Severe Thunderstorm Threat From the Central Plains to the Northeast; Extreme HeatRisk for the East Coast

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from the central Plains to the Northeast through this evening. Widespread damaging winds are the primary threat but hail and a tornado or two is also possible. Extremely dangerous heat continues across the Eastern U.S. Warm overnight low temperatures will provide little to no relief. Read More >

The defining event of this month was the dangerous heat wave that baked the region from the 13th through the 16th. In addition to hot afternoon temperatures in the 90s, dew points were in the 70s, and even some low 80s, creating oppressive humidity and heat index readings occasionally over 110 degrees. Adding to the public health impacts, temperatures didn't cool off much at night. Louisville stayed at or above 80 degrees for a record 120 hours straight (the old record, since 1948, was 117 hours set in August 2007).

After a brief cool-down, temperatures returned to the 90s for many locations from the 21st to the 25th, but humidity levels were much lower and nighttime temperatures were quite a bit cooler.

The stormiest days of the month were on the 17th and 22nd. A large complex of thunderstorms developed over Nebraska on the evening of the 16th and tracked east all the way into the Ohio Valley on the morning of the 17th. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued around 7am EDT and most of the reports of severe weather in southern Indiana and central Kentucky were before noon, which is an unusual time for widespread severe weather to occur. The storms produced gusty winds that primarily knocked trees down...along with a few power lines and some minor roof and siding damage. A 61mph wind was recorded in Scott County, Kentucky.

On the 22nd a cold front coming in from the north caused thunderstorms to erupt in the afternoon first in southern Indiana and then move south into Kentucky, mostly east of Interstate 65. Again most of the damage was in the form of trees down, including several in Louisville. Louisville had reached 100° ahead of the storms (first 100° reading in nearly a decade), and when the storms blew through the temperature dropped into the upper 70s.

	Average Temperature	Departure from Normal	Precipitation	Departure from Normal
Bowling Green	77.7°	+1.6°	3.40"	-1.11"
Frankfort	74.6°	+0.9°	2.86"	-1.48"
Lexington	75.9°	+2.6°	2.10"	-2.86"
Louisville Ali	78.2°	+1.8°	2.77"	-1.50"
Louisville Bowman	76.2°	+0.8°	2.96"	-1.72"

Records

6th: Rainfall of 3.39" at Bowling Green
13th: Warm low of 79° at Bowling Green, high of 95° at Frankfort, warm low of 75° at Frankfort, warm low of 76° at Lexington, high of 97° at Louisville, warm low of 79° at Louisville
14th: Warm low of 81° at Bowling Green (all-time record for June), high of 94° at Frankfort, warm low of 77° at Frankfort, high of 95° at Lexington, warm low of 79° at Lexington, high of 96° at Louisville, warm low of 83° at Louisville (all-time record for June)
15th: Warm low of 75° at Bowling Green, warm low of 74° at Frankfort, warm low of 76° at Lexington, warm low of 80° at Louisville
16th: Warm low of 80° at Bowling Green, warm low of 77° at Frankfort, warm low of 77° at Lexington, warm low of 82° at Louisville
22nd: High of 100° at Louisville

Lexington, Kentucky June 30, 2022