Feeling like spring as the new season arrives
Afternoon highs well camp out in the 70s into the weekend
It was a fairly pleasant final day of the winter season across Central and Eastern Kentucky Thursday, a day that many folks have long awaited. A weak wave of energy provided a few clouds to start the day before we enjoyed some breaks in the clouds and more in the way of sunshine later in the day. After starting the morning in the upper 30s, a steady south wind helped push afternoon highs back into the mid-60s here in the Bluegrass with a few upper 60s down south. This upward trend in temperatures is going to continue over the next few days and just in time for the upcoming weekend.
Spring officially arrives at 10:46am on Friday and the weather should cooperate nicely with another mild day on tap across the commonwealth. While much of the morning and early afternoon will be filled with sunshine, another wave of energy will drop through the eastern Great Lakes late in the late pushing some clouds into our area. We may end up see a few showers by evening (and more so into the overnight hours) especially across Eastern Kentucky although areas here in the Bluegrass westward should be mainly dry. Winds will be breezy out of the southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour, which will help push afternoon highs back into the low-70s so look for a very fitting start to the new season with above average temperatures.
The aforementioned wave of energy will be exiting the area as we kick off the weekend but we may see a few lingering clouds on Saturday morning before the sunshine returns in most locations. This should be the only potential blemish on what looks to be a very delightful first weekend of spring for much of the area. Afternoon highs Saturday should reach the low-70s once again, which will make for ideal conditions for any outdoor activities you may have planned. Even if you don’t have anything on the docket, try to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh, spring air if you can. A cold front will be dropping into the Ohio Valley on Sunday but we should be in a prime spot here in Central Kentucky as the breezy southwest winds along with more sunshine push afternoon highs all the way into the upper 70s to near 80 degrees in a few locations, which would be just a few degrees shy of record highs. So the same rules apply for Sunday: get out and enjoy the very mild conditions while they last!
The frontal boundary to our north will drop through the commonwealth into the early hours of Monday, bringing a chance of scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder especially to the area. A few of the showers could linger for a while after daybreak so it could be a little damp for the morning commute in spots. Skies will eventually clear with sunshine returning through the afternoon but the biggest change will be cooler air back in the Bluegrass. Look for afternoon highs to drop back into the low-50s, which is a few degrees below average for late March but nothing like the winter cold we just dealt with. High pressure to the north should keep our weather tranquil through much of next week as temperatures slowly moderate back through the 60s and into the low-70s by next Thursday as additional shower chances loom just beyond the 7-day forecast.
ABC 36 Storm Team 3 Day Forecast
Thursday night: Mostly clear and pleasantly cool. Lows in the mid-40s. Wind: S 5-10 mph.
Friday: Breezy and milder, clouds late. Highs in the low-70s. Wind: SW 10-15 mph.
Friday night: Mostly cloudy, a few showers east. Lows in the low-50s. Wind: SW 5-10 mph.
