An isolated shower or weak thunderstorm near the Owensboro airport spawned a non-supercell funnel cloud. The activity was along a weak warm front that extended from central Missouri east-southeast across the Lower Ohio Valley.
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The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
An isolated shower or weak thunderstorm near the Owensboro airport spawned a non-supercell funnel cloud. The activity was along a weak warm front that extended from central Missouri east-southeast across the Lower Ohio Valley.
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 Jul 3, 11:44 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 1244 PM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 .UPDATE... Issued at 1244 PM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 The leading line of convection associated with the MCV near the MO/AR border will move east northeast out of west Kentucky around 20Z. We had a gust to 29kts here at the office an hour ago, and KHPX base velocity data are about at that same level. There is a bit of sunshine ahead of the line, so a minor uptick as it exits the area will be possible, but severe weather seems very unlikely at this time. There is a concentrated area of showers/rain to the north and northeast of the MCV and that will likely continue eastward across southeast Missouri and west Kentucky this afternoon. Have updated to get these basic trends in the forecast. The models seem to be choking on the low-level moisture and have too much convection tonight, so have lowered PoPs tonight as well. The AVIATION section has been updated for the 18Z TAF issuance. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Wednesday night) Issued at 232 AM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 Convection was seen early this morning from south central MO into AR, with isolated cells as far east as northwest TN. This activity was driven by a compact wave seen over extreme northwest AR at 06z moving generally to the east. By 18z, the feature will be over SEMO, NW AR. We'll see increasing chances of showers and thunderstorms over the southern 2/3 of the CWFA today, and especially from SEMO into west KY toward the TN/AR state lines, where PoPs will be into the likely category. By 06z tonight, the upper wave should be over west KY and NW TN, carrying best chance PoPs for convection east with time. This system will depart slowly east and away from the area by Tuesday afternoon, which should lower or remove convective chances, perhaps in time for the evening of the 4th. With s/wv ridging building in behind this lead wave, we will see a period of limited or no convective chances for much of the mid part of the CWFA Tuesday night. Chances will increase toward daybreak Wednesday and continue its increase through the day from the west ahead of a mid level wave that should extend from the Great Lakes region, south across MO into northeast TX by early Wednesday afternoon. Good chance PoPs for convection will continue into Wednesday night. Temperatures today will be cooler across SEMO, west KY, low to mid 80s as clouds and convective chances increase, warmer up toward I- 64, upper 80s to around 90. Model preference is a GFS/EC blend, with minor NAM weighting. Used MOS blended with inherited numbers for temps. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Sunday) Issued at 232 AM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 Confidence remains higher than average in the extended portion of the forecast as model solutions continue to be synchronized fairly well. Starting with Thursday morning, a shortwave trough is forecast to extend from the lower Great Lakes into the Mid Mississippi Valley. A weak surface low should be positioned somewhere in the vicinity of St. Louis. The shortwave trough and surface low will continue their slow eastward track into the Ohio Valley by Thursday night. Overall, this is a little slower than models were suggesting last night. As a result, we will keep higher chances for showers/storms over the entire forecast area on Thursday, with small chances even lingering across mainly southwest Indiana and western Kentucky into Thursday evening. While a couple of pulse strong/severe storms cannot be ruled out, organized severe weather does not appear to be much of a concern given the rather weak flow aloft. However, the slow storm motion coupled with high precipitable water values will raise the potential for heavy rain and localized flooding. After a brief dry period Thursday night into Friday morning, models are still not quite on the same page with respect to the timing of our next cold frontal passage. The general consensus seems to be for the front to come through Friday night. However, the 00Z ECMWF has thrown a wrench into this by once again delaying frontal passage until Saturday. Moisture pooling ahead of the front will result in another chance for showers and thunderstorms. At this time, rain chances are focused mainly during Friday afternoon and Friday night. However, we will keep a small chance over far southern counties into Saturday to account for the slower ECMWF. Once the front moves through, models suggest a somewhat milder and drier air mass should take hold next weekend as high pressure builds south from Canada. Highs by Sunday are forecast in the mid 80s with dew points near 60. But until then, highs Thursday through Saturday are expected to range from the upper 80s to near 90 degrees with soupy dew points in the lower 70s. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1244 PM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 The line of convection over west Kentucky could make a run at KOWB this afternoon before exiting the area. Left it out of the TAF for now, so be on the look out for amendments. Otherwise, kept some VFR showers at KPAH and KCGI this afternoon as the upper-level disturbance pushes east just to the south of the region. Guidance seems to be choking on all of the low-level moisture and seems to have too much low cloud throughout the forecast. Non-VFR conditions have been limited to KPAH over the second half of the forecast. Confidence is not great, so leaned hard to the optimistic side. IFR or lower conditions cannot be ruled out. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && UPDATE...DRS AVIATION...DRS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 318 AM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-041000- 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- 318 AM CDT Mon Jul 3 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight There is a chance of thunderstorms, mainly across southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and far southern Illinois. Locally heavy rainfall is possible especially toward the Tennessee and Arkansas state lines. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday There is a chance of thunderstorms Tuesday through Friday. Isolated strong storms and locally heavy rainfall possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:12 UTC.
1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A funnel cloud was observed northwest of the Owensboro airport by control tower personnel. The duration of the eastward moving funnel cloud was about five minutes.
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, July 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: 706966.