Active weather pattern kicks in to finish out the year

After a dry and unseasonably mild Christmas Day across Central and Eastern Kentucky, we saw a few light showers to kick off Thursday with a weak boundary and some moisture over the area. Those showers were spotty the remainder of the day with unseasonably mild temperatures in place once again, although we did see a few peeks of sunshine from time to time. Afternoon highs reach the mid to upper-50s so it was pretty comfortable for those hitting the malls/stores to exchange/return gifts from the holiday.

Our weather pattern will get much more active for Friday and the upcoming weekend as a series of storm systems slide into the region from the southwest. You’ll want to take the rain gear along if you are going to be out and about Friday with consistent rain chances expected throughout the day. It should be mild once again to close out the week with afternoon highs reaching the mid-50s across the board, which is around 10 degrees above average for this time of the year. We could see half inch plus rainfall totals across the area with much more possible over the coming days.

The final weekend of 2024 looks to be wet, breezy and even a bit stormy from time to time as the unsettled and active weather pattern stays in place. A slow moving front will creep eastward late Saturday keeping rain chances in place with more breezy and mild conditions expected. Afternoon highs will surge into the upper 50s thanks to a south wind at about 10 to 15 miles per hour but it won’t be the best day to be out given the expected rain. A stronger wave of energy will follow suit into early Sunday with more rain expected along with a few thunderstorms possible as well. By the time things wrap up late Sunday night, a widespread 1″ to 3″ of rainfall is expected with locally higher amounts so some minor, nuisance flooding in some of the favored areas may be possible.

We should catch a break in the action on Monday as we’ll be between systems so it should be a quiet start to the week with a mix of clouds and sunshine. There won’t be any big push of colder air behind the departing weekend system so highs will remain above average into the mid-50s. A fast moving wave of low pressure will dive in from the west on the final day of 2024 so more rain is expected for New Years Eve so it may be a bit damp for those heading out to celebrate and ring in 2025. Much of the data is indicating the potential for cold air to return as we flip the calendar to January so the winter coats may be needed again this time next week.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy and cool. Lows in the low-40s.
FRIDAY: Cloudy with occasional rain. Highs in the mid-50s.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mild with isolated showers. Lows in the low-50s.