Another active period of weather set up across central Kentucky and southern Indiana July 17th and 18th, 2023 as multiple waves of showers and thunderstorms moved across the region, bringing damaging straight-line winds, severe hail, and one tornado to the region. The synoptic pattern was fairly consistent (albeit active) during this period, with large-scale mid- and upper-level troughing…
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 LMK wrote it up.
Another active period of weather set up across central Kentucky and southern Indiana July 17th and 18th, 2023 as multiple waves of showers and thunderstorms moved across the region, bringing damaging straight-line winds, severe hail, and one tornado to the region. The synoptic pattern was fairly consistent (albeit active) during this period, with large-scale mid- and upper-level troughing extending from Hudson Bay down into the Ohio Valley. In the low-levels, a quasi-stationary front extended from the mid-Mississippi Valley across central Indiana and into northern Ohio, with a seasonably warm and unstable air mass present across the Ohio Valley, which was primarily located south of the low-level frontal boundary. The first wave of strong to severe storms developed during the late afternoon hours in the vicinity of the frontal boundary across central Indiana. As these cells morphed into a quasi-linear convective system during the evening hours, the combined cold pool development forced the storms southward into southern Indiana and central Kentucky. Ahead of the line of storms, mixed-layer CAPE on the order of 1500-2500 J/kg and effective bulk shear of 30-40 kt provided a favorable parameter space to sustain strong-to-severe convection. This line of storms ultimately produced sporadic wind damage and near-severe hail across southern Indiana and north central Kentucky, with convection lingering into south central Kentucky overnight before gradually dissipating in the early morning hours on July 18th.
While sporadic convection continued through the morning hours on July 18th, the next main wave of strong and occasionally severe thunderstorms arrived during the early afternoon hours. With unseasonably fast flow continuing aloft, wind shear remained sufficient for multicell clusters and a few supercells to develop across central Kentucky. Instability remained moderate to high, with low-to-mid 70s dewpoints and temperatures in the 80s allowing for the development of 2000-3000 J/kg MLCAPE. This initial wave of cells produced scattered wind damage and hail mainly across the Kentucky Bluegrass. Additionally, a decaying mesoscale convective system coming in from western Kentucky also produced scattered wind damage across southern and central Kentucky. One brief spin-up tornado developed within this line over Marion County, producing EF0 damage. Convection dissipated once the line of storms cleared the area around sunset..
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 7:56 PM EST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Louisville KY 325 PM EDT Mon Jul 17 2023 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-181930- Orange-Washington IN-Scott IN-Jefferson IN-Dubois-Crawford-Perry- Harrison IN-Floyd-Clark IN-Hancock-Breckinridge-Meade-Ohio-Grayson- Hardin-Bullitt-Jefferson KY-Oldham-Trimble-Henry-Shelby-Franklin- Scott KY-Harrison KY-Spencer-Anderson-Woodford-Fayette-Bourbon- Nicholas-Nelson-Washington KY-Mercer-Jessamine-Clark KY-Larue-Marion- Boyle-Garrard-Madison-Butler-Edmonson-Hart-Green-Taylor-Casey- Lincoln-Logan-Warren-Simpson-Allen-Barren-Monroe-Metcalfe-Adair- Russell-Cumberland-Clinton- Including the cities of Paoli, Salem, Scottsburg, Madison, Jasper, English, Tell City, Corydon, New Albany, Jeffersonville, Lewisport, Hawesville, Hardinsburg, Brandenburg, Hartford, Leitchfield, Elizabethtown, Shepherdsville, Louisville, La Grange, Bedford, Milton, New Castle, Shelbyville, Frankfort, Georgetown, Cynthiana, Taylorsville, Lawrenceburg, Versailles, Lexington, Paris, Carlisle, Bardstown, Springfield, Harrodsburg, Nicholasville, Winchester, Hodgenville, Lebanon, Danville, Lancaster, Richmond, Morgantown, Brownsville, Horse Cave, Greensburg, Campbellsville, Liberty, Stanford, Russellville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Providence, Scottsville, Glasgow, Tompkinsville, Edmonton, Columbia, Jamestown, Burkesville, and Albany 325 PM EDT Mon Jul 17 2023 /225 PM CDT Mon Jul 17 2023/ This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Indiana and Central Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible through midnight. Heavy rain and locally damaging wind gusts are the main threats. A few storms over southern Indiana could also produce hail, and lightning will occur with any thunderstorm. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorms remain possible each day, especially through Thursday. Some of the storms could be strong to severe with heavy rain, damaging winds, and frequent lightning being the main threats. Should storms end up moving over the same areas repeatedly, localized flooding is possible. Right now the highest threat for widespread heavy rains appears to be Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, mainly along and south of a line extending from Tell City to Elizabethtown to Liberty. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed at times through Thursday. GENERAL STORM MOTION OF THE DAY: Storms this afternoon and evening will move from west to east around 25 mph. Any users of this storm motion must be aware that thunderstorm activity can be erratic and constantly evolving. Please use this with caution and be prepared for changing conditions. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found, at weather.gov/louisville. RAS/CSG
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</html>Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
1041 PM EDT Mon Jul 17 2023
INZ079-180315-
Jefferson IN-
1041 PM EDT Mon Jul 17 2023
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT JEFFERSON COUNTY THROUGH 1115 PM
EDT...
At 1040 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles south of Vernon, moving southeast at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Madison, Hanover, Saluda, Smyrna, Kent, Dupont, Wakefield,
Middlefork, Canaan and Volga.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3887 8526 3873 8537 3874 8542 3871 8545
3864 8544 3859 8548 3861 8552 3865 8557
3868 8557 3868 8560 3871 8561 3871 8564
3875 8569 3882 8568 3882 8561 3885 8561
3885 8557 3888 8557 3891 8553 3891 8541
TIME...MOT...LOC 0240Z 306DEG 29KT 3886 8563
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
CJPThe Louisville radar (KLVX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:00 UTC.
3 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees were blown down by strong winds along Deputy Pike Road.
Quarter sized hail was observed on the north side of Madison.
A tree was blown down over North Eagle Hollow Road.
Half dollar sized hail was observed in northern Washington County.
Quarter sized hail was observed in Beechwood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2023
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: 1128892, 1128884, 1128893, 1128885, 1128887.