[KYHAM] KYARES ADVISORY: Strong Winds/T-Storms Possible

[Ron Dodson]

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
300 PM EST TUE FEB 19 2002

...ENERGETIC STORM TO AFFECT THE AREA OVERNIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE INTO
THE 
MID-MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY OVERNIGHT...AND INTO THE
SOUTHERN GREAT 
LAKES WEDNESDAY. ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW...SHOWERS AND
A FEW STRONG 
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY
AND SOUTH 
CENTRAL INDIANA...ALONG WITH STRONG AND GUSTY SURFACE
WINDS.

...STRONG WIND POTENTIAL...

OVERNIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT
WILL TIGHTEN 
IN RESPONSE TO THE DEEPENING LOW MOVING INTO THE
SOUTHERN GREAT 
LAKES. SOUTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL BE PREVALENT
OVERNIGHT WITH 
GUSTS TO NEAR 30 MPH. FROM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON 
HOURS...WINDS WILL BECOME MORE SOUTHWESTERLY WITH
SUSTAINED SPEEDS 
OF 20 TO 30 MPH. GUSTS TO 35 MPH ARE LIKELY...HOWEVER
IF ENOUGH 
SUNSHINE BREAKS THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND MIXES UP THE
LOWER 
ATMOSPHERE...GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. AREAS
GENERALLY ALONG 
AND NORTHWEST OF A BOWLING GREEN TO LEXINGTON LINE WILL
HAVE THE 
GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS WEDNESDAY.

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED STEPS TO PREPARE FOR STRONG
WINDS:

* ANY REMAINING OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND TRASH CANS SHOULD
BE SECURED 
OR MOVED INDOORS.
* LIDS ON DUMPSTERS AND OTHER RECEPTACLES SHOULD BE
CLOSED.
* TRAVELERS IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SUCH AS TRUCKS
WITH LARGE 
TRAILERS OR R-V'S SHOULD BE AWARE THAT DRIVING IN
STRONG WINDS CAN 
BE DANGEROUS. IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION DRIVING ON
EAST-WEST 
RUNNING HIGHWAYS WILL BE ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS SINCE THE
WIND WILL BE 
A CROSS-WIND.


...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...

THE OTHER THREAT WILL BE STRONG THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT. CURRENT 
COMPUTER MODEL FORECASTS INDICATE THERE WILL BE TWO
PERIODS OF 
THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTEND WITH. THE FIRST WILL TAKE
SHAPE AS A SQUALL 
LINE WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE 
THROUGH CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA FROM
LATE EVENING 
THROUGH THE PRE-DAWN HOURS WEDNESDAY. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL 
CONTAIN A 1 TO 3 HOUR PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY
RAINS...ALONG WITH 
LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE SECOND ROUND OF
THUNDERSTORMS 
WILL LIKELY OCCUR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A PASSING UPPER
LEVEL 
DISTURBANCE COUPLED WITH A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS
AND A ROBUST 
WIND FIELD COULD PRODUCE A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WEST OF 
INTERSTATE 65 TOWARDS MID-DAY. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE
RAPIDLY TO THE 
EAST AND SHOULD EXIT THE AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON. WIND
GUSTS IN 
EXCESS OF 50 MPH ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINS AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING ARE 
POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. 

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL
TELEVISION OR RADIO 
STATIONS...AND THE INTERNET FOR FURTHER WEATHER
UPDATES. AS NEW DATA 
ARE ANALYZED THIS FORECAST MAY BE UPDATED.