*UPDATED 7:00 p.m. 04/18/13 -  It appears that our phone lines are back up. KVWX/KHPX radar data and NOAA Wx Radio should be operating properly.

*UPDATED 3:55 p.m. 04/18/13 -  The phone company found the problem and are currently working on the issue. Estimated time: an hour and a half before our lines are back up.

*ORIGINAL POST - FROM THE NWS - PADUCAH: DUE TO A MAJOR TELECOMMUNICATION OUTAGE (FIBER OPTIC CUT) SOME OF THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH, KENTUCKY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. 

ALL WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH ARE BEING TRANSMITTED OUT OF THE OFFICE. THE CURRENT WARNINGS, STATEMENTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS ARE ALSO BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH WEB PAGE AND THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS. HOWEVER, THE LATEST RADAR DISPLAYS FOR THE EVANSVILLE INDIANA AND FORT CAMPBELL RADARS ARE BEING DELAYED DUE TO THE TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS. 

IN ADDITION, NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTERS IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA WILL BE IMPACTED AND MAY NOT ACTIVATE YOUR WEATHER RADIOS. 

 PLEASE STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS AS WELL AS THE INTERNET FOR THE LATEST STATUS OF ACTIVE WATCHES, WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS DURING THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. IF YOU SEE SEVERE STORMS APPROACHING YOUR AREA BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CAN SAFELY REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR STORM DAMAGE PLEASE FORWARD YOUR INFORMATION TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR YOUR COUNTY. 

 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO RESOLVE THIS TELECOMMUNICATION ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WEEKEND FORECAST 
(Updated 4:30 p.m - 03/23/13)

Tonight: Cloudy, with a low around 33. Light northeast wind.
Saturday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 54. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4am. Low around 34. East northeast wind 8 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday: Rain before 1pm, then rain and snow between 1pm and 4pm, then snow after 4pm. Some thunder is also possible. High near 39. East northeast wind 8 to 16 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 28. West northwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

WEATHER ALERT: Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 6pm this evening to 6am Wednesday. 

Counties included: Gibson, Pike, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Henderson & Daviess. Including the cities of Fort Branch, Petersburg, Poseyville, Evansville, Boonville, Rockport, Henderson and Owensboro. 

248 PM CST TUE MAR 5 2013
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY. THIS ADVISORY IS FOR SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE HENDERSON AND OWENSBORO AREAS OF WESTERN KENTUCKY.

* SNOWFALL: SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AROUND ONE INCH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE HENDERSON, OWENSBORO AREAS. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE IN PIKE AND SPENCER COUNTIES WHERE UP TO TWO INCHES COULD FALL. 

* TIMING: THE FIRST ROUND OF SNOW WILL END THIS AFTERNOON WITH UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW ON GRASSY AREAS. ANOTHER MORE SIGNIFICANT ROUND OF SNOW WILL OCCUR TONIGHT MOSTLY BETWEEN 9 PM AND 3 AM. THIS ROUND OF SNOW IS MORE LIKELY TO ACCUMULATE ON PAVED SURFACES.

* MAIN IMPACT: ROADS MAY BECOME SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE USUALLY FIRST TO BECOME SLIPPERY.

* OTHER IMPACTS: STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE SNOW TO BLOW ACROSS ROADWAYS POTENTIALLY REDUCING VISIBILITY. THE WINDS MAY ALSO MAKE VEHICLE HANDLING MORE DIFFICULT.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS:
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

SOURCE: NWS - Paducah

Be a Force of Nature: National Severe Weather Preparedness Week
March 3-9, 2013. Know your risk. Take action. Be an example.

New: Presidential Message for National Severe Weather Preparedness Week 2013

During this week, NOAA and FEMA are highlighting the importance of planning and practicing how and where to take shelter before severe weather strikes. Being prepared to act quickly can be a matter of life and death.

Being a force of nature goes beyond taking appropriate preparedness action. It’s about inspiring others to do the same. We’re asking people not only to be prepared, but also to encourage their social network to act by texting, tweeting, or posting a Facebook status update.

