Good evening. A TORNADO WATCH is now out for much of central Kentucky until midnight. This includes Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort, Bowling Green and Covington. A line of damaging wind producing thunderstorms will race across the region through the rest of the evening.
Isolated tornadoes will also be possible. Here’s a look at the watch outline and the latest warnings…
Today’s Risk Area
Current Watches
Possible Watch Areas 
Take care.
While we’re dealing with severe storms, the upper midwest is getting SLAMMED with heavy snow! 12-18″ forecasted for Minneapolis and more in Duluth! Indiana is getting some real flooding issues with the snowpack in their area. We’re dealing with straight-line winds and the south is dealing with the tornadoes! Crazy day across the US
And AVALANCHE warnings in the mountain west! I have never heard of avalanche warnings before!?
I saw an avalanche of salt! 🙂 😉
And blowing salt! 😀
It looks like Indiana took our severe weather. So much for that moderate risk.
I’m always ok with a busted forecast on severe weather if that does end up being the case.
Real winning! 🙂
For now at least, it is tracking the same as the snow systems, so missing us. For now….
Oh I hope so please take it all but I don’t want anyone to get tornadoes
I know this could change but right now the radar is not all that impressive.
True, looking at the returns on radar, it looks underwhelming, but it sure is spawning numerous Tornado Warnings in west central KY
Bryant, look at what the blowtorch brings 🙂
Stuff out in West-Central TN looks really nasty.
Yes but looks like flowing due north east with not much of a due east trend yet. Seems an odd path so far.
My parents live in Madisonville. They were under a tornado warning, but no damage reported. Looks like the worst of this is going to be in South-Central Kentucky and Middle Tennessee
Explain further, please? That’s statement makes me worried.
Just based on radar returns it looks like areas south of the BG and WK parkways and areas along and east of I-65 are going to get the worst of this.
I see, just curious. I live a few miles east of Williamsburg, KY.
The main line of storms back in Southern Indiana looks to have peaked, for now at least. Storms are really struggling to maintain any significant organization, despite the dynamics, and the leading edge of the line is becoming less definied, suggesting less of a straight-line wind threat.
That being said, I’m definitely not a trained met, so stay alert to this system. Hoping for the moment though, looking at all the limbs hanging from the damaged trees in Louisvile, that we’ve lucked out on this go around.
Normally straight line winds proceed with more due east storms. The due north east flow seems odd. Not seeing a formation to push a due east straight line event so far.
Wonder what COS take is and if proceeding as he expected.
No sooner I post that, a more easterly flow begins.
Haha, feel you on that, they literally started to take on a more proper squall line appearance as soon as I posted that; Wave mentioned a surge of 60’s dewpoints out ahead of the last line contributing to some reorganization. Really weird to see these lines remain seperate for so long.
Any thoughts on Garrard County?
I’ve been out of town all day and just now getting to my computer, for what that’s worth. Not too impressed with what I’m seeing. I think the sever weather event back in December was more interesting. Still look to get a severe thunderstorm warning up my way later on and get rocked with some winds.
Upper 60’s for highs sure were nice though.
That secondary line approaching the E-town and Louisville areas seems to be getting its act together. I’d say that is a straight-line wind threat. I wonder if it will hold together into the Lexington metro?
Surprised there isn’t any watches for Somerset or eastern KY right now with warnings just to our west!!
We had a Tornado Warning here in Nashville. My wife and I along with about 60 others took shelter in a central room at an elementary school where we were attending a meeting. Just got home, power still on! A few light items like trash cans were tossed around, a few branches down. Much cooler now, still very gusty but just light rain.
Sorry to have missed seeing Jim Cantore doing live shots for TWC 🙁 .
Report of an 89 mph gust in Springfield TN which is roughly between Nashville and Russellville KY.
As expected, far western counties in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana have just been dropped from the Tornado Watch. Much cooler, more stable air flowing in.
Glad to see y’all are safe.
Agree they really need to extend the southern portion of the watch, and should probably just go ahead and issue a new Severe Thunderstorm Watch for all of Eastern Kentucky, since it is likely coming anyway. The portion of the line that moved through Bowling Green looked pretty nasty, with the line bowing out as it moved through.
Indeed, the SPC is indeed now considering doing just that, issuing a new watch for parts of east TN/KY.
HA!! Another storm system that has the southern extent sucking energy from storms in Kentucky. Why am I not surprised LOL
Tornado Warning for Clay County TN. Monroe County KY is just to the north, so be on guard including north of the state line.
Crazy wind ahead of the line starting here outside of Williamsburg.
The leading squall line actually looks to be the main threat tonight, rather than the line along the front by Louisville. Seems as the back line catches up with the initial line of storms, it is aiding their development.
Strong to severe storms now extending nearly to Lexington along the line, and blowing up quickly. This line’s severe storms were earlier confined from BG/Somerset southward into Tennessee, so there’s been an upward trend in strength. I do think most of Lexington, barring far southern portions, miss the worst of this though.
Line is actually getting more organized to the west. Berea Weather Dome looks to get a real test here soon. Good luck to everyone.
Heads up Buba
Yep. Our satelite went out, which is always an early warning of mega heavy rain. Just back, but was out fir ten minutes.
If you’re looking for a better idea of the area a warning entails, rather than just “for your county”, this is very helpful.
forecast.weather.gov/hazards/?wfo=lmk
Tornado warning, indeed Bubba watch yourself.
The sirens just went off in Richmond–both a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado warning.
Since tornado warning were issued for Fayette County, I just heard warning sirens going off.
Knock on wood, this has so far been wimpy compared to some recent past few year events.
Yes–I remember the one we had in January of last year. It blew my gas barbecue grill halfway across my driveway and knocked it over and broke it.
CB has perhaps been unable to update KWC due to his live tv duties, but a new Tornado Watch now out for southeastern KY – roughly south of I-64. Most of east Tennessee is likewise under this same watch.
Lots of Severe T-Storm Warnings out along the line, but for now the only Tornado Warning is in far south-central TN.
Heavy rain, wind, etc. coming through now at my location. Just as long as it helps get rid of the piles of snow in the parking lots without blowing the shutters off I’ll be happy.
There was a wind gust measured at the CVG airport of 54 MPH a little while ago.
My heart started pounding a little when I heard the sirens went off in Lexington, I walk outside and hear sirens, but find out it’s not in my neighborhood but in the distance. So I find out the tornado warning was issued just south of my area. Thats was a close one!
Still not damage reports in Lexington as of yet. Power still on here too thank God.
*no damage
Melissa Nord has also been doing a solid job for this system tonight on Twitter.
http://www.twitter.com/MelissaNordWx
Glad to see this wasn’t as major as it could have been. Still heavy rain, wind, loud thunder. But it still looks intense towards the east somewhat.
WINDY here in greenup!!!!!
Any chance some tornado watches get dropped?
Winds were wild here for about 20 minutes. Down to light rain, occasional thunder and lightning in Olive Hill. This could have been so much worse!!
Well that just scared me to death..haha. I hate high wind storms.