McCreary County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for McCreary County, KY right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 890 alerts that included McCreary County, roughly 89 a year. The most common is the flood advisory (213 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on March 16, 2026. 9 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include McCreary County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Scott County, Whitley County, Wayne County, Campbell County.
McCreary County alert history
Alert events that included McCreary County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood Advisory | 213 | 19 | September 22, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 128 | 15 | September 22, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 76 | 7 | August 10, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 57 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 53 | 8 | November 9, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 51 | 1 | January 30, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 46 | 4 | October 12, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 42 | 3 | November 8, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 42 | 6 | August 22, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 35 | 2 | June 28, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 30 | 0 | November 7, 2025 |
| Freeze Watch | 22 | 0 | October 24, 2025 |
| Flood Warning | 22 | 0 | March 16, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 12 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 11 | 2 | March 16, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 9 | 1 | March 13, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 9 | 3 | January 31, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 8 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 7 | 3 | September 2, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 7 | 0 | March 4, 2025 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 5 | 0 | April 20, 2023 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 2 | 0 | February 15, 2021 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 1 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 1 | 1 | January 27, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 1 | 0 | March 3, 2023 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 0 | 1 | June 29, 2026 |
Tornado history in McCreary County
9 tornadoes have been recorded in McCreary County since 1950, killing 2 people and injuring 19. That ranks 63 of 120 counties in Kentucky. The most recent was on March 12, 2020 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in McCreary County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 3, 1974 | F4 | Wayne County | 16.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 12, 1967 | F3 | McCreary County | 23.6 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 5 |
| April 8, 1980 | F2 | McCreary County | 11.2 mi | 200 yd | 2 | 9 |
| April 16, 1998 | F2 | Wayne County | 18.6 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 3, 1974 | F2 | McCreary County | 8 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 2020 | EF1 | McCreary County | 1.7 mi | 175 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 16, 1998 | F2 | Wayne County | 18.6 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 13, 1997 | F0 | McCreary County | 0.2 mi | 23 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 8, 1980 | F2 | McCreary County | 11.2 mi | 200 yd | 2 | 9 |
| April 3, 1974 | F2 | McCreary County | 8 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
About McCreary County
- Population: 16,824 (2024 estimate)
- State: Kentucky
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 021147 (how to use it)