BE A FORCE OF NATURE TOOLKIT - GET INVOLVED:
You, too, can Be a Force of Nature in your community. Tweet, write a blog post, develop a presentation – we have everything you need to get started. Be a local hero and spread the word about preparing for severe weather.

Talking Points
Get the facts about how severe weather impacts everyone – and how to prepare for it.

Blog Post
Download and customize for use on your blog.

Press Release
Issue a press release on the themes of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

Op-Ed
Submit an opinion piece to your local newspaper.

Social Media Tools 
Learn how to share your severe weather preparation plans through Twitter and Facebook.

Presentation
Make a presentation to a local group on National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

Public Service Announcement
Be a Force of Nature with this public service announcement.

Poster
Download and share the 2013 National Severe Weather Preparedness Week poster.

Be a Force of Nature Logo
Download the Be a Force of Nature graphic for your website.

SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS IN YOUR STATE: 
Many states have their own severe weather preparedness weeks. Check the Weather Awareness Events Calendar to find yours.


SOURCE: National Weather Service

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
248 PM CST THU JAN 31 2013

STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO BRING QUICK SWATH OF SNOW LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR QUICK BURSTS OF SNOW...POSSIBLY LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. 
* LIGHT SNOW SHOULD BEGIN FALLING OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS SNOW COULD QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES IN BANDS ACROSS THE REGION. THIS AREA OF PRECIPITATION WILL RAPIDLY MOVE EAST INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA EARLY TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY TAPER OFF JUST AS QUICKLY AS IT BEGAN OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI EARLY TONIGHT...THEN END OVER THE REST OF THE REGION BY AROUND MIDNIGHT.
* THE MAIN IMPACT WILL COME WITH BURSTS OF LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW IN EAST TO WEST BANDING PRECIPITATION. WHERE...AND HOW NARROW OR THICK THESE BANDS OF SNOW BECOME WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH SNOW A GIVEN LOCATION RECEIVES. AT THIS TIME...IT SEEMS LIKE MUCH OF THE ADVISORY AREA WILL SEE UP TO A QUICK INCH OR SO OF SNOW. HOWEVER...THERE WILL LIKELY BE LOCALLY HEAVIER BANDS THAT PRODUCE A QUICK 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING VISIBILITIES TO UNDER A QUARTER MILE AT TIMES.
* OTHER IMPACTS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT MUCH OF THE SNOW WILL OCCUR DURING INCREASED TRAFFIC BETWEEN 4 PM AND 7 PM...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND THE WESTERN TIP OF KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE 
DRIVING.

Today is a SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAY, a day to stay updated on the latest weather conditions and to be ready to react quickly if severe weather threatens. The Storm Prediction Center has placed areas along and south of I-64 in a MODERATE risk (see map) for severe weather later tonight and early Wednesday. Strong damaging straight-line thunderstorm winds will be the primary threat, although brief tornadoes will also be possible. A very strong cold front will move through the tri-state overnight and the transition from today's high temperatures in the upper 60's to Wednesday's high temps in the 30's may be a rough one. The following is taken from the SPC Outlook issued at 2:00 p.m. January 29th, "Widespread and significant damaging winds will also be possible as far NE as the lower Ohio Valley ..." 

Remember to make EvansvilleWatch a PART of your personal severe weather alert system. We feature INSTANT weather alerts via ReadyWarn on Facebook and Twitter! However, do not rely on just one source for all your weather warnings. Technology fails and it's possible you may not receive an alert if you do this do this. 

Be sure you follow our local broadcast media and have your NOAA weather radio close by and ready to alert. Utilizing these and other weather sources ensures you receive the latest watches/warnings/advisories so you can keep your family safe from the storm.

On both a national and a local scale, 2012 was the warmest year on record. Extreme weather events in 2012 captured our attention. A record-breaking drought dominated the spring and summer months. A summer heat wave broke all-time high temperature records. The traditional spring severe weather season was relatively quiet. The most significant severe weather event occurred in late February, when an EF-4 tornado struck Harrisburg, Illinois. The annual rainfall total at Paducah was on track to be the 2nd lowest on record, compared to 2011, which was the highest on record.

