Winter Storm — Marshall, Kentucky

2021-02-14 to 2021-02-15 · Marshall, Kentucky

Wider weather episode

A strong storm system in the upper levels of the atmosphere moved east-northeast across the lower and mid Mississippi Valley on President's Day. A round of light snow the night before President's Day produced an inch or two in many locations. The primary period of heavy snow was on President's Day, when snowfall rates averaged one to two inches per hour. Visibility was one-quarter mile or less in the heavy snow. Snowfall totals for the winter storm varied greatly. Sleet and even some freezing rain brought snowfall totals downward across areas along the Tennessee border and east of a Henderson to Madisonville line. Most of the freezing rain was from the Madisonville area south to Hopkinsville and Elkton. Due to extensive blowing and drifting, accurate snowfall amounts were difficult to obtain. Average snow and sleet amounts were lowest in the Hopkinsville area and Todd County, typically from three to four inches. The highest amounts were along the Ohio River from Henderson to Paducah, averaging from 5 to 9 inches. In some cases, narrow bands of heavy snow resulted in sharp differences in storm-total snowfall across a small area. For example, snowfall reports in the immediate Paducah area ranged from 4 to 9 inches. Impacts were rather high. Most schools and businesses were shut down either due to the storm or the federal holiday. Wind chills were dangerously cold, at times ranging from zero to minus 10. Sub-zero wind chills were observed as far south as Tennessee. The very cold temperatures hampered removal of the snow. A house fire in Murray was blamed on a wall heater used for supplemental heating. The fire left the house uninhabitable. A firefighter slipped on ice while fighting the fire, causing a serious injury that required hospitalization. On Interstate 24 in Marshall County, a 77-year-old man died (indirect fatality) in a traffic accident. The man struck a guard rail near the 27-mile marker, then a semi collided with his vehicle. The westbound lanes of the interstate were closed for three hours.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 936247. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.