A brief break from the spring-like air on the way into the weekend
Showers and storms will move out to end the week on Friday but it looks chilly for the final Saturday of February
The much advertised area of low pressure and trailing cold front moved into Central and Eastern Kentucky on Thursday ushering in scattered showers and thunderstorms along with some pockets of heavy rain. Away from the rain it was a cloudy and breezy day with most of the rain initially concentrated along the I-64 corridor northward but everyone should get in on the act by the time this system moves out of the area into the early hours of Thursday. Those spots that saw rain earlier topped out in the mid to upper 50s while Southern and Southeastern Kentucky surged into the low-60s with mainly dry conditions early.
Friday is shaping up to be a decent day across the commonwealth with a stray shower possible in the far southeastern part of the state early in the day. Otherwise we are looking at a mix of clouds and sunshine and afternoon highs recovering into the low to mid-50s. We aren’t looking at a big push of chilly air (at least not yet) so temperatures should stay about 5 or 6 degrees above average for late February on Friday afternoon.
We’ve been talking the last few days about about a pesky mid-level wave that is forecast to drop south through the Ohio Valley on Saturday. As a result we are looking at a much cooler day compared to what we have seen lately and with enough moisture around, a mix of rain and snow will be possible to kick off the weekend. Temperatures will struggle to get into the mid-30s for afternoon highs so it may be a bit of a shock to the system given all the mild weather of late. Speaking of, any snow that may possibly end up on the ground would mainly be on the grassy areas given the spring-like air and warm ground temperatures the last several days.
As quickly as it will cool down for Saturday Mother Nature will flip the switch into Sunday as high pressure sets up to our south, pushing milder air back into the commonwealth. Expect a solid 20 degree jump in afternoon highs from Saturday to Sunday with mid to upper 50s for afternoon highs along with some sunshine. Luckily this will be a prelude of things to come during the final days of February!
While some unsettled weather is expected into early next week the big story will be another round of unseasonably mild air with afternoon highs surging into the mid to upper 60s Tuesday through Thursday! The only issue is conditions are coming together for the potential of a few strong to severe storms Wednesday as a dynamic system moves through the Ohio Valley. The Storm Prediction Center has the region highlighted in the “Extended Severe Weather Outlook” for the possibility of severe weather. Just remember it is nearly a week away and things could change but it’s definitely something we’ll be watching!
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
THURSDAY NIGHT: Showers ending, cloudy and cooler. Lows in the upper 30s and low 40s.
FRIDAY: Partly sunny, breezy and pleasant. Highs in the mid to upper-50s.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Clouds increase, rain and snow showers late. Lows in the low 30s.