• The winter of 2011-12 was unusually mild, ranking among the 5 warmest on record at some sites. The seasonal snowfall totals were less than an inch in many areas. 
  
• The traditional spring severe weather season was rather inactive. However, the annual tornado count for the Paducah NWS forecast area was the 3rd highest since the modernized office opened in 1994.
• Summer heat and drought dominated the weather headlines, followed by a cool and quiet fall.
• The year ended with a very high-impact winter storm on Christmas night, mainly along and north/west of the Ohio River.

The following weather events are ranked unscientifically. The primary rating factors are economic impact, fatalities and injuries, and social impact. The meteorological significance of the event is secondary:
1. Spring/Summer Drought - One of the driest years on record contributed to a long-term drought that decimated the corn crop in many areas and caused record low river levels.

2. Harrisburg EF-4 Tornado - A tornado outbreak during the early morning hours of February 29 took a number of lives. Seven persons were killed when Harrisburg was struck by a tornado rated EF-4.

3. Record Summer Heat Wave - July was the hottest month on record in many places. The all-time high temperature record was broken at Paducah.

4. Christmas Night Winter Storm - A major winter storm dumped around a foot of snow in much of southern Illinois and parts of southwest Indiana, causing major travel disruptions.

5. Scott County, MO EF-2 Tornado - An EF-2 tornado at Diehlstadt took three lives on June 4.

6. Southern IL EF-2 tornado - One person was killed by an EF-2 tornado that struck Opdyke, IL on March 23.

7. EF-2 Tornadoes in KY/IN - Within days of the deadly Harrisburg tornado, a smaller tornado outbreak occurred on March 2. Posey County, Indiana and Union County, KY were each struck by an EF-2 tornado on March 2.

8. Gibson County, IN macroburst - One of the strongest macrobursts on record in our area produced winds to 110 mph on July 31. Several persons were injured by hail that was up to grapefruit size.

9. Jan. 22 Severe Weather - A severe weather outbreak produced numerous reports of wind damage, along with a couple weak tornadoes.

10. Mayfield, KY EF-1 tornado - A tornado struck Mayfield, KY during the early morning hours, injuring one person rather seriously. 

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - PADUCAH
Tornados can occur during any month of the year here in the Lower Ohio Valley. This chart below shows the number of tornadoes by month from 1996 to 2011. Although there is a peak in the spring and fall, the most important point is that we have had tornadoes every month. You need to be aware of this fact.

Plus a lot of our tornadoes that occur in the winter happen at night.

This is also evident by looking at tornadoes by the time of day.

Yes, most tornadoes happen in the late afternoon and evening, but notice that we have had almost 40 tornadoes between midnight and 6AM when most people are asleep.

Tornadoes in the winter act a bit differently than they do in the spring. One of the most important features of tornadoes in the winter is that they move extremely fast and develop extremely fast. It is not uncommon for tornadoes in the winter to move at speeds of 60 to 70 mph! That means that your time to react and to get to safety is shorter than during other parts of the year. Make sure you have plans for home, at work, and at your place of worship.

We issue warnings for tornadoes based upon three things:
1) The environment: Tornadoes are most likely in the winter when the winds are very strong throughout the atmosphere and when there is a very small amount of instability (warm, moist air near the ground). This information can help you too. Whenever you notice it is unusually warm and humid outside, you need to be on alert. More than likely thunderstorms, and possibly severe weather, will be in the area within 48 hours. One of the ways you can keep ahead of this is by looking at our Outlooks page.  That page will show you what we expect to happen for the next few days.

2) Spotter Reports: Each year we train hundreds of volunteers to contact us when they see certain cloud formations or experience strong, damaging winds, hail, or if they see a funnel cloud or tornado. Storm spotting in the winter can be very difficult as the storms are moving and developing rapidly, and often it is dark, so it is difficult to see the cloud formations. We now also use Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Paducah.gov) and Twitter to gather reports. We send tweets as #NWSPaducah and we monitor the following streams: #nwspah and #tristatewx for weather reports.

