National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Major Winter Storm to Impact the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast; Inclement Weather in the Pacific Northwest

A major winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast that may cause impossible travel conditions and power outages. Blizzard conditions are possible along coastal areas from the DelMarVa Peninsula through southeastern New England. Wet weather and strong winds return to the Pacific Northwest and north-central California. Read More >

Overview

A weather disturbance aloft interacted with a cold front over southeast Kentucky to bring widespread snow to the area during the early morning hours of February 7th. A band of very heavy snowfall developed from Whitley and Bell Counties through Harlan and Letcher Counties. Within this band of snowfall, amounts ranged from 4 to 9 inches. The snow was very wet and heavy in nature, which led to several down branches and trees. This in turn, knocked out power for several thousand customers during the morning hours. Travel was also very difficult as snowfall rates exceeded 2 inches per hour at times, making it nearly impossible to keep the roads cleared off. Travel across the higher ridgetops above 2000 feet was especially treacherous as temperatures in these areas were much colder and saw the higher accumulations.