A WKU meteorology student from Owensboro will be doing some storm chasing across the Great Plains later this month.

During Western Kentucky University’s May 2012 summer term, eight meteorology students in Dr. Josh Durkee’s annual Field Methods in Weather Analysis and Forecasting course including Kyle Mattingly of Owensboro,  will set out to forecast, analyze and document severe convective storms across what’s commonly called “tornado alley”.

The National Weather Service in Paducah has confirmed what many in the Tri-State already suspected:  We have a lot of tornadoes that occur in the overnight hours.

Using Data from 1950-2005, the NWS has identified a "Nocturnal Tornado Alley".  As the chart shows, more than 40% of our tornadoes have occured at night.

Between 1996 and 2012, 46 people have died in tornadoes in the Paducah warning area (most of the Tri-State). 

The tri-state has broken three record highs since last Wednesday.  Sunday's high of 82 beat the old record by 1 degree set back in 1982. Record highs for Monday and Tuesday are both 81 degrees also set back in 1982.  

Meteorologist Jeff Master with the Weather Underground is calling the record warmth one of the most extreme meteorological events in United States history, saying never before has such an extended period of extreme and record breaking warm temperatures affected such a large portion of the country in the month of March.