3) Radar: Doppler radar cannot see the actual tornado. However, the circulation associated with tornadoes extend well into the cloud in most cases. We look for this larger circulation, and once we see the circulation intensify, a tornado warning is issued. Almost all storms have some rotation, but the strength of the rotation is one of the things we look for on radar. When we go back and research past cool season tornadoes, some of them go from little or no rotation in the cloud to producing a tornado on the ground in just 10 minutes! There is still a lot of research to be done on these tornadoes to better understand them.

In an ideal world, we would like to have all 3 of the above items available to us before we issue warnings, but that is not always possible. Sometimes there are no spotter reports, and sometimes the atmosphere is marginally favorable for tornadoes to form. So, we often have 2 out of the 3 and we then issue warnings based upon the information we have. We, as meteorologists, know that there is still much to learn about the atmosphere and how it works, but we make decisions based upon the information we have.

If you think about it, this is very similar to how a doctor might think when you go into an emergency room. They do not have all the information, but they look for symptoms, listen to you, and then make decisions based upon that information.

Safety is key and part of being safe is having a plan. If a tornado moves through your neighborhood at 2 AM, how are you going to know? If we issue a tornado warning at 2AM, will you know about it? How are you going to know about tornado warnings when you are asleep.

There are several ways to make sure you are awake.
1) Purchase and program a NOAA Weather Radio. We can help you program them.

2) Appoint a family member to stay up and watch the weather, then have them call some friends and relatives before the storms move into your neighborhood and make sure people are awake.

3) Subscribe to receive warnings via your cell phone. Several local media outlets provide this service for free or a nominal fee. In addition, tornado and flash flood warnings are received for free on smart phones with WEA technology.

In addition, have a plan to know where to go. Again, there is little time to react during the winter when severe weather arrives. You have to have a safe location in your home, office, place of worship, before severe weather starts. If you have a basement or a storm shelter, great, that is likely the safest location. If not, try to find a room or a hallway that is near the center of the building on the lowest floor. Try to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside of the building. Schools have tornado drills, you need to make sure everyone in your home or business knows where to go when severe weather strikes. It is not if severe weather will occur, it is when.

Fall often marks an increase in severe weather. The months of October and November, particularly from about mid-October through mid-November, usually brings an increase in severe thunderstorms activity including tornadoes, large hail and damaging thunderstorm winds across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. Recent years proved several examples of this annual increase in severe thunderstorms  From October 14 to October 26, 2004, a total of 11 tornadoes occurred across southern Illinois, southeast Missouri and western Kentucky. On October 18, 2007, 16 tornadoes ravaged our region causing 20 injuries and 20 million dollars damage. A total of 26 tornadoes occurred across our region in November of 2005 including the November 6th Evansville, Indiana tornado which caused 25 fatalities. We also had the November 15, 2005 Madisonville, Kentucky area violent EF4 tornado.

The cause of the increase in tornadoes and other sever thunderstorm activity is usually a result of the jet stream dipping south. This causes an increase in the wind field aloft  These wind fields are often enhanced by storm systems approaching from the Plain states. This coupled with sometimes favorable instability and moisture levels can produce the necessary conditions for severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes.  

Preparation and response are the keys to ensure you and those close to you stay safe this fall. First, ensure you have a plan that includes a safe sheltering location when severe weather threatens. Secondly, ensure you have a means to receive weather warnings, particularly of overnight storms which are more than twice as likely to be killers. A weather radio is a perfect solution for being alerted of dangerous weather  Thirdly, go to your predetermined safe location promptly when a warning is issued for your area or severe weather is observed. 

For additional information on severe weather, see:
HTTP://WWW.STORMREADY.NOAA.GOV/LINKS.HTM and HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/SEVEREWEATHER/INDEX.SHTML


SOURCE: National Weather Service - Paducah Public Information Statement 7:28 a.m. Thursday, October 11, 2012