The first day of spring brings warmth to the Bluegrass

Warm and mainly dry to end the week

The vernal equinox officially occurs at 10:46 AM Friday, marking the start of spring.

The Bluegrass region will stay quiet and unseasonably warm to close out the week as a weak system passes to the north. Breezy SW winds will bring temperatures to the low 70s.

Friday night, a cold front will slide toward the Ohio Valley, but with limited moisture in place, most areas will remain dry. Some may get a pop-up storm, with rumbles of thunder and a brief downpour. This will be short-lived, and any storm chances die early Sunday.

Another warm day Saturday, even more so Sunday

By Saturday, the front lifts back north as a warm front, keeping the region in a warm pattern. Most locations will stay dry again, though a few isolated showers or storms could develop near the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

Highs will once again reach the low-mid 70s, although we will likely see a bit more cloud cover.

The warmest air of the stretch arrives over the weekend, with temperatures soaring into the low to mid 80s. This is around 15 to 25 degrees above normal for mid-March.

Watching storm potential Sunday night

Attention then turns to a stronger system expected to move in late Sunday into early Monday.

As warmer and slightly more humid air builds in, conditions may become favorable for thunderstorms along an approaching cold front. Some storms could become strong, with the potential for gusty winds, hail, and possibly a brief tornado. As of early Friday, Level 1 and 2 severe weather risks exist for NW portions of the Bluegrass.

Confidence in severe weather remains somewhat uncertain, but it will be a system to watch closely as the weekend progresses.

Cooler air returns early next week

After the front passes, temperatures will drop back closer to normal levels.

Highs will fall into the 50s and 60s through the early part of the week, with mainly dry conditions expected before rain chances increase again toward the middle of next week.