Frost/Freeze, Alexander
- When
- April 19, 6:00 PM CST to April 21, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Alexander forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A late-season blast of cold air brought sub-freezing temperatures to some areas on the night of the 20th. Lows ranged from 31 to 33 degrees.
Every event with a place to put it; 19 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A late-season blast of cold air brought sub-freezing temperatures to some areas on the night of the 20th. Lows ranged from 31 to 33 degrees. The arrival of the cold air was heralded by some light snow on the evening of the 19th. Accumulations ranged from a trace to an inch. Across the Ohio River at Paducah, KY, this was the latest measurable snowfall on record. The snow had no societal impact. There were no immediate reports of crop damage due to the cold air. A strong cold front moved southeast across the region on the evening of the 19th. A low pressure system then moved northeast along the front, passing over the Tennessee Valley on the 20th. Gusty north winds on the back side of the low ushered in the cold air.
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 Apr 19, 2:05 PM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Paducah KY
305 PM CDT Mon Apr 19 2021
.SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Wednesday night)
Issued at 305 PM CDT Mon Apr 19 2021
A dry cold front will move through our region tonight and settle
just southeast of the PAH forecast area. This will cause
temperatures to again drop to below normal readings from the upper
30s to lower 40s. On Tuesday, low pressure will move along the
front as an upper level trof moves over the middle Mississippi and
lower Ohio valleys. Model blends indicate scattered showers will
be possible by late Tuesday morning across our west and northwest
counties, with numerous showers spreading across our entire
region by late Tuesday afternoon and continuing much of the
evening. Showers will begin tapering off from the west by mid
evening, with showers ending in our eastern counties between 06z-
09z Wednesday. Our eastern counties could see some snow mix in
before ending, but it will not be anything significant.
As the showers end and skies begin clearing, colder air will be
filtering in from the west. At this point, the best chances of
freezing to just below freezing temperatures will be across
southern Illinois and most of southeast Missouri, and this is
where we have a freeze warning in effect from 06z-13z Wednesday.
Low temperatures may tie or break some records.
Chilly conditions can be expected Wednesday after our cold start
along with northwest winds, although at least we will see some
sunshine. High temperatures will be 12 to 16 degrees below normal,
with readings on reaching the lower to middle 50s.
For Wednesday night, models show a surface high moving overhead.
Forecast relative humidity time heights show some potential for
some low clouds, so despite calm winds, it does not look like
ideal cooling conditions at this point. However, we should see
temperatures drop into the lower to middle 30s. With dew points
within a couple of degrees of these values, frost remains a good
possibility. We will just have to wait and see where the future
guidance takes us.
.LONG TERM...(Thursday through Monday)
Issued at 305 PM CDT Mon Apr 19 2021
By Thursday morning, there will likely be quite a bit of frost
across the area, as a large area of surface high pressure will be
centered just to our west/northwest by 12Z. The center of this high
will slide southeast with time on Thursday and be southeast of the
area by Thursday evening. The low level flow will transition
Thursday night into Friday to become more southerly/southwesterly,
as this occurs. Meanwhile, an upper trough will steadily make its
way eastward across the central/southern Plains states on Friday.
Upper level moisture will be increasing across the area Friday with
the deeper moisture arriving late Friday night into Saturday.
While the NBM has generated some low PoPs coming into the area as
early as late Thursday night and into the day on Friday, believe the
most optimal rain chances will arrive Friday night into Saturday
when the lower levels moisten back up and recover from the unusually
dry air mass that will move in mid week. Due to many of the
GFS/ECMWF ensemble members hinting at incoming precipitation for
Thursday through Friday, seems prudent to leave the low PoPs
inherited by the NBM. Later on though, NBM PoPs pick up on this more
optimal time frame for rain as PWs peak, with PoPs in the likely
category, so minimal changes needed. This upcoming system is rather
progressive and models have a good beat on when it will exit the
area, with precipitation ending from west to east Saturday afternoon
or evening.
Sunday and Monday should be dry with warming temperatures, as an
upper level ridge builds in for early next week. In fact, after
Wednesday, high temperatures should gain several degrees each day,
ending on Monday with readings in the lower to middle 70s. This is
supported by the latest GEFS, which indicates a pretty high
probability of reaching over 70 degrees on Monday especially over
southeast MO, far west KY and far southern IL.
&&
.AVIATION...
Issued at 305 PM CDT Mon Apr 19 2021
Clear skies expected through much of the TAF period, with just
some high clouds approaching from the north. KMVN may have BKN
MVFR clouds by the end of the TAF period. Winds from the west to
southwest at 6-12 kts with gusts of 15-20 kts will decrease to
around 5 kts after 00z and become north with the passage of a dry
cold front. No vsby restrictions.
&&
.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...Freeze Warning from 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Wednesday for ILZ075>078-
080>094.
MO...Freeze Warning from 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Wednesday for MOZ076-086-
087-100-107>111.
IN...None.
KY...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...RST
LONG TERM...CW
AVIATION...RST<!doctype html>
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 frost/freeze. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2021
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 947826, 947827, 947828, 947829, 947830, 947831, 947832, 947833, 947834, 947835, 947836, 947837, 947838, 947839, 947840, 947841, 947842, 947843, 947844.