Short-Lived Tornado Touches Down in Western Kentucky

On December 26th, 2016, a band of strong thunderstorms formed in southwestern Kentucky. Low to moderate instability was achieved alongside temperatures in the mid 70s. An approaching cold front provided the lift for thunderstorms to initiate. At around 3 PM a thunderstorm in far western Kentucky began to rotate over Graves and Marshall Counties. According to dual pol radar, a possible debris signature was noted alongside the rotation.

#tristatewx 1 to 2 miles south of Sharpe, KY earlier this afternoon. Possible debris? Wooded area. Might have been a tornado. pic.twitter.com/Rpy6aPno0V

— Beau Dodson (@BeauDodson) December 26, 2016

As it turns out, the dual pol radar did a great job indicating potential debris. The National Weather Service out of Paducah, KY conducted a damage survey and found that a brief tornado touched down about 2.1 miles south of Sharpe, KY. The EF-0 tornado produced winds of 75 mph, uprooting and topping trees, as well as causing shingle damage to one house. Fortunately, no one was injured from the tornado.