Hail, 70 mph wind gusts, tornadoes possible: Thunderstorms in forecast for Kentucky

Christopher Leach
·5 min read

All the major hazards from severe storms are in play as extreme weather is expected to impact Kentucky Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

A tornado watch is in effect until 3 a.m. Wednesday for the western half of the state, along with much of Central Kentucky, including Lexington.

The NWS’ severe weather outlook for Tuesday covers all of Kentucky and includes Lexington in the enhanced risk zone, which features a greater concentration of organized severe thunderstorms with varying levels of intensity.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the NWS is calling this one of the most concerning forecasts they’ve seen in a while.

“Our number one priority is to make sure that everyone stays safe,” Beshear said. “We know severe weather can come quickly and this weather has the possibility of tornadoes – potentially significant tornadoes – of hail, of high winds and of flooding.”

The storms are expected to begin in the afternoon and continue into the overnight hours, the NWS said. Golf ball or larger size hail, winds gusts up to 70 miles per hour and significant tornadoes are all possible.

A strong tornado cannot be ruled out, according to the NWS. Lexington is included in the area of the highest chances for a tornado Tuesday, which includes Louisville, northern Kentucky, Indiana and western Ohio.

The NWS’ area forecast discussion said this is the same storm that impacted the central and southern plains Monday but the storm is not as strong. The confidence for severe weather between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. is low to medium.

At 12:35 p.m. NWS forecasters said wind speed variations in the storm is increasing, creating concern for areas west of I-65. Severe thunderstorms warnings could be issued soon.

However, the winds speeds aren’t strong enough for tornadoes yet, so damaging winds and hail are the main threats initially, according to the NWS.

Chances for severe weather increase to medium between 4 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, according to the NWS. Forecasters said storms featuring the severe hazards could fire off in the mid-afternoon but confidence in severe storms in the overnight hours remains low.

The weather patterns present with this storm are unusual for this region and only occur a few times a year, the NWS said.

State government offices will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday so employees can get home before the storm, Beshear said. Anderson County, Harrison County and Woodford County Public Schools has canceled its after-school activities due to inclement weather.

The Kentucky Emergency Operations Center has been activated and essential partners are on alert.

“By activating now, we will increase our situational awareness for the event, it will ensure faster response times in case there is a need and we’ll have good lines of clear communication to our citizens,” said Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson.

Severe weather in Wednesday’s forecast for Kentucky

More scattered severe weather is expected for Wednesday. The NWS’ severe weather outlook for Wednesday puts virtually all of Kentucky in the enhanced risk zone. Beshear said it’s possible the forecast for Kentucky could worsen and upgrade to the moderate risk zone.

A moderate risk zone, “indicates potential for widespread severe weather with several tornadoes and/or numerous severe thunderstorms, some of which may be intense,” the NWS said.

The severe weather is concentrated on western Kentucky. The NWS said golf ball or larger size hail, winds gusts up to 70 miles per hour and significant tornadoes are once again all possible.

Confidence in severe weather Wednesday is moderate to high, according to the NWS area discussion forecast. The confidence is higher in linear severe storms compared to the development of supercells.

The precise timing and location of the severe weather is still unknown. The NWS said Wednesday morning’s storms could play a big role in the severity of the storms in Central Kentucky later in the day.

The repeated rounds of storms could cause minor local flooding in flood-prone areas, according to the NWS. Approximately 1-3 inches of rain are possible, Beshear said.

Beshear encouraged everyone to stay up to date on the latest forecast and have a plan for severe weather.

“I’m taking this seriously, this is where my family lives, and I hope everyone else will take it seriously too,” Beshear said.

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