National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms in the Central U.S.; Heavy to Excessive Rainfall in the Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians

Severe thunderstorms producing damaging winds, hail, and a few tornadoes are expected through Tuesday across parts of the central Plains and lower to mid Missouri Valley. Heavy to excessive rainfall could produce flooding across portions of the Ohio Valley into the Central Appalachians through Tuesday. Read More >

Overview

A winter storm swept through Kentucky and southern Indiana on Friday, January 12, 2018, bringing a little bit of everything: rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, and gusty winds. Icing ranged from very little up to a quarter inch in spots. Snowfall amounts ranged from 1-6 inches across the area, generally highest west of I-65. Travel conditions were significantly impacted, especially Friday afternoon through Friday night. 

This weather system began as moderate rainfall for all of central Kentucky and southern Indiana Thursday into Thursday night. On Friday, as cooler air slowly pushed in from the west, the rain changed over to a wintry mix and eventually to all snow. The heaviest icing ended up on the western fringe of the I-65 corridor. Ice accumulations up to 0.20-0.25 inches occurred from the Russellville and Bowling Green areas up through western Jefferson County and into southern Indiana. Although some lost power, fortunately there were no major, long-duration power outages. 

The snow and ice made for very difficult travel conditions, especially later in the day on Friday. Numerous multiple-vehicle accidents occurred. As the snow wound down early Saturday, overnight low temperatures plunged into the teens. 

Ice in Fairdale. Photo courtesy Kerrie Ann Bal.

nws logo Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged!
Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site.
nws logo