Active weather pattern rolls along into the mid to late week

It was a damp start to Tuesday across Central and Eastern Kentucky as a frontal system moved through the Ohio Valley. Scattered showers greeted morning commuters but the activity diminished briefly before some low-level moisture kept some patchy drizzle and light showers around, especially in Southern Kentucky. There were a few breaks in the clouds along and west of I-65 with a bit of sunshine as a result. Afternoon highs surged back into the mid-60s  despite the clouds/drizzle in place which is a good 10 degrees above average for mid to late November. Don’t put away the rain gear just yet as the active weather pattern will continue with cold air looming on the horizon.

A secondary frontal system will swing through the area on Wednesday keeping a few scattered showers in play but it shouldn’t be a wash-out by any means. With a mix of clouds and sunshine afternoon highs should be a little closer to average topping out into the mid-50s in most locations. A breezy west wind will stay in place with gusts occasionally in the 15 to 20 miles per hour range with more wind expected into the late week as our main weather maker for the week rotates in for the late week.

The much advertised upper level low will drop through the Great Lakes and into the Ohio Valley for Thursday and Friday bringing some big changes to the area. Our coldest air of the season is on tap with afternoon highs struggling to get out of the 30s on Thursday. There should be enough cold air aloft for a few scattered snow showers to mix in with rain showers so it appears we’ll see our first snowflakes of the season. Much of the data is showing enough moisture to produce legitimate snow showers into Thursday night, which may be enough to lay a light coating down across Central and Eastern Kentucky. However the impacts are expected to be low as ground temperatures will be warm given the unseasonably mild fall so any accumulation looks to be confined to the grassy areas and elevated surfaces.

The other element with the late week system will be strong winds bringing wind chill factors into play Thursday through Friday morning. With a strong northwest flow, winds will gust 30 to 35 miles per hour with occasional gusts up to 40 miles per hour. With temperatures only in the upper 30s and low 40s expect “feel-like” temperatures to be down into the 20s so expect a blustery and raw Thursday across the region. You’ll need to dress accordingly as this is the first time we’ve seen such chilly conditions in several months so it may be a bit of a shock stepping out on Thursday.

Scattered showers will linger into Friday with temperatures remaining on the chilly side as afternoon highs only recover into the low to mid-40s. It will still be a bit on the breezy side so the blustery conditions will stay in place to close out the week. Conditions should steadily improve this weekend and most importantly it looks dry from start to finish. Afternoon highs will stay below average Saturday into the mid-40s despite some sunshine before moderating into the low-50s Sunday as a bit of a southwest wind kicks back in. This will open the door for another frontal system to bring additional shower chances to the region as we kick off Thanksgiving week.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with patchy fog late. Lows in the upper 40s.
WEDNESDAY: Breezy & cooler with a few showers. Highs in the mid-50s.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Breezy and colder, a few flakes late. Lows in the mid-30s.