Good Wednesday, everyone. Rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms continue to race across the bluegrass state. The severe threat continues until a cold front slams through here later this afternoon.
Damaging winds continue to be the main threat, especially with a nasty squall line moving in from the northwest. A few isolated tornadoes remain possible, along with large hail.
These storms are also prolific lightning and rain producers. The rain part of the program may lead to local flash flooding, especially across the northern half of the state.
I have you all set to track the severe weather…
The rest of your tracking toys are below…
Today’s risk area
I will update things later today. Stay safe and make it a great Wednesday.
That gap between areas of rain has me concerned for added instability. Wow.
Not counting the impending squall line later this morning, highest wind gusts from our Mesonet include 52 mph in Calhoun, 55 mph in Carlisle, and 57 mph near E’town.
Storms moving at over 70 mph?
when that line of storms moved through northwest Lexington earlier, that really scares me because those straight line winds were fierce! I HATE storms like that because you just feel like at any moment, the roof is just going to blow off. It was like a total monsoon. I always notice something I NEVER understand with squall lines like that. Prior to the actual heavy rain wind, you could hear loud rumbles of thunder, but when the actual event arrives, you see close flashes of lighting, extreme wind/rain, but you do not hear crashing thunder (once in a while you do) but you would think the sound of thunder would be crashing all around you really close. It’s so much different than those summer pop up storms loaded with close lightning strikes and loud thunder.
It’s the rain…there rain becomes so intense that the sound of thunder cannot travel as far as it could with just air. The rain impedes the sound of thunder significantly, even at very close distances. Also since it gets so dark, the light can be less visible from the lightning strikes and you don’t see as much lightning either.
Israel – That kind of makes sense, but I’m remember other times where we had intense rains (I’m especially remembering 2006 Sept) when it rained 7 inches in 2 hours here in Lexington and I think 2 people died near UK campus being swept into flood waters. It was an intense thunderstorm that was training over the same area. Close loud lightning and thunder, wind, extreme rain..I notice this mostly with squall lines like we just had and during spring severe weather, but in hot august and september when you get a squall line that moves slowly and is severe, you can definitely hear the thunder loudly with even intense rain. I’m not really sure what the difference is. Just something I’ve noticed over the years.
The squall line appears to be bowing.
More powerful when it bows out.
Whoa! 77 mph gusts in western Ky and a 79 mph gust near Carrollton this morning. Gusts of 60-70 mph were common along the squall line.
Wind , hail, and rain is wicked in Burgin!! Power is out on the south end.
We had some really strong, howling winds in Covington at 7am with hail and heavy rain. Briefly took the family to the basement when a tornado warning was issued, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Two suspected tornadoes did touch down in the Cincinnati area overnight.
Possible tornado damage reported by Richmond FD members at mobile home park on US 25 in area of Okonite plant. Several units on scene.
March has come in like a lion. Be safe everybody and have a good day!!!
Wow, I can’t believe the amount of wind, hail and possible tornadoes to the north of where I live. We just had, what I call garden variety thunder storm. Good rain, which we needed. March 1st is the start of our spring season. Right now, I have a rising barometer and 55 degrees and dropping. The pacific air behind this cool front should clear our skies and give us a nice end of the week. Have a nice day.
I’ve been in KY since 2003 but cannot recall a storm system with this amount of widespread damage. It seems like every county at least in the WKYT viewing area is reporting damage.
i haven’t heard or seen anything in Knox yet or further east of Knox thankfully
It is rare to get storm damage in Harlan as the storms are generally a whole lot weaker after leaving your area….terrain is too high here…but occasionally, we get a few that are bad! So, the storms weaken after hitting your mountains then continue weakening further by the time they get here, sometimes not even any rain especially in summer type of storms!
As typical, Harlan area really had nothing happen compare to almost all other counties in the state!!!
Yea, if there is an area of Kentucky that is at least somewhat less tornado prone, it could be the southeastern part of the state. While the rising terrain sapping tornadic energy may be a major factor (much like Ashville NC and areas around Mt Mitchell have only recorded a few weak twisters), Chris Bailey has also pointed out that southeastern KY has had more limited coverage by the NWS until recent decades thus some tornadoes could have been missed, especially the smaller tornadoes.
This all said, March 2 2012 among other outbreaks have shown that mountains have no real effect on those tornadoes that do happen to occur in rugged terrain.
and….. Take Care!
It rained earlier today in Lexington…
3.0 in. of rain in my part of Frankfort, plenty of wind but no damage has been reported as far as i know, the lake behind the house sure did jump a couple of feet.
Lots of damage in my area of Flatwoods/ Ashland area. Roofs blown off businesses, doors blown out of stores. Power poles broken off or leaning. Vehicles were even moved by the wind.
Straight line winds definitely laid the hammer down in Estill Co. today