Winter Storm — Trigg, Kentucky

2004-12-22 to 2004-12-23 · Trigg, Kentucky

Wider weather episode

A record-setting winter storm dumped up to 18 inches of snow across western Kentucky, closing Interstate 24 and shutting down most businesses near the peak of the Christmas shopping season. The heaviest snowfall, from 12 to 18 inches, occurred along and north of a line from Paducah to Princeton (Caldwell County) to Greenville (Muhlenberg County). Closer to the Tennessee border, the precipitation was slower to change from sleet and freezing rain to snow, which greatly reduced snowfall amounts. From 3 to 9 inches of sleet and snow, along with up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation, was reported from Fulton and Murray, eastward across Hopkinsville, to Elkton. Where sleet and freezing rain lowered accumulations, travel conditions were no better than elsewhere. Travel was extremely difficult due to near-blizzard conditions. A 29-mile stretch of Interstate 24 was shut down in both directions after snow drifts made it impassable. The governor declared a state of emergency. The National Guard was mobilized to assist over 1,000 motorists who were stranded for as long as 24 hours along that stretch of highway, which extended from Trigg County across Caldwell and Lyon Counties. Other sections of the highway were closed for shorter periods of time. Hundreds of travelers were taken to shelters at area high schools and churches. Hotels were totally full from the Tennessee state line to the Kentucky Lake region. The gridlock on I-24 began when a semi overturned near Cadiz at mile marker 59. As vehicles waited for the wreck to be cleared, deepening snow drifts made the highway impassable, even to some plows and graders. State plowing was halted for hours in Fulton and Hickman Counties due to near blizzard conditions. Numerous vehicles were abandoned on roads across western Kentucky. Gusty north winds from 15 to 25 MPH with a few gusts to 35 MPH caused blowing and drifting of snow, with drifts up to 5 feet reported. The snow fell in two waves, the first during the early and mid morning hours, and the second from mid-afternoon through about midnight. The early morning heavy snow produced 4 inches at Paducah. The second and more prolonged period of heavy snow dumped an additional 10 inches at Paducah. The total of 14 inches set a new 24-hour snowfall record at Paducah, and it was more than the normal 10 inches for the entire winter. Most travel, including that by police and other emergency workers, was done in four-wheel drive vehicles. Five-foot drifts in open, rural areas made roads impassable even to some off-road vehicles. National Guard humvees were used for emergency purposes. Mail delivery was suspended in most areas for at least one day. The weight of the snow caused several roofs to collapse, including that of a furniture store in Paducah, a lumber company in Benton, and two commercial buildings in Owensboro. At least two marinas on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley were extensively damaged. In Marshall County, a 50-foot dock collapsed due to the weight of the snow and ice, damaging or destroying some of the 46 boats sheltered there. At a marina in northern Trigg County, the roofs over four of five docks collapsed onto 80-foot houseboats and yachts. Damage was estimated at 1.2 million dollars. One fatality was indirectly attributed to the storm. A 64-year-old man died of a heart attack while shovelling snow at his home in the community of Folsomdale in Graves County. The Owensboro and Paducah Airports were closed for about a day. Isolated power outages occurred, primarily in areas that received the most sleet and ice, from Muhlenberg County to Christian, Todd, and Trigg Counties. Around 1,000 homes were without power in Todd County. For a few days, many stores were out of certain items due to delayed deliveries. Preliminary snow depth reports from co-operative observers included: 16 inches at Owensboro, 10 inches on the north side of Mayfield and at Dawson Springs, 6 inches at Canton (Trigg County), and 3 inches at Hopkinsville. Recovery efforts were slowed by gusty winds and bitterly cold arctic air, as low as 8 below zero on Christmas morning.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5428555. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.