Strong Wind in Boyd, Kentucky

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms swept through northeast Kentucky during the predawn hours of March 16th in response to a passing cold front. Downed trees and power lines were observed in Boyd and Lawrence Counties as a result of these stronger storms. Outside of thunderstorms, a period of strong synoptic winds accompanying this disturbance took place. Surface winds picked up in intensity in the wake of the storms and remained elevated into the morning hours of the 16th. The strongest observation of these winds in northeast Kentucky were noted shortly after the round of storms swept through between 4 and 4:30 AM, where Mesonet stations and the AWOS in Ashland recorded winds ranging from 35 to 42 miles per hour. As high pressure built in from the west on the 16th, gradient winds diminished.