A very active weather pattern across the central United States led to minor flooding on parts of the Green and Ohio Rivers. While heavy rain did not occur in western Kentucky, there was enough rainfall in those basins to push a couple river gages above flood stage.
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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 PAH wrote it up.
A very active weather pattern across the central United States led to minor flooding on parts of the Green and Ohio Rivers. While heavy rain did not occur in western Kentucky, there was enough rainfall in those basins to push a couple river gages above flood stage.
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 17, 3:38 PM CST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 338 PM CST Tue Jan 17 2017 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 251 PM CST Tue Jan 17 2017 High pressure will continue to build in across the region tonight into Wednesday. The high is NOT of arctic or Canadian origin. Thus, we can expect rain-free and seasonably mild conditions through Wednesday night. Biggest question is whether we will get any clearing under the dome of high pressure. Even if we finally were to get rid of the lower clouds, high clouds ahead of the next storm system will likely be streaking northeast into the region later Wednesday. Another potent upper level low pressure system and its associated surface low will dig slowly eastward into the southern and central Plains on Thursday. Deep southwesterly flow ahead of this system will also be feeding in from the s/w as large scale ascent associated with decent mid level diffluence commences. This will set the stage for another fairly widespread rain event across the lower Ohio Valley region. Similar to this past event, expecting highest rain totals close to an inch to occur over western KY. Amounts northwest of the Ohio river may stay closer to the 1/2 to 3/4 inch range by the time precip ends late Thursday night. Once again, MUCAPES are expected to bounce up into the 100-300 J/KG range as a negatively tilted H50 trof rotates around the base of the closed low Thursday afternoon/evening. Therefore, will need to go with at least a mention of isolated thunderstorms during that time frame. Severe risk is quite low though given the meager instability levels expected. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 251 PM CST Tue Jan 17 2017 Looks as though we will get another short break in the action Friday into the day Saturday as a H50 short wave ridge builds into the region. Low level flow will remain southerly though ahead of another low out in the Plains. This will result in a significant warm up as we head through the Fri/Sat time frame. In fact, we could be flirting with near record warmth up in the 60s to near 70 in some locations by Saturday afternoon. Then we get to deal with the next in a series of storm systems later in the weekend into early next week. A strong upper low is expected to trek slowly east out of the southwest U.S. Saturday night through Monday. Where (and how far south) this upper low travels is still uncertain at this time. There are some indications that this system will take a more southern track into the lower MS Valley Sunday night. What seems a bit more certain is that this system will likely have a lot of Gulf moisture associated with it, so will need to monitor for another wave of heavy rain in, or somewhere close, to our region. Thunderstorm chances would increase if the system turns northeastward a bit sooner. && .AVIATION... Issued 1137 AM CST Tue Jan 17 2017 West winds around 10 knots will prevail today as a cold front shifts east of the area. While partial clearing took place this AM, MVFR ceilings are forecast to spread back into se MO/srn IL/sw IN today and continue through much of tonight. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && SHORT TERM...MEFFERT LONG TERM...MEFFERT AVIATION...MEFFERT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 349 PM CST TUE JAN 17 2017 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-182200- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION-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- 349 PM CST TUE JAN 17 2017 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, SOUTHWEST INDIANA, WESTERN KENTUCKY, AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY IMPACTS THOUGH A COUPLE OF STRONGER STORMS WITH SOME SMALL HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. MEFFERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding occurred along the Green River. Some low-lying woods and farmland along the river were inundated. The farmland was mostly dormant during the winter season.
Minor flooding occurred on the Ohio River, affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low-lying areas. The road to several farms above Uniontown flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2017
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: 670710, 670718.