Sunshine and lower humidity stick around before a rain chances return this weekend
A beautiful stretch of late-July weather continues through Friday before widespread rain returns for the first weekend of August.
A Beautiful Wednesday Across the Bluegrass
We started Wednesday with plenty of sunshine across Central and Eastern Kentucky, and that will pretty much be the story as we head through the rest of the day.
Behind the front that pushed through the region, cooler and much drier air has settled into the area. While temperatures will still be warm this afternoon, the noticeable drop in humidity will make it feel much more comfortable outside.
Expect partly to mostly sunny skies with afternoon highs generally reaching the low to mid-80s, with some warmer spots farther south climbing into the upper 80s. We could also notice some wildfire smoke filtering through the upper levels of the atmosphere, but overall it is shaping up to be a beautiful late-July afternoon.
A Cool and Comfortable Night Ahead
The comfortable weather continues tonight as skies remain mostly clear and temperatures quickly cool after sunset.
Overnight lows will fall into the low to mid-60s across much of the area, while some of the traditionally cooler locations across the Bluegrass could even dip into the upper 50s.
With the lower humidity sticking around, it should feel great outside Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
More Sunshine Through the End of the Week
Not much changes Thursday and Friday, and that’s good news if you enjoy sunshine and lower humidity.
High pressure will remain in control across the Ohio Valley, keeping rain chances out of the forecast through the end of the workweek.
Thursday will feature plenty of sunshine with highs in the low to mid-80s. Temperatures will climb a little more by Friday, with highs solidly in the mid-80s across much of the region.
Humidity will remain relatively low for late July, giving us a couple more comfortable days before our weather pattern begins to change.
Rain Returns for the First Weekend of August
If you have outdoor plans this weekend, you’ll want to keep an eye on the forecast.
A disturbance is expected to move into the Ohio Valley Friday night into Saturday, bringing moisture and widespread rain back into the region. Saturday currently looks like the wetter of the two weekend days, with scattered to widespread showers and some thunderstorms possible throughout the day.
Some of the rainfall could become moderate to locally heavy at times. However, widespread significant flooding is not currently expected.
Cloud cover and rain should also limit how unstable the atmosphere becomes, which should help keep the overall severe weather threat fairly low.
Showers Linger Into Sunday
Rain chances won’t completely disappear once we get through Saturday.
The system responsible for the weekend rain will be slow to move out, allowing lighter showers and possibly a few thunderstorms to linger into Sunday.
Rain chances should gradually become more scattered as we move through the day, with conditions beginning to improve later Sunday. Temperatures will also be held down by the additional clouds and rain, with weekend highs generally ranging from the upper 70s to mid-80s.
A few additional pop-up showers and thunderstorms could linger into the beginning of next week, although there is still some uncertainty surrounding exactly how long the unsettled pattern sticks around.
ABC 36 Storm Team 36-Hour Forecast
Wednesday: Partly to mostly sunny and much less humid. Comfortable for late July with highs in the low to mid-80s, with a few upper 80s possible farther south.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, cool and comfortable. Lows fall into the low to mid-60s, with a few upper 50s possible in the cooler locations.
Thursday: Mostly sunny and pleasant with low humidity continuing. Afternoon highs in the low to mid-80s.
