Storm threat ramps up into the mid-week

A few of the storms could be on the strong side as a cold front moves in

3 hours ago

T.G. Shuck,

Our spring-like stretch of weather continued across Central and Eastern Kentucky as a steady southwest wind helped push more unseasonably mild air into the region. After some clouds and a few isolated showers early, most locations saw a mix of clouds and sunshine through the day. This combined with the wind helped push temperatures into the 70s for afternoon highs although a little more in the way of cloud coverage kept temperatures from running toward record territory in the upper 70s. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the bonus warmth the last couple of days as some changes are on the way mid-week.

A strong cold front will approach from the west on Wednesday bringing multiple rounds of showers and storms to the commonwealth. There is the possibility that a few of the storms could be on the strong side for areas north and west of Lexington during the morning hours, although the more favorable area is well to our northwest during that window. However, the potential morning storms and any associated cloudiness with it could be a key factor in how the remainder of the day plays out relative to our severe weather possibilities later in the day. Right now the Storm Prediction Center has all of the commonwealth in a Level 2 severe risk (out of 5) with damaging winds being the primary threat, although all modes are on the table.

As the front presses eastward late in the day, another round of storms is expected but the amount of available energy and instability could be impacted by the amount of clouds that are around earlier in the day so that’s something to keep in mind. Either way you’ll need to stay weather aware throughout the day. It should be another breezy and unseasonably mild Wednesday with highs in the mid to upper 70s and winds gusting over 30 miles per hour at times, even away from any storms that move through.

Once the front clears the area into Thursday, much colder air will filter in from the northwest. We could even see a few flurries early in the morning if the colder air catches up to the departing moisture but it shouldn’t really have any impact. You’ll definitely need the heavier jacket early as temperatures start out in the mid-30s before recovering into the upper 40s as we dry out and some sunshine returns heading into the afternoon highs. Closing out the week on Friday, another frontal boundary (albeit a weak one) will be dropping into the Ohio Valley so breezy southwest winds will kick up once again as gusts to 30 miles per hour at times. This should push afternoon highs back into the upper 50s to around 60 degrees with a mix of clouds and sunshine so above average temperatures will return pretty quickly.

What’s left of the boundary will wash-out heading into the weekend, setting us up for a nice Saturday across Central and Eastern Kentucky. It should be very pleasant for any outdoor plans you may have with sunshine and low-60s expected for afternoon highs. Clouds will be on the increase Sunday as a more significant storm system moves in from the northwest. We’ll start the day dry but our rain and storm chances will increase by the evening and overnight hours. The bigger story with this system will be a legitimate shot of colder air that will follow suit into early next week. With a strong northwest flow and some moisture around Monday, scattered snow showers may be back in the picture as afternoon highs struggle to get into the mid to upper 30s! This will be a reminder that it is still mid-March and we aren’t free of the winter cold just yet. Temperatures should slowly moderate next week with highs back in the 40s but we’ll still be below average for this time of the year.