National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Mississippi Valley; Critical Fire Weather in the Southern Plains

Severe thunderstorms will persist tonight across the Middle Mississippi Valley, producing damaging winds, large to very large hail and several tornadoes. Low humidity and windy conditions will continue to produce elevated to critical fire weather conditions across the southern High Plains into midweek. Read More >

Overview

A stalled frontal boundary and southerly winds transporting ample moisture into the region, led to widespread precipitation crossing the region from late Wednesday (February 10th)  into Thursday (February 11th).   Cold air, related to the surge of arctic air over the central and northern plains was present at the surface, while warm air surged northward just above the ground.  This led to widespread freezing rain across east Kentucky.  Many locations saw 0.25-0.50" of ice from this event.  Along with difficult travel conditions, power outages were reported due to falling trees on powerlines.