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 >

During the first half of the month a persistent cool pattern kept temperatures in check and prevented widespread severe weather from occurring. There was only one severe weather event in the first two weeks of June this year, when thunderstorms that erupted from Missouri to Ohio on the afternoon of the 5th moved southward into the Ohio Valley causing widespread wind damage that evening.

The cool weather was especially noticeable from the 11th to the 14th when average daily temperatures were up to 13 degrees below normal. Several locations had highs in the lower 70s on the 13th, and the following morning much of the region dropped into the 40s. Lexington's low of 45° that day was the city's coldest June temperature since hitting 45° on June 7, 2000. The last time it was colder in June in Lexington was June 7, 1998 with 44°.

Then, after just one severe weather event in the first half of the month, there were ten severe weather events in the second half! Most of the rough weather was in the form of wind damage, with a few reports of large hail mixed in. On the 21st a derecho roared from Missouri and Illinois through Indiana and Kentucky to the South Carolina coast, causing widespread wind damage along its path. Several tornadoes occurred in the Kentucky/Tennessee border region, including three EF1s in Simpson and Allen Counties.

	Average Temperature	Departure from Normal	Rain	Departure from Normal
Bowling Green	75.0°	0°	8.26"	+4.06"
Frankfort	72.7°	+0.1°	6.59"	+2.50"
Lexington	72.5°	-0.2°	7.44"	+3.00"
Louisville Bowman	73.7°	-1.4°	8.82"	+4.68"
Louisville International	75.5°	-0.1°	7.82"	+4.03"