Unsettled weather returns for this first week of February

After a nice start to February over the weekend with sunshine and unseasonably mild temperatures, we enjoyed more of the same to kick off this first week of February across Central and Eastern Kentucky. With a breezy southwest wind in place along with a good bit of sunshine, afternoon highs surged into record territory with highs in the upper 60s to around 70 degrees! We manage to break the daily record high of 70 here in Lexington set on February 3rd, 1890 but reaching a whopping 72 degrees! That’s the warmest temperature here in Lexington since the day after Election Day this past November so it’s been a while for sure. There readings were a good solid 20 to 25 degrees above average for this time of the year so it sure felt like spring to kick off the week. However it looks like our temperatures will be bouncing up and down a bit in the coming days as a few storm systems impact the area.

A weak frontal boundary will drop through the commonwealth early Tuesday bringing clouds and an outside shot at some patchy drizzle overnight. Most folks should wake up to cloudy skies before the sunshine returns heading into the afternoon. With a northeast wind bringing in slightly cooler air, temperatures won’t be quite as mild on Tuesday with the majority of the area seeing temperatures in the low to mid-50s for highs. This is still several degrees above average so it looks to be a pleasant day once the sunshine returns.

Our weather looks a bit more active into the mid-week as a wave of low pressure slides in from the west on Wednesday with a cold front set to follow suit into Thursday. Temperatures will be warm enough for an all rain event with the better potential for a wintry mix staying well to our north. Afternoon highs should be fairly mild in the upper 50s and low 60s. It looks to be a wet couple of days and there is the possibility of a few thunderstorms Wednesday night and into Thursday. Depending on the dynamics a few of these could be potentially strong so that’s something we’ll keep an eye on. Rainfall totals should be either side of the 1″ range so given all the wet weather of late and some minor river flooding, we’ll have to watch for some additional high water issues.

After a brief break on Friday with drier air and cooler highs back into the upper 40s, the active weather pattern should stay in place for the upcoming weekend. Another cold front diving in from the northwest will work hand in hand with a wave of low pressure to bring additional rainfall to Central and Eastern Kentucky. Showers and a few thunderstorms are on the table for Saturday so you’ll need the rain gear it appears if you are going to be out and about. The rain chances will linger into the day on Sunday before tapering off late in the day as we dry out and cool off a bit into early next week.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
MONDAY NIGHT: Clouds increase, patchy drizzle. Lows in the mid-40s.
TUESDAY: Clouds linger, some sun late. Highs in the mid-50s.
TUESDAY NIGHT: A few clouds and cool. Lows in the upper-30s.