Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kentucky, January 30 to 31, 2023

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Kentucky, January 30 to 31, 2023
Start: 2023-01-30T17:00
End: 2023-01-31T10:00
Location: Kentucky

January 30 to 31, 2023 · NWS PAH · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

A winter storm consisting primarily of sleet impacted western Kentucky during the night of January 30th. The precipitation moved out during the early morning of the 31st.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 7
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

A winter storm consisting primarily of sleet impacted western Kentucky during the night of January 30th. The precipitation moved out during the early morning of the 31st. The precipitation fell quite heavily as soon as it started, and temperatures were well below freezing, so roads quickly became covered with sleet. The sleet compacted down to an icy coating, making for dangerous travel conditions. For the next few days that followed the storm, many secondary roads were ice-covered as temperatures remained well below freezing through the morning of February 2nd. There were numerous vehicle slide-offs and some accidents. Schools were cancelled in most counties from January 30th through February 2nd. The heaviest sleet accumulations occurred along and north of a line from Madisonville to Paducah, where there was one-half to one inch of sleet. A light glaze of icing also accompanied the sleet in many areas. The wintry precipitation was lighter to the south. There was one-quarter to one-half inch of sleet in the Tennessee border counties, including the cities of Hopkinsville, Murray, and Fulton. Two persons were injured in a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 24 in western Christian County near the Trigg County line. At least five state highway department trucks slid off the roads while spreading salt. In Marshall County, Interstate 69 southbound was closed after a pileup involving 15 cars and 3 semis. A multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 24 over the Cumberland River closed the eastbound lanes in parts of Lyon and Livingston Counties on the morning of February 1. A few secondary roads that were ice-covered were closed until they became passable. Four people were injured in a crash involving an overturned car on a secondary road in Trigg County. In Christian County, a semi driver was injured when the semi jackknifed on Interstate 24 at exit 86. Local hospitals reported a number of injuries due to people slipping and falling on ice. Arctic high pressure over the central Plains pumped low-level cold air into the region on brisk northeast winds. At the same time, a southwest wind flow at 500 mb brought a moist air mass emanating from the sub-tropical Pacific.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 30, 4:54 PM CST, 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 4:54 PM CST, 6 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 30, 3:05 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Paducah KY
305 PM CST Mon Jan 30 2023

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-312115-
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-
305 PM CST Mon Jan 30 2023 /405 PM EST Mon Jan 30 2023/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern
Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect this afternoon and tonight
for the Ozark Foothills of southeast Missouri. Refer to the Winter
Storm Warning text for details.

A Winter Weather Advisory is effect this afternoon and tonight for
areas of southeast Missouri east of US Highway 67, portions of
southern Illinois and southwest Indiana south of Interstate 64,
and all of west Kentucky. Refer to the Winter Weather Advisory
text for details.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 9 AM Tuesday for the
Ozark Foothills of southeast Missouri. Refer to the Winter Storm
Warning text for details.

A Winter Weather Advisory is effect until 9 AM Tuesday for areas
of southeast Missouri east of US Highway 67, portions of southern
Illinois and southwest Indiana south of Interstate 64, and all of
west Kentucky. Refer to the Winter Weather Advisory text for
details.

A light wintry mix of precipitation is possible near the Arkansas
and Tennessee borders in southeast Missouri and west Kentucky
Tuesday afternoon and evening. Light sleet and ice accumulations
could lead to some travel difficulties as temperatures are
expected to remain below freezing.

Another potential round of freezing rain is possible over the
southern half of southeast Missouri, far southern Illinois, and
much of west Kentucky Wednesday night into early Thursday. A light
glaze of ice could lead to more travel difficulties. Temperatures
are forecast to warm well above freezing Thursday, so any impacts
will be short-lived.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated. However, reports of
precipitation type, wintry accumulations, and any travel impacts
would be greatly appreciated through Tuesday night.

DWS/KC

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 winter storm, 6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Ballard

When: January 30, 5:00 PM CST to January 31, 4:00 AM CST
Where: Ballard forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Carlisle

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Carlisle forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.853, -88.971 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McCracken

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: McCracken forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Livingston

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.210, -88.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Crittenden

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Crittenden forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Union

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Henderson

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Webster

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Daviess

When: January 30, 6:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Daviess forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Graves

When: January 30, 7:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Graves forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.723, -88.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McLean

When: January 30, 7:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.529, -87.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Hickman

When: January 30, 7:00 PM CST to January 31, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Hickman forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.678, -88.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Fulton

When: January 30, 7:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.554, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Marshall

When: January 30, 8:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.884, -88.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lyon

When: January 30, 8:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Lyon forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.019, -88.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Caldwell

When: January 30, 8:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hopkins

When: January 30, 8:00 PM CST to January 31, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.309, -87.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Muhlenberg

When: January 30, 9:00 PM CST to January 31, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Muhlenberg forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.216, -87.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Calloway

When: January 30, 10:00 PM CST to January 31, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Calloway forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.621, -88.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Trigg

When: January 30, 10:00 PM CST to January 31, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Trigg forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 4 indirect
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.806, -87.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Christian

When: January 30, 11:00 PM CST to January 31, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 3 indirect
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.894, -87.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Todd

When: January 30, 11:00 PM CST to January 31, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Todd forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.836, -87.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, January 2023

Sources

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: 1070501, 1070502, 1070503, 1070504, 1070505, 1070506, 1070507, 1070512, 1070514, 1070508, 1070513, 1070517, 1070518, 1070509, 1070510, 1070511, 1070516, 1070515, 1070519, 1070520, 1070521, 1070522.