Scattered severe thunderstorms formed in a moist and unstable air mass just to the south of an ill defined and slow moving frontal boundary on June 18, 2015. The storms brought down trees in Pike, Estill, Wolfe, and Breathitt counties.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Scattered severe thunderstorms formed in a moist and unstable air mass just to the south of an ill defined and slow moving frontal boundary on June 18, 2015. The storms brought down trees in Pike, Estill, Wolfe, and Breathitt counties.
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 Jun 18, 11:07 AM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1207 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1207 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 VIS SAT SHOWING HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS AND CU BUILDING ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE JUST BEGINNING TO POP UP ON RECENT SCANS OF THE WSR-88D RADAR. COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS HEATING BUILDS AND CONVECTIVE TEMPS ARE REACHED. ADJUSTED GRIDS TO LATEST OBS AND TRENDS BUT OTHERWISE GRIDS ARE ON TRACK. UPDATE ISSUED AT 1000 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 LATEST SATELLITE AND OBS SUGGEST MUCH OF THE FOG SEEN THIS MORNING HAS BURNT OFF. OTHERWISE MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE STREAMING ACROSS PORTION OF EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE THIS MORNING. CONVECTIVE MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON GENERALLY AFTER 17Z. GIVEN NO MAJOR SYNOPTIC BOUNDARIES THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE MUCH LIKE IT HAS BEEN THE PAST FEW DAYS WITH MORE OF A INFLUENCE FROM MESOSCALE FEATURES AND WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVES. UPDATE ISSUED AT 655 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INPUT THE LATEST OBS INTO THE GRIDS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE NOT BEGUN TO DEVELOP YET THIS MORNING DESPITE THE HRRR HINTING AT DEVELOPMENT BY 12Z. DECIDED TO KEEP THE FORECAST AS IS WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE ACROSS THE AREA BY LATE MORNING AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK AND A NEW ZFP WILL NOT BE NEEDED. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 321 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 CURRENT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA FEATURE EASTERN KENTUCKY UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW WITH A STATIONARY BOUNDARY TO THE NORTH ALONG THE LOWER GREAT LAKES. THIS PUTS EAST KENTUCKY IN A VERY HOT AND MUGGY TROPICAL AIRMASS. THIS SITUATION WILL MAKE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR AFTERNOON CONVECTION. IN ADDITION...A WAVE TRACKING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES LATER TODAY WILL BEGIN TO PUSH A SURFACE COLD FRONT INTO THE UPPER OH VALLEY. THIS ADDED FORCING WILL ADD TO THE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL LATER THIS AFTERNOON. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE A GREAT DEAL OF AFTERNOON INSTABILITY WITH A RATHER SLOW STORM MOTION. HENCE WILL KEEP A HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT THROUGH TODAY AS WELL. WITH THE BEST DYNAMICS TO THE NORTH...ANY SEVERE THREAT FOR TODAY WILL BE NORTH OF I-64 WITH A MARGINAL THREAT TO THE SOUTH. HEADING INTO TONIGHT...THE MENTIONED COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH WILL KEEP SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES GOING INTO TONIGHT MAINTAINING GOOD INSTABILITY. HEADING INTO THE DAY ON FRIDAY...THE REMNANTS OF BILL EDGE CLOSER TO THE LOWER OH RIVER VALLEY AS SOME UPPER LEVEL ENERGY BEGINS TO ENTER THE AREA. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO AID SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN AN ALREADY MOISTURE LADEN AND WARM AIRMASS. THE SHORT TERM PERIOD APPEARS TO FEATURE A CONCERN FOR HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCTION AND RATHER SLOW STORM MOTION. WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION A FLASH FLOOD THREAT IN THE HWO. AS WELL...ANY SEVERE POSSIBILITY WILL BE LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS WITH ANY STRONG CELL THAT DEVELOPS. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 321 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 THE REMAINS OF TROPICAL STORM BILL WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN EARLY IN THE PERIOD. LATEST MODEL TRENDS INDICATE A TRACK ALONG OR JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER. THIS WOULD KEEP OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES IN THE ARC OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL POTENTIAL...ALTHOUGH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY... ESPECIALLY SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE LEFTOVER SURFACE LOW TRACKS BY. CONSIDERING THE RECENT DRY SPELL AND THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE SYSTEM...WE CURRENTLY THINK THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING IS LOW. HOWEVER...TRAINING STORMS WILL POSE A THREAT FOR ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. AS BILL WEAKENS FURTHER AND SHIFTS TO OUR EAST ON SUNDAY...A NEW FORECAST CHALLENGE AWAITS. A STOUT UPPER RIDGE WILL HAVE RELOCATED TO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND SOUTHERN PLAINS BY SUNDAY AND THIS PLACES THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. FORECAST MODELS HAVE SHOWN AND CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONG SIGNAL FOR MCS ACTIVITY TO ORIGINATE SOMEWHERE OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST AND/OR OHIO VALLEY AND TRACK SOUTHEAST INTO OUR AREA. THE TIMING OF THESE COMPLEXES IS INHERENTLY DIFFICULT THIS FAR OUT...HOWEVER A THREAT FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST SUNDAY THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK...AND THIS WOULD INCLUDE NOCTURNAL SHOWERS/STORMS. AS THE UPPER RIDGE SHIFTS EASTWARD TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...THE PRIMARY THREAT AREA FOR THESE THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD. FINALLY...NO RELIEF FROM THE VERY HUMID CONDITIONS IS IN SIGHT. IN FACT...EVEN HOTTER TEMPERATURES THAN WE HAVE WITNESSED IN RECENT DAYS ARE LIKELY BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS BACK OVER THE DEEP SOUTH. OUR CURRENT FORECAST INDICATES HIGHS SURGING INTO THE LOW TO MID 90S BY WEDNESDAY...AND HEAT INDEX VALUES CLIMBING TOWARDS 100. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 654 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 MOST AREAS THIS MORNING HAVE SOME REDUCTION IN VIS AND CIGS DUE TO SOME FOG DEVELOPMENT. SOME MID LEVEL CLOUD COVER MOVING THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT HAS HINDERED FOG DEVELOPMENT AT SOME OF THE TAF SITES. ALL FOG SHOULD BURN OFF BY 14Z WITH SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAVE KEPT VCTS AT THE TAF SITES TO COVER FOR THIS. EXPECT FOG DEVELOPMENT AGAIN LATER TONIGHT. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...DJ SHORT TERM...SHALLENBERGER LONG TERM...ABE AVIATION...SHALLENBERGER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 346 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-191100- 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 346 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE STRONGEST STORMS THIS AFTERNOON MAY PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES FROM FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME STORMS ON SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MAY PRODUCE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY INSTANCES OF WIND DAMAGE OR FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHALLENBERGER
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 4 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:36 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Half a dozen shingles were blown off the roof of the Jackson weather office.
A tree was blown down and onto a power line.
A tree was blown down on Hwy 1353 near the Madison county line.
A tree was blown down and onto Hwy 1840.
A tree was blown down on Hwy 460 in Millard.
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, June 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: 582773, 582774, 582775, 582776, 582777.