Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the warmth of the afternoon. A weak mid-level shortwave trough over the Ozarks helped initiate convection.
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 PAH wrote it up.
Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the warmth of the afternoon. A weak mid-level shortwave trough over the Ozarks helped initiate convection. Although the air mass was only marginally unstable, thunderstorms were able to organize within a veering and modestly strengthening wind profile. Deep layer bulk wind shear was around 30 to 35 knots. Multicell storm clusters produced isolated large hail.
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 May 6, 12:10 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 110 PM CDT Sun May 6 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Tuesday night) Issued at 348 AM CDT Sun May 6 2018 Generally clear skies this morning will give way to increasing clouds from the northwest this afternoon as a cold front dips southeast from the Midwest states. The front will not have much dynamic support aloft, and return flow of low level moisture ahead of the advancing front will be little to nil s sfc winds remain more westerly today. There may be enough instability around Sunday afternoon/evening ahead of the front to support isolated thunderstorm development, but expect any development to be limited in coverage this afternoon and early tonight. Cooler and drier air will filter in behind the front later tonight and Monday as high pressure dips southeast into the Great Lakes region. Despite an expected return to sunshine, northerly breezes should hold afternoon high temps Monday a bit below seasonal norms. Still, should be a quite pleasant day with highs from near 70 to the mid 70s and very comfortable humidity levels. After a chilly start to the day Tuesday, temperatures will moderate up well into the 70s Tuesday afternoon as the high pressure system begins to slowly pull off to the east. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Saturday) Issued at 348 AM CDT Sun May 6 2018 High confidence early on in the extended with decreasing confidence later in the extended where pops are concerned. On Wednesday we will have have a an open wave upper level trough move through the region with a warm front as a surface reflection. This will result in warm air advection showers starting in the west during the day and spread eastward in the evening. We will have a cap during the day but we have elevated instability as well with K index values exceeding 30. Then we erode the cap in the late day/evening time with CAPE's around 2k j/kg2 and LI's exceeding -5. So will definitely include mentions of thunder. We do have speed shear through the column but very little directional shear at this time. Wet bulb and freezing level is just above 10k feet so would not rule out at least small hail with any strong storms. This system will exit the area Thursday. However a trailing cold front is expected to stall along the northwest periphery of the forecast area...keeping small chances of rain in the area as we remain in the warm sector. Even though the chances will be low thunder will remain possible mainly because we remain in the warm sector. As for temperatures expect above normal highs and lows through the extended. && .AVIATION... Issued at 110 PM CDT Sat May 5 2018 Though there will be some cloudiness around due to an approaching cold front, VFR conditions are forecast for the next 24 hours. The only possible exception may be brief vsby restrictions due to shower or tstm activity in the late afternoon and early evening, mainly over southernmost parts of southeastern MO and the Evansville Tri- State region. At this time, "VCSH" wording was used in the KEVV/KOWB TAFs to acknowledge this, due to the low probability of tstm activity at a terminal. Westerly winds are expected to turn to the north overnight with the frontal passage. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && SHORT TERM...GM LONG TERM...KH AVIATION...DB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 235 PM CDT Sun May 6 2018 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-071000- 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- 235 PM CDT Sun May 6 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms are possible through this evening, including a marginal risk for strong to severe storms, mainly for southern parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. One inch hail is the primary severe weather hazard. Locally heavy rainfall, lightning, and gusty winds are also associated storm hazards. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Thunderstorm chances return almost daily for the middle to latter portion of next week. Wednesday offers the best chance for a few strong to severe storms. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to relay storm reports.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
117 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
ILZ094-061900-
Massac IL-
117 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MASSAC COUNTY UNTIL 200 PM CDT...
At 116 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Metropolis, moving east at 15 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Paducah, Metropolis, Brookport, New Columbia and Joppa.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3707 8854 3711 8861 3715 8870 3714 8873
3718 8879 3723 8893 3730 8893 3732 8890
3733 8890 3734 8871 3716 8849 3707 8849
TIME...MOT...LOC 1816Z 284DEG 13KT 3721 8867
07Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
127 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
ILZ090-KYZ007-061900-
Pope IL-Livingston KY-
127 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN POPE AND CENTRAL
LIVINGSTON COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM CDT...
At 127 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Burna, or 11 miles northwest of Calvert City, moving east at 15 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Burna, Grand Rivers, Smithland and Hamletsburg.
LAT...LON 3700 8826 3704 8830 3706 8834 3707 8837
3705 8844 3706 8851 3707 8850 3716 8849
3730 8866 3725 8821 3709 8822 3708 8823
3707 8822 3699 8823
TIME...MOT...LOC 1827Z 287DEG 14KT 3718 8846
07Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
149 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
ILZ090-094-KYZ007-008-011>013-017-061945-
Massac IL-Pope IL-Marshall KY-Christian KY-Lyon KY-Livingston KY-
Caldwell KY-Trigg KY-
149 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN MASSAC...SOUTHERN POPE...
LIVINGSTON...NORTHERN CHRISTIAN...CALDWELL...NORTHERN MARSHALL...
NORTHERN TRIGG AND LYON COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM CDT...
At 149 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Cobb, or near Dawson Springs, moving east at 20 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Paducah, Princeton, Calvert City, Cadiz, Eddyville, Princeton In
Caldwell County, Crofton, Burna, Cobb, Ledbetter, Farmersville,
Rockcastle, Kuttawa, Fredonia, Grand Rivers, Smithland, Hawkins and
Hamletsburg.
LAT...LON 3685 8810 3694 8848 3702 8848 3703 8852
3729 8865 3724 8820 3718 8822 3717 8819
3713 8818 3718 8808 3723 8808 3719 8773
3716 8770 3710 8752 3713 8749 3714 8734
3691 8729
TIME...MOT...LOC 1849Z 292DEG 24KT 3710 8776
07PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
201 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM HAIL 4 NW METROPOLIS 37.19N 88.76W
05/06/2018 E0.75 INCH MASSAC IL PUBLIC
PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL NEAR FRANKLIN SCHOOL AREA
&&
SPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
233 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM HAIL 5 N BROOKPORT 37.20N 88.63W
05/06/2018 E0.88 INCH MASSAC IL PUBLIC
HAIL REPORT AT INTERSECTION OF POWERS CHURCH RD AND
LOVERKAMP RD
&&
SPSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
233 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
KYZ011>013-062015-
Lyon KY-Caldwell KY-Trigg KY-
233 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL...TRIGG AND
SOUTHEASTERN LYON COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT...
At 232 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong
thunderstorms from near Princeton to 7 miles southeast of Eddyville.
Movement was southeast at 20 mph.
Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Princeton, Cadiz, Princeton In Caldwell County, Land Between The
Lakes Area, Energy, Cobb, Canton, Rockcastle and Linton.
LAT...LON 3666 8785 3667 8786 3668 8807 3675 8811
3687 8816 3689 8808 3695 8811 3718 8792
3701 8772 3700 8773 3696 8766 3688 8767
3674 8767 3664 8770 3663 8785
TIME...MOT...LOC 1932Z 313DEG 19KT 3708 8792 3697 8801
RJPThe Ft Campbell radar (KHPX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:40 UTC.
4 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Dime to nickel-size hail was reported near the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and the Hopkinsville bypass.
Dime to nickel-size hail was reported.
A trained spotter on U.S. Highway 68 near Elkton reported a funnel cloud.
Golf ball size hail was reported in rural country west of Allensville.
A tree was struck by lightning and fell down on a road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, May 2018
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: 748707, 748709, 756434, 748710, 748711, 748713.