Kentucky, 2017

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, January 5, 2017

January 5, 2017 · NWS JKL · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

An area of light snow developed early this morning, bringing widespread accumulations of 1-3 inches across eastern Kentucky through the day. A couple of more intense bands developed during the morning hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 JKL wrote it up.

An area of light snow developed early this morning, bringing widespread accumulations of 1-3 inches across eastern Kentucky through the day. A couple of more intense bands developed during the morning hours. These occurred across Perry County from Hazard south to Viper where 4 inches of snow were measured, and across portions of Martin County near Inez where 4 inches of snow occurred through the afternoon before another 1.2 inches fell during the evening and early overnight. These two areas experienced numerous travel complications as snow fell rather quickly underneath these bands. Other areas experienced traffic impacts and accidents, including south of Jackson in Breathitt County where a motorist slid off of Highway 476 and was killed. Another serious accident near Williamsburg on Interstate 75 in Whitley County forced the closure of the northbound lanes between mile markers 15 and 16 during the latter hours of the morning.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Breathitt

When
January 5, 8:45 AM EST to 10:30 PM EST
Where
Breathitt forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
37.522, -83.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Perry

When
January 5, 9:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Perry forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
37.244, -83.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Martin

When
January 5, 9:00 AM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where
Martin forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
37.802, -82.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Whitley

When
January 5, 9:30 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Whitley forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
36.758, -84.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Winter Weather, Breathitt2017-01-0555MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2017

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: 665799, 665797, 665798, 665800.