A warm, calm start to the week ahead of overnight storm threat
Quiet Start, Warm Finish
Central and eastern Kentucky are waking up to a fairly calm start Monday morning, with a mix of clouds and temperatures in the 50s. Any early showers stay well off to the west, so areas remain dry through the morning.
By the afternoon, it’ll feel more like early summer again. Highs climb into the upper 70s to mid 80s, even with increasing clouds. It’ll also be breezy, with southwest wind gusts reaching 20 to 30 mph at times.
If you’re an allergy sufferer, take those meds. Tree pollen continues to be at high levels, but we’re now adding grass to the mix, which is coming in with a bang at extreme levels.
Storms Move In Tonight
The main weather maker arrives later this evening.
Storms developing to our west will push into Kentucky tonight, likely arriving in central and eastern parts of the state during the late evening and overnight hours. While these storms should weaken as they move in, they can still bring gusty winds and periods of moderate to heavy rain.
A level 2/1 out of 5 exists in the Bluegrass, lessening moving from NW to SE. Strong, damaging winds will be our main threat, but we cannot rule out an isolated spin-up tornado.
With this threat being overnight, you will likely be asleep if any severe weather occurs. Be sure to have multiple ways to receive severe weather alerts ahead of time.
Rain and storms will taper off toward early Tuesday morning, with some areas in the NW drying out sooner than others.
Another Round Tuesday Night
The break in the action won’t last long.
After a quieter stretch Tuesday during the day, another round of showers and storms is expected Tuesday evening into Tuesday night.
This round could be a bit stronger, with a better setup for gusty winds and even some hail, especially across southern and central Kentucky.
Rain and storms will linger through the afternoon on Wednesday.
Soaking Rain, Then a Cool Down
Between tonight and Wednesday, many areas could pick up a healthy 1.5 to 3 inches of rain, which will be beneficial given recent dry conditions. Some brief ponding is possible, but widespread flooding is not expected right now.
Once this system moves out, a noticeable pattern change settles in. Cooler, drier air arrives late week, with highs dropping back into the 60s and chilly mornings returning. By the weekend, some spots could even see temperatures dip into the 30s, bringing a chance for patchy frost.
