Arctic air dominates Tuesday, with some active weather ahead
Cold Weather Advisories in effect Tuesday morning
Along and north of I-64, cold weather advisories remain in effect until 10:00 AM due to freezing conditions. Air temperatures are in the single digits and low teens, with wind chills even colder. Those under the advisories will have feels-like temps near 0 degrees with a few in the negatives.
Dress appropriately this morning. Warm layers that include a coat, gloves, a hat, etc., are going to be key to staying warm. Limit your time outdoors and keep an eye on pets, keeping them inside as much as possible. Consider leaving a slow drip in your faucets at home to help prevent pipes from freezing.
A light, blustery wind will keep wind chill temperatures in the teens and 20s all day long. Skies will be mostly clear through the day, so bring sunglasses alongside your warm layers.
Brief temperature relief is on the way
Much-needed relief arrives on Wednesday as temperatures return to average. This is short-lived, however, as a cold front will be moving through in the afternoon.
Ahead of this front, temperatures will be in the 30s on Wednesday morning. Some light rain arrives in the Bluegrass, and since some will still be near freezing, some mixed precipitation may fall for some. This may cause a few slick spots, but for the most part, it shouldn’t cause any major impacts.
Our main band of rainfall arrives late afternoon and moves through during the evening. This is alongside the cold front. By this point, we will have warmed to the 40s, so we will see widespread rain showers. A few pockets of moderate rainfall can be expected. Be sure to remember your umbrellas on Wednesday.
Calmer and colder for the end of the work week
Following the cold front, temperatures are back down below average for Thursday and Friday. Both days will see morning lows in the teens and daytime highs in the 20s and 30s.
Both days will be calm and mostly dry. Thursday looks to be partly cloudy, and Friday will be mostly cloudy.
Friday, we’re watching for a slight chance of some flurries or even snow showers. We’re not expecting any impacts heading our way on Friday. This is ahead of our next big weather maker.
Tracking a winter storm into the weekend
An arctic High sets up to our northwest by the weekend. The High plays a big role in what we see this weekend as a strong Low-pressure system moves from southwest to northeast, dragging a winter storm through the south and potentially into the Bluegrass.
The stronger this High pressure is, the less likely we are to see major impacts, such as heavy snow or ice. That is because a stronger High brings in more cold, dry air from the north. We would likely see some very dry, cold snowfall that would cause light accumulations and perhaps some minor impacts.
If the High is weaker, the Low will be able to take a more northern track. That would bring more moisture and warmer temperatures into the Bluegrass. If this happens, we have a higher potential for heavy, wet snowfall. If it moves even farther north, we could see the possibility of sleet or even freezing rain bringing us some ice.
Since we are still several days out, all we can do is monitor the forecast trends. It is beginning to look more likely that we will see a portion of this winter storm and that we will see at least a bit of snow. However, it is not worth trying ot nail down timing, locations, and amounts. These numbers will all change as forecast trends continue to fluctuate. We won’t be able to nail down details until we’re a few days away. For now, just know to stay weather aware this weekend.
