Tornado watch issued; public schools closed

Large hail and damaging winds are possible, the National Weather Service warned.

Western Kentucky, including Hopkinsville, is under a tornado watch until noon Thursday. The National Weather Service issued the watch at 4:50 a.m. A watch means a tornado is possible based on current conditions. 

“Some storms could be severe, with large hail and damaging winds,” the NWS forecast states. It will be breezy in the afternoon, and winds could gust as high as 34 mph. 

Christian County Public Schools are closed because of severe weather early in the morning and the potential for more later in the day.

Students will have the day off with a traditional weather closure. There are no plans for non-traditional instruction, a spokeswoman said in a press release. 

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.