Brutal arctic cold chills entire region

Union County residents found themselves dealing with brutally cold arctic weather conditions early this week.

Such weather had not been seen in the region for nearly two decades.

The website for the National Weather Service office in Paducah cautioned area residents about "an arctic outbreak of potentially historic proportions."

The weather service's forecast warned that Monday could be "the coldest day since early February of 1996. . .and possibly the coldest day on record."

Temperatures some 30 to 40 degrees below normal chilled the region.

The mercury dropped below zero early this week. The bitter cold was accompanied by snow which fell on Sunday.

The conditions left area residents dealing with frozen plumbing, vehicles which would not start and slick roads. County schools were not in session on Monday and Tuesday.

Emergency services personnel opened several warming centers at various locations throughout Union County.

Temperatures began to moderate on Tuesday under a bright blue and sunny sky.

Weather observer Dana Cross reported that the low temperature in Jonesboro dropped to 5 degrees below zero Monday morning. The wind chill Monday morning in Jonesboro was 8 degrees below zero.

The arctic cold was accompanied by what was described by the National Weather Service as dangerously cold wind chills.

This week's bitter cold was described in many media reports as being the result of what weather observers called a polar vortex, or an arctic cyclone.

The National Weather Service office warned ahead of the winter storm that the system would "bring brutal arctic cold not felt here for years. We are talking about temperatures going below freezing Sunday night. . .not just below freezing, but way below.

"A look at the record books shows you have to go back to the winter of 1995-1996 for cold of this magnitude."

The cold swept in late Sunday, accompanied by several inches of snow. Forecasts had indicated that the Union County area would receive much heavier snow fall.

Union County Sheriff David Livesay said that no major traffic accidents had been reported as a result of the weather. The sheriff said that people simply were staying at home and off the roads.

Union County Highway Department engineer Kevin Grammer said crews began working Friday to prepare for the arrival of the winter storm by pretreating roads.

Grammer said that work to clear roads would be challenged by bitter cold temperatures, which would not allow for much melting.