP IN THOSE SHELTERED VALLEY LOCATIONS. HOW QUICKLY SFC TEMPERATURES WARM WILL DEPEND GREATLY ON PRECIPITATION RATES...E.G IF PRECIPITATION BECOMES HEAVY ENOUGH MASS TRANSPORT WILL BRING WARMER AIR MORE QUICKLY TO THE SFC. ATTM PRECIPITATION RATES DO NOT LOOK IMPRESSIVE IN THE EAST...BUT MUCH BETTER IN THE WEST. THEREFORE FREEZING RAIN MAY HAVE A TENDENCY TO LINGER INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON WITHIN OUR EASTERN VALLEY AREAS. EVENTUALLY ALL PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO RAIN AS WE FIND OURSELVES SOLIDLY WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR OF THIS STORM SYSTEM. AGAIN...PRECIPITATION RATES WILL BE CRITICAL IN THE SENSE THAT IF RAINFALL BECOMES HEAVY ENOUGH FOCUS WILL TURN RAPIDLY FROM A WINTRY SCENARIO OVER TO A HYDRO/FLOODING CONCERN. WITH NEARLY A FOOT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AREA WIDE...A RAPID SNOW MELT COULD CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS. SNOW PACK LIQUID EQUIVALENTS ARE AROUND 1.5 INCHES. ANY SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AMOUNTS COMBINED WITH SNOW MELT STRONGLY SUGGEST HYDRO ISSUES. WITH ITS MORE WESTERLY STORM TRACK...THE ECMWF KEEPS THE BULK OF ITS RAINFALL TO OUR NORTHWEST PRODUCING ABOUT AN INCH OF QPF IN TOTAL FOR THIS WEEKENDS EVENT. HOWEVER...THE GFS IS BRUTAL WITH ITS MORE EASTERLY TRACK AND ADVERTISES 3 INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN ACROSS THE HEART OF THE CWA...COINCIDING DIRECTLY WITH AREAS SEEING THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED VERY CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT FEW MODEL CYCLES. STAY TUNED... .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 640 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015 A POTENT WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...BRINGING WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW TO THE REGION. MVFR CIGS WILL SET IN QUICKLY THIS MORNING IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY. THE WIDESPREAD SNOW SHOULD EXIT BY MIDDAY...BUT MOISTURE FROM THE GREAT LAKES WILL INTERACT WITH A SECONDARY DISTURBANCE PUSHING ACROSS THE AREA...TO YIELD CONVECTIVE SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL CAUSE NEAR WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES AND BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS. THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE INTERMITTENT THROUGH EARLY EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING TO WEAKER SNOW SHOWERS FOR TONIGHT. WINDS IN AND AROUND THE SNOW SQUALLS COULD ALSO GUST TO 30 MPH AT TIMES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 640 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015 A POTENT WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...BRINGING WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW TO THE REGION. MVFR CIGS WILL SET IN QUICKLY THIS MORNING IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY. THE WIDESPREAD SNOW SHOULD EXIT BY MIDDAY...BUT MOISTURE FROM THE GREAT LAKES WILL INTERACT WITH A SECONDARY DISTURBANCE PUSHING ACROSS THE AREA...TO YIELD CONVECTIVE SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL CAUSE NEAR WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES AND BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS. THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE INTERMITTENT THROUGH EARLY EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING TO WEAKER SNOW SHOWERS FOR TONIGHT. WINDS IN AND AROUND THE SNOW SQUALLS COULD ALSO GUST TO 30 MPH AT TIMES. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST THURSDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THURSDAY TO 8 AM EST FRIDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM EST THURSDAY FOR KYZ085>088- 104-106>120. && UPDATE...JMW SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM...RAY AVIATION...JMW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 725 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083-084-191230- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...PLEASUREVILLE... MOUNT STERLING...JEFFERSONVILLE...OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD... IRVINE...STANTON...CLAY CITY...WELLINGTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...BRODHEAD...MCKEE...ANNVILLE...SOMERSET...LONDON... MONTICELLO...PINE KNOT...STEARNS...WHITLEY CITY 725 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 ...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THURSDAY... ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THURSDAY TO 8 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF THIS EVENING. FRIGID TEMPERATURES AND PERSISTENT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS -15 AND -30 TONIGHT. A WIND CHILL WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED TO COVER THIS THREAT...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WIND CHILL WARNING FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. FRIGID TEMPERATURES AND PERSISTENT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS BETWEEN -15 AND -30 THROUGH MIDDAY ON THURSDAY. BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS -10 TO -20 WILL STILL LINGER INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THIS THREAT...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW MAY OCCUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY MORNING...ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. ANY MIXED PRECIPITATION SHOULD CHANGE TO RAIN IN ALL AREAS BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF FALLING RAIN AND MELTING SNOW AS WELL AS ICE ON AREA CREEKS AND RIVERS COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. THEN SNOW IS POSSIBLE AGAIN AT TIMES MAINLY FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH TONIGHT. KYZ085>088-104-106>120-191230- WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN- FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN- PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...PROVIDENCE... BARBOURVILLE...NORTH CORBIN...PINEVILLE...GEORGETOWN... SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON... SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...WHEELWRIGHT...UNION...BEATTYVILLE... FINCASTLE...JACKSON...HINDMAN...PIPPA PASSES...BOONEVILLE... HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...JENKINS...WHITESBURG...MCROBERTS... FLEMING-NEON...INEZ...WARFIELD...PIKEVILLE 725 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 ...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THURSDAY... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST THURSDAY... ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THURSDAY TO 8 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. FRIGID TEMPERATURES AND PERSISTENT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS -15 AND -30 TONIGHT. A WIND CHILL WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED TO COVER THIS THREAT IN ADDITION TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST ADVISORY AND WARNING PRODUCTS FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. FRIGID TEMPERATURES AND PERSISTENT NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS BETWEEN -15 AND -30 THROUGH MIDDAY ON THURSDAY. BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS -10 TO -20 WILL STILL LINGER INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THIS THREAT...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW MAY OCCUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY MORNING...ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. ANY MIXED PRECIPITATION SHOULD CHANGE TO RAIN IN ALL AREAS BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF FALLING RAIN AND MELTING SNOW AS WELL AS ICE ON AREA CREEKS AND RIVERS COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. THEN SNOW IS POSSIBLE AGAIN AT TIMES MAINLY FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH TONIGHT. JP/JMW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 706 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-191000- 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...PLEASUREVILLE... MOUNT STERLING...JEFFERSONVILLE...OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD... IRVINE...STANTON...CLAY CITY...WELLINGTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...BRODHEAD...MCKEE...ANNVILLE...SOMERSET...LONDON... MONTICELLO...PINE KNOT...STEARNS...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...PROVIDENCE...BARBOURVILLE...NORTH CORBIN... PINEVILLE...GEORGETOWN...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY... PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG... WHEELWRIGHT...UNION...BEATTYVILLE...FINCASTLE...JACKSON... HINDMAN...PIPPA PASSES...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER... HYDEN...JENKINS...WHITESBURG...MCROBERTS...FLEMING-NEON...INEZ... WARFIELD...PIKEVILLE 706 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015 ..EXTREME COLD EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT... ...WINTER STORM POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND... AN ARCTIC HIGH MOVING OVER KENTUCKY THURSDAY NIGHT WILL SET THE STAGE FOR TEMPERATURES TO PLUMMET TO THE TEENS BELOW ZERO...OR WORSE...DUE TO THE FRESH AND DEEP SNOWPACK...A POTENTIAL FOR CLEAR SKIES...AND LIGHT WINDS. THIS BITTERLY COLD WEATHER... POTENTIALLY UNSEEN IN THIS PART OF KENTUCKY FOR OVER TWO DECADES...WILL POSE A THREAT TO PEOPLE...OUTDOOR PETS...AND LIVESTOCK. PIPES ARE ALSO LIABLE TO FREEZE IF NOT PROPERLY INSULATED...ESPECIALLY IN OLDER OR POORLY INSULATED HOUSES AND MOBILE HOMES. PLEASE TAKE PRECAUTIONS NOW. LOOKING AHEAD...A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM WILL TAKE AIM AT EASTERN KENTUCKY STARTING FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH A LIKELIHOOD OF ACCUMULATING SNOW INTO SATURDAY MORNING. AS IT LOOKS NOW...THE SNOW WILL EVENTUALLY TRANSITION TO RAIN BY MID AFTERNOON SATURDAY WITH A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE THAT MORNING. IN ADDITION...THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM MAY BE ENOUGH TO BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINS WITH IT RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING AS THE SNOW STARTS TO MELT. VISIT OUR INTERNET WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JKL OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON OUR PROLONGED BOUT OF UPCOMING WINTRY WEATHER. GREIF/JMW
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
901 PM EST WED FEB 18 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM SNOW 4 ESE STANTON 37.82N 83.79W
02/18/2015 M2.3 INCH POWELL KY TRAINED SPOTTER
TOTAL SNOW DEPTH OF 11.0 INCHES
&&
JVMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
At one point there were around 17,000 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. The temperate fell to 14 below zero in Pikeville on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 6,000 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. The temperature fell to 11 below zero in Harlan on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 3,000 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. The temperature fell to 18 below zero at Buckhorn Lake on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 2,500 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. A cooperative weather station near Prestonsburg measured a temperature of 21 below zero on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 2,000 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. A cooperative weather station near Inez measured a temperature of 21 below zero on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 450 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. Temperatures fell to as cold as 21 below zero at Skyline during the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 2,500 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county.
At one point there were around 200 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. The temperature fell to 26 below zero at the Johnson County Mesonet site near Paintsville on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 200 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. The temperature fell to 12 below zero at the Knott County Mesonet site outside of Hindman, with valley locations dropping to around 20 below zero on the morning of the 20th.
At one point there were around 200 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county.
At one point there were around 900 households without water due to water intakes being covered and blocked by ice and debris and multiple water line breaks through the county. The temperature fell to 10 below zero in Middlesboro on the morning of the 20th.
The coroner in Knox County said that a man in his 50's was found dead along Highway 1304 in the Payne's Creek area. The cause of death was ruled as exposure to the cold.
The coroner in Knox County said that a man in his 50's was found dead along Highway 1304 in the Payne's Creek area. The cause of death was ruled as exposure to the cold.
Wayne County Coroner said 70-year-old Tensley Couch died Thursday afternoon in the snow outside of his home in the Jabez community. His cause of death is believed to be cold weather and exertion. The coroner said Couch came home from the store and when his truck became stuck about 150 feet from his home, he tried to walk the rest of the way. Couch collapsed and died about 50 feet from his front door.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Knox | 2015-02-20 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct | |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wayne | 2015-02-19 | 70 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, February 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: 563102, 563103, 563104, 563105, 563107, 563108, 563109, 563111, 563113, 563114, 563115, 563144, 563145, 563146.