Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Pulaski, Kentucky

2022-12-23 to 2022-12-24 · Pulaski, Kentucky

Event narrative

A report was found on the local WYMT news about a man who was found outside and deceased in the cold.

According to the Area 10 Emergency Manager, a man that was being seen at a hospital in Somerset, allegedly checked himself out against medical advice on Thursday afternoon (Dec. 22nd). The man was wheelchair bound after having his legs amputated, and had a traumatic brain injury, both of which were sustained several years before.

According to the Emergency Manager, this individual was then outside and exposed to the frigid air temperatures that occurred that night and Friday (Dec. 23). He was found the next day outside and deceased, having passed away due to exposure from the extreme cold.

The news story can be found at: https://www.wymt.com/2022/12/27/somerset-man-found-dead-after-being-released-hospital/ .

Wider weather episode

The coldest blast of arctic air in years and the most frigid Christmas weekend in decades enveloped eastern Kentucky from Friday, December 23rd through Christmas Day. On Thursday, December 22nd, eastern Kentucky was enjoying mild temperatures ranging from the mid 40s to lower 50s. Clouds were prevalent but peeks of sun shone through thin spots at some locations -- little indicated the arctic front and bitterly cold air mass rapidly encroaching on the Ohio Valley. The front reached the Lake Cumberland area between 10:30 and 11:00 PM and exited the far eastern tip of Pike County by around 2:00 AM Friday morning. Temperatures fell precipitously along the front, with rain changing to a heavy wet snow in a matter of minutes. Just behind the front, wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph blew the snow, leading to brief whiteouts at some locations. Temperatures continued to plummet after the front passed while snowfall rates were so intense that roads became slush and snow covered within an hour. By the time steadier snow ended one to two hours after the frontal passage, temperatures had fallen into the teens and many locations had been transformed into a wind-scoured snowy landscape. Light flurries continued into the daylight hours on Friday but the massive temperature drop and brutally cold winds were by far the bigger concern. Most locations saw air temperatures dipping to between 0 and -5 degrees after sunrise on Friday. Friday morning's temperatures were 50 to 55 degrees colder than what was experienced a mere 18 to 24 hours prior. To add insult to injury, strong winds made it feel more like -10 to -30 degrees at lower elevations. Wind chills at some of the highest elevations approached -40 degrees. The winds finally diminished by later Friday and Friday night but temperatures recovered only very slowly over Christmas weekend and would not rise back above freezing until Tuesday, December 27th. Though snowfall amounts with the cold front were generally 2 inches or less, the bitterly cold temperatures preserved the snow which had fallen, yielding an elusive White Christmas for many.

The cold snap was the harshest in several years. Wind Chill Warnings were hoisted for dangerous cold across eastern Kentucky for the first time since February 2015. The extreme cold and strong winds led to numerous small to medium-sized power outages as electrical infrastructure struggled in the bitter temperatures. There were also many reports of frozen pipes leading to water damage in buildings and ruptured water mains. Some of the most severe water disruptions occurred in those counties which saw catastrophic flooding in July and were still repairing water distribution infrastructure. Some residences of Perry County remained without public water supply for more than 2 weeks.

...MINIMUM WIND CHILL REPORTS...

Location WC Temp. Time/Date Elevation (ft.)

Harlan 24 E (Big Black Mtn.) -39 F 1140 PM 12/23 4031

Pikeville 13 S -33 F 1035 PM 12/23 2774

Somerset 1 SSW -32 F 0945 AM 12/23 868

Morehead Apt -30 F 0835 AM 12/23 1028

Triangle Mtn RAWS -30 F 1002 AM 12/23 1359

Somerset 7 NNE -30 F 0930 AM 12/23 1085

London-Corbin Apt -30 F 0818 AM 12/23 1212

Owingsville 4 S -30 F 0930 AM 12/23 829

Somerset Apt -29 F 0955 AM 12/23 927

Monticello 4 W -28 F 0850 AM 12/23 1045

Morehead 4 NE -28 F 0855 AM 12/23 851

West Liberty 2 SW -28 F 0945 AM 12/23 1071

Hindman 5 N -28 F 1100 AM 12/23 1556

Wellington -26 F 0816 AM 12/23 1129

McKee 5 S -26 F 1120 AM 12/23 1319

Hazard Apt -25 F 0915 AM 12/23 1253

Whitley City 3 N -25 F 1045 AM 12/23 1312

Irvine -25 F 1100 AM 12/23 850

Koomer Ridge RAWS -24 F 0809 AM 12/23 1299

Campton -24 F 0115 PM 12/23 1371

Broadhead -24 F 0945 AM 12/23 1148

Ferguson -24 F 0825 AM 12/23 945

Jackson RAWS -24 F 0956 AM 12/23 1388

Williamsburg -23 F 1037 AM 12/23 1236

Monticello -23 F 1000 AM 12/23 1091

Eubank -23 F 0630 AM 12/23 1040

Jackson 14 SE -22 F 1110 AM 12/23 1373

NWS Jackson -22 F 0950 AM 12/23 1382

Williamsburg Apt -21 F 0755 AM 12/23 1178

Burnside -21 F 0850 AM 12/23 830

Big Sandy Apt -21 F 0755 AM 12/23 1221

Big Sandy RAWS -21 F 0756 AM 12/23 1180

Barbourville 3 E -21 F 0740 AM 12/23 1016

Monticello -20 F 0846 AM 12/23 921

Somerset -20 F 0730 AM 12/23 1089

Booneville 2 S -20 F 0825 AM 12/23 784

Middlesboro -20 F 0915 AM 12/23 2086

Pikeville -19 F 1220 PM 12/23 1209

Manchester -18 F 0856 AM 12/23 869

Peabody RAWS -17 F 0801 AM 12/23 1464

Jackson 14 ESE -17 F 1220 PM 12/23 833

Whitesburg 2 NW -14 F 1040 AM 12/23 1152

Paintsville 4 W -14 F 1000 AM 12/23 755

Yellow Creek RAWS -10 F 0726 AM 12/23 1089

Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying

equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers

for their dedication.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1068968. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.