August heat hangs tough as we close out the week

It was yet another day to sweat it our across Central and Eastern Kentucky on Thursday as the unseasonably hot air even by late August standards held on. Afternoon highs surged into the mid to upper 90s for the 3rd consecutive day and with dew points and humidity levels just a touch higher than the last few days the heat index values did manage to sneak above the 100 degree mark in a few locations for a bit. With a weak boundary just to our north and some leftover boundaries north of I-64 from storms on Wednesday, we saw a few storms fire in the Bluegrass region during the peak heating of the afternoon producing heavy rain, lots of lightning and some strong winds. While these will die down after sunset Thursday a more active weather pattern is in store heading into Labor Day weekend.

Even with a cold front approaching from the west on Friday it appears we are going to have to deal with one more day of big heat across the area as we close out the week. Afternoon highs should top out in the mid to upper 90s Friday with near record highs on the table once more. There should be a bit more humidity around with the southwest flow ahead of the front so you’ll want to slow it down during the hottest part of the day and hydrate properly as heat indices could sneak over the 100 degree mark for a period of a few hours. A few scattered storms will possible through the late afternoon and evening hours, which could have an impact on high school football games not only from the storms perspective but also with the heat and humidity so keep that in mind for Friday evening.

Heading into Labor Day weekend we finally get a break from the big heat but it comes at a price as a slow moving frontal system works across the commonwealth. With the front running parallel to the upper level flow, we won’t see a lot of eastward progress through the day which will keep the chances for scattered showers and storms around through the day and into the evening hours. This of course is potentially problematic given that Kentucky opens the 2024 football season against Southern Mississippi on Saturday evening at around 8pm. At this point I would plan on having to dodge a few showers and storms and this time of the year lightning is a concern so make sure to have a plan ahead of time for safety whether you are tailgating or going to the game. In fact, keep that in mind for any outdoor activities on Saturday as part of your holiday weekend plans. Temperatures won’t be as hot with the clouds and storms around as they top out in the mid-80s.

A few scattered showers will hang around for Sunday with mid-80s for highs as a secondary boundary drops through the Ohio Valley. This front will essentially sweep all the warm and muggy air out of the region late Sunday and into Labor Day so it should feel absolutely fantastic for the holiday on Monday. With plenty of sunshine expected it will be a pleasantly warm holiday with afternoon highs right around the 80 degree mark. The Muggy-cast really shows the dip in humidity levels into the comfort zone for that time frame. Temperatures should be at or slightly below average through the first few days of the new month.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear, another warm night. Lows in the low-70s.
FRIDAY: More heat, isolated storms late. Highs in the mid to upper-90s.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Warm and muggy with a few storms. Lows in the upper-60s.