Thunderstorm Wind in Wayne County, Kentucky

An emergency manager reported a tree blown down near the intersection of Woodland Hl and KY-90.

A powerful storm system caused a rapid transition from record-nearing warmth to winter conditions across eastern Kentucky on March 16th. The event began as a cold front and associated squall line crossed the region between midnight and 6:00 AM EST, producing a peak measured wind gust of 62 mph at the Somerset-Pulaski County Airport (KSME) and widespread strong gusts over 40 mph elsewhere. These winds downed numerous trees and power lines, resulting in localized power outages and blocked roads, especially in Wayne, Rockcastle, and Pulaski counties.

Following the frontal passage, temperatures fell dramatically, plummeting more than 40 degrees from the 70s into the 30s. After a mid-morning lull in precipitation, a secondary wave of low pressure riding along the departing cold front brought steady stratiform snow by midday. During the afternoon and evening, this evolved into a convective regime as steep low-level lapse rates fueled snow showers and squalls. With high snow-to-liquid ratios, accumulations reached to around 4 inches in the high terrain of Pike, Letcher, and Floyd counties, while moderate totals of 1 to 3 inches were noted most other places east of I-75 and southeast of I-64. The snow showers tapered to flurries by early March 17th as temperatures settled in the 20s.