Ice Storm — Leslie, Kentucky

2021-02-14 to 2021-02-16 · Leslie, Kentucky

Event narrative

Up to half an inch of ice accumulation due to freezing rain occurred in the higher elevations around Leslie county, with much less ice in the valleys. The weight of the ice brought down tree limbs, entire trees, and power lines around the county. The downed trees, limbs, and power lines blocked many roads.

Wider weather episode

A significant winter/ice storm struck eastern Kentucky from February 14th to 16th 2021. Ice accumulations from freezing rain ranged from 0.25 inches to as much as 0.75 inches by the the time the storm had ended. Sleet accumulations of 0.3 to as much as 2 inches also occurred. The weight of the ice brought down tree limbs, entire trees, power lines, and power poles all across eastern Kentucky. The highest ice accumulations occurred primarily along the higher ridges around eastern Kentucky with much lower amounts in the surrounding valleys. During the height of the icing event, many roads around eastern Kentucky were impassable or nearly so. Many power outages resulted from downed power lines.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 938030. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.