ICE ICE ICE

Ice may look pretty at first, but ice events are quite devastating to just a little ice in some cases just trace values can cause you can slip up on the road. Ice carries a lot of weight on objects so when the glaze starts to accumulate on the object like a tree or a power line the weight can cause it to give way and snap and cause more damage. Most ice deaths occur on the road in a lot of times in West Ky in ice events in which less than 1/4 inch ice is involved. A lot of people underestimate these events in which there might not be a lot of ice accumulation. This causes traffic accidents. A light glaze event of 1/10 to 1/4 inch ice during a busy time like morning rush hour kinda like the Feb 21-22nd ice event can cause over 300 traffic mishaps in a little over an hour. In sig. events weight of the ice can cause massive damage and massive power outages. The Ice Storm of Feb 11th-12th 2008 caused millions of dollars of damage and power outages for about a week in the hardest hit areas of Northwest Kentucky. Some people had power outages for more than a month in parts of the Southeast during the Ice Storm of Feb 9th and 10th 1994.

Ice is caused when a thin layer of warm air rights over cold arctic air. In this case snow falls in the upper atmosphere than melts to rain, than if the ground is below freezing it falls as freezing rain which is the worst type of ice precip, or if it doesn't melt completely it will fall as ice pellets or sleet which accumulates on the ground like snow, and can accumulate several inches in extreme cases.

Remember that 85% of all deaths in ice storms occur in vechiles.


THE ICE STORM/FLOODING OF FEB 9-10TH 1994- This is the one of the worst overall storms to hit during our schooling and an ice storm of this level hasn't been matched since 1951 in the effected areas. In Tennessee this is one of the most costliest disasters to ever strike the state causing around 500 Million dollars statewide with the worst being right in Mid Tn into West TN into N MS and surrounding states. in West KY the Hopkinsville/Elkton/Ft.Campbell area was hit the hardest with around 1 inch of straight ice accumulation and power outages for several days. In Tn 500 million dollars of damage was done tree damage was widespread. TN was the second hardest hit state behind MS. Widespread power outages occurred as power went out to 770,000 people (770,000 is about how many people live in Nashville and Clarksville TN combined) Power wasn't completely restored till about a month later. Most of damage was trees, powerlines, workers for clearing out the damage and many veacholes and homes with damage because of trees falling on them. The highest precipitation value( including rain and ice was over 7 inches in Shelbyville TN in Mid TN) Flooding was a major problem and causing widespread road closures. After the rain before the storm and the melting of all the ice afterwards. This is what a big quasi-stationary front and major overunning gets you. http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/techrpts/tr9403/tr9403.pdf http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/special/iwais96.pdfhttp://www.alabamawx.com/?p=5469commentshttp://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~234958

ICE STORM of FEB 11th-12th 2008- After clean up efforts of Super Tuesday of 2008. An major big time overrunning situation setup and impacted West KY. some minor icing went to effect Mid TN thu Hopkinsville KY to Muhlenburg county KY as the system departed on the night of the 12th. This overunning situation along with approaching arctic air and warm air advection clashed on the site of NW TN and West KY. Once the precip started around Midday in Far West KY and Mid Afternoon across the rest of West KY and parts of TN . Most of TN stayed above freezing so it was mostly rain with scattered remains of precip behind the arctic air bring 1/10- 2/10 inch of ice in KY/TN border and West Mid TN areas the night after on the 12th. The worst was in West KY on afternoon and evening Thur early morning of the 12TH. The overrunning pattern lead to training of precip. At first it started as Snow and Sleet some was quite heavy snow and sleet. The worst of this storm and most of the precip was from Bardwell to Dawson Springs KY. This area received 1/4 inch to some areas about 1 inch of straight Freezing Rain. 1/4 inch Sig ICe and 1/2 is devastating and 1 inch plus is legendary and pot. historic. Livingston County was hit hard. Henderson/Owensburo area got very devastated with over 3-4 inches of Snow/Sleet than the 1 inch of ice fell/ Power was out in some areas for a week. Satellite images showed the ice 3 or 4 days after the storm and most roads and several trees were knocked down. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=pah&storyid=12982&source=0