An Elevated Severe Weather Threat

February 16, 2022

wtvq_staff,

The winds have eased some tonight. Not calm by any stretch. A WIND ADVISORY is in place 7 am-10 pm Thursday. Perhaps a high-wind warning? A HIGH WIND WATCH goes in place 4 pm Thursday-1 am Friday for southeastern KY. Thursday will see the 60s but with strong winds and heavy rain at times. Thursday will feel like a tropical storm for us. Friday will feel like the Arctic (not exactly, but cold). We rebound temperature-wise this weekend.

Tonight- winds temporarily lighter. We will see more cloud cover. A mild low of 52. South winds 10-15 mph.

Thursday- cloudy with rain moving in, primarily in the PM. Heavy at times. Isolated thunderstorms are possible too. Rain chance 100%. An inch + of rain is expected. We will peak near 64. Winds south 15-25 gusting to near 45 mph.

Thursday night- rain winds down, leftover moisture behind the cold front likely yielding some light snow or perhaps light freezing rain. The temperatures will drop significantly overnight. A low of 26.

Friday- we will end up with sunshine but we will be cold. A high of 37.

Saturday- Mostly sunny and milder. A high of 43.

Sunday- Nice. Mostly sunny and a high of 58

President’s Day- Mostly sunny. A 50% chance of PM showers. A high of 61.

Tuesday- An 80% chance of showers, and a high of 65

Wednesday- Mostly cloudy and a 40% chance of more rain. Wednesday’s high 53.

*Today in weather history

February 14-16th of 2003 saw 3-7″ of rainfall in eastern Kentucky, leading to one of Kentucky’s biggest flood events.

2015- Around a foot of snow for a line from Madisonville-Lebanon-Pikeville. 14″ of snow reported in Jessamine County.

Lexington’s record high for today is 69 degrees set in 2018. 10.5″ of snow on this date in 2015.

1987 – A winter storm produced snow and ice in the Ohio Valley and the Appalachian Region. Snowfall totals in Virginia ranged up to 14 inches around Farmville, while Granville NC reported eight inches of sleet and ice. Freezing rain in eastern North Carolina caused extensive damage to power lines. Gales lashed the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989 – A surge of arctic air produced all-time record high barometric pressure readings of 31.08 inches at Duluth MN, 30.97 inches at Chicago IL, and 30.94 inches at South Bend IN. Readings of 31.00 inches at Milwaukee WI and 30.98 inches at Rockford IL tied their all-time records. Unseasonably warm weather prevailed across the southeastern U.S. Highs of 81 degrees at Athens GA, 87 degrees at Charleston SC, 85 degrees at Macon GA, and 86 degrees at Savannah GA were records for February. (The National Weather Summary)

1990 – Strong thunderstorms developing ahead of an arctic cold front produced severe weather across the southeastern U.S. between mid-morning on the 15th and early evening on the 16th. Thunderstorms spawned thirteen tornadoes, including one which, prior to dawn on the 16th, injured eleven persons near Carrollton GA. There were also 121 reports of large hail or damaging winds. A late afternoon thunderstorm on the 15th produced baseball size hail at Jackson MS, and prior to dawn on the 16th, a thunderstorm produced high winds which injured four persons at Goodwater AL. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)