An isolated severe thunderstorm wind gust or two occurred in association with a storm system that was a prolific tornado producer in Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. A strong upper-level trough over the western Plains induced a deepening surface low that tracked northeast across the Iowa/Illinois border.
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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.
An isolated severe thunderstorm wind gust or two occurred in association with a storm system that was a prolific tornado producer in Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. A strong upper-level trough over the western Plains induced a deepening surface low that tracked northeast across the Iowa/Illinois border. A very strong and deep southwest wind flow brought moist and unstable air into the mid Mississippi 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 Dec 10, 6:30 PM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 630 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 .UPDATE... Issued at 630 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 Updated aviation discussion. && .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Saturday night) Issued at 1250 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 Shortwave energy out over the south central Plains will continue ENE toward the area through sunset, and provide the initial focus for scattered convection, especially from 4 or 5 pm to 7 p.m. The short range hi-res guidance continues to be more and more bullish on scattered severe storms, likely Supercells in some cases. Looking at what the models are depicting, this event seems to compare favorably to 2/28/17 and 11/17/13 (Perryville, Crossville and Brookport). So the concern for significant severe including strong tornadoes is elevated. The shear and instability are more than adequate, and in some of the data, slightly stronger. Anomalously high dew point air is over the area, serving to lower LCL's coupled with increasing SRH and MLCAPE values over the next several hours. The activity will continue tonight, coming in a couple of rounds. Scattered activity initially into the evening hours, that may be followed by slightly more organization in a linear fashion toward midnight and beyond (especially west KY). Outside of the convection, we may see near Wind Advisory level winds at times, SSW gusts 30 to 40 mph tonight. Will hold for now on a headline given it's borderline and with all that's going on. Precip will be mostly over by Saturday, with decreasing cloud cover, and steady or falling temperatures (back into the 40s) in the wake of a strong cold front. .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 153 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 A large 500 mb ridge will encompass much of the central and eastern US early next week. Dry conditions are expected through Wednesday, with a slow warming trend. Highs will rise from around 50 on Sunday to around 70 on Wednesday. The records for Wednesday may be threatened, depending on how much if any sunshine occurs. The ecmwf ensemble situational awareness table shows the ensemble mean max temps for Wed are in the 99th percentile of the 20-year model climate. The following are the records for Wed... Record Highs for Wednesday: PAH.. 71 (1984) EVV.. 70 (1933) CGI.. 69 (1984) POF.. 73 (1933) MDH.. 74 (1933) Beyond Wednesday, a cold front will sag southeast across our region as a 500 mb shortwave rides over the northern part of the ridge. This cold front will be accompanied by a chance of showers. Some thunder cannot be ruled out, but the system track will be far to our north across Minnesota. 500 mb heights will remain anomalously high even during and after the passage of the shortwave. The weakening cold front will be weakening and slowing down, possibly stalling just to our south Friday. There is really not a strong model signal for significant rainfall, given the persistence of the sub-tropical ridge over the southern half of the US. && .AVIATION... Issued at 630 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 Scattered thunderstorms will continue to develop and move northeastward this evening, especially across areas east of the MS River. Some storms will likely be severe with damaging wind, hail, and tornadoes a concern. The activity is expected to make better progress east overnight just ahead of a cold front, which will be moving through the region by around daybreak. Outside of the storms, gusty south/southwest winds 15 to 20 kts with gusts to 30 knots or more will be common tonight. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && Long Term...MY AVIATION...DB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 636 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-120045- 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- 636 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 ...Organized Outbreak of Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes Tonight... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Tonight Tornado Watches are in effect for western Kentucky, southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana. Thunderstorms are expected to increase in coverage and intensity through this evening. The main hazards will be damaging winds and tornadoes, including the potential for a couple of strong, destructive tornadoes. Numerous storms will continue through the overnight hours across southwest Indiana and the rest of western Kentucky. Conditions will be favorable for damaging winds and tornadoes along a broken line of storms, and a couple long-track tornadoes are possible. Outside of thunderstorms, strong gradient non-thunderstorm wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible into early Saturday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is requested. MY/CN
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Paducah KY 733 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 KYZ001-002-006-008-009-110315- Fulton-Hickman-Graves-Marshall-Calloway- Including the cities of Hickman, Clinton, Mayfield, Benton, and Murray 733 PM CST Fri Dec 10 2021 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... Around 730 PM, a storm producing a tornado was moving into the Missouri Bootheel region. If it continues its current track, it will reach portions of Fulton, Hickman, and Graves counties in west Kentucky, with the time frame of concern from 845 PM to 930 PM. This storm will likely maintain its intensity, and could very well continue to produce a tornado. So now is the time to prepare and be ready to take shelter should a warning be issued. CN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
841 PM CST FRI DEC 10 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0838 PM TORNADO 2 WSW CENTRAL CITY 37.29N 87.16W
12/10/2021 MUHLENBERG KY STORM CHASER
POWER FLASHES JUST NORTH OF THE WEST
KENTUCKY PARKWAY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL CITY.
POWER IS OUT.
&&
DWSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
854 PM CST FRI DEC 10 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0839 PM TORNADO 1 SW CENTRAL CITY 37.28N 87.14W
12/10/2021 MUHLENBERG KY STORM CHASER
DEBRIS FROM HOMES AND BILLBOARDS ALONG THE
WEST KENTUCKY PARKWAY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL
CITY.
&&
DWSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
904 PM CST FRI DEC 10 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0855 PM HAIL 4 S HICKMAN 36.51N 89.19W
12/10/2021 E1.75 INCH FULTON KY TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
GMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
906 PM CST FRI DEC 10 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0901 PM TORNADO CAYCE 36.56N 89.04W
12/10/2021 FULTON KY AMATEUR RADIO
DAMAGE REPORTED IN CAYCE TO A CAFE AND THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
&&
DWSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
910 PM CST FRI DEC 10 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0845 PM TORNADO CENTRAL CITY 37.30N 87.13W
12/10/2021 MUHLENBERG KY TRAINED SPOTTER
DAMAGE TO HARDWARE STORE ON WEST EVERLY
BROS. BLVD.
&&
MLThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:17 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 58 mph was measured at the Cape Girardeau airport automated weather observing site.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, December 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 992659.