Dodging a few showers and storms for Derby Day

As expected it turned out to be a rather damp and dreary Oaks Day across Central and Eastern Kentucky, along with at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It was a far cry from the perfect weather of Wednesday and Thursday with clouds, spotty showers and temperatures a little cooler. Fortunately the heaviest rain fell early in the day with more scattered rain through the afternoon as temperatures struggled to get into the low 70s for afternoon highs. The rain gear definitely came in handy Friday and this will be a common theme in the coming days as the unsettled weather pattern sticks around.

Derby Day is upon us and we are still cautiously optimistic for race day, especially over at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The front that brought the more organized rain Friday will be to our east with the next storm system approaching from the west. Even though we should be in between these systems, there should be enough moisture around along with a few leftover boundaries to be the focal point of additional showers and storms to develop through the afternoon. Based on the latest data the better chances and concentration of rain chances should be here in the Bluegrass eastward with lesser chances back toward the I-65 corridor. Temperatures will stay above average for early May, even with clouds and some rain around with highs into the mid to upper 70s. If you are headed to the Derby, plan for a few showers on occasion but it shouldn’t be a wash-out.

The big story in the coming days will be an unsettled weather pattern with daily rain and storm chances literally all the way through next week! The Ohio Valley will be in the favored area for several waves of energy to move in from west to east as we are essentially “stuck in the middle” between an upper level trough to the north and high pressure over the Gulf of Mexico. While it shouldn’t rain all day every day, you’ll definitely need to keep the rain gear handy as each day will feature a few rounds of showers and storms.

One positive is that our temperatures will stay unseasonably warm with afternoon highs remaining in the upper 70s and low 80s through the week. The negative side of this type of pattern is that consistent rainfall, which could be moderate to heavy at times could mean a concern for some flooding toward the end of next week. We are also watching the Tuesday through Thursday time frame as a few stronger waves of energy could help a thunderstorm complex or two to develop and move eastward. This would increase our chances for strong to severe storms in the area given the environment so that’s something we’ll watch closely in the coming days.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mild with a few showers. Lows in the low-60s.
SATURDAY: Scattered showers and storms. Highs in the mid to upper-70s.
SATURDAY NIGHT: More showers and storms. Lows in the low-60s.