A strong storm system with damaging wind, heavy rain and a possible tornado is leading a cold front into the Four Rivers region tonight.
In a briefing this afternoon, National Weather Service forecasters said the timeframe for severe weather for western Kentucky is between 9 pm and 4 am tonight. There could be severe storms before and after that period, but the chance for storms are highest during that time. Forecasters are saying the nature of this weather pattern indicates an increased risk of tornados overnight.
In an online briefing this morningNational Weather Service Forecaster Christine Wielgos said winter tornadoscan be especially dangerous for a couple of reasons.
“Number one they can develop very very quickly. And a lot of times these tornados will develop within lines of storms and it can be very difficult to spot one because they may be imbedded within the rainfall. Once they do develop they move extremely fast upwards of 60 to 70 miles per hour.”
Weilgos says there’s less time to react to a winter tornado than a spring or summer tornado. So, now is a good time to test your weather radio and update your severe weather response plan. Initial forecasts show the severe weather moving into far western Kentucky between 9pm and midnight, Weilgos said. Cold weather will follow tonight’s storms with temperatures dropping back to the low 30s and upper 20s by the end of the week. The NWS is not planning any more briefings for today, but this post will be updated as they narrow down their forecast for tonight.
