Cold temperatures return ahead of a weekend warm up

Cooler air settles into the Bluegrass today

A much cooler and drier air mass is settling across the Bluegrass region Thursday morning after a strong cold front swept through Kentucky on Wednesday. The boundary, as of early morning, has pushed east of the Appalachian Mountains, while lingering clouds and cold northwest winds continue across the Ohio Valley.

The last of the rain showers exit eastern Kentucky early morning as drier air spreads in from the northwest. A few snowflakes may fall as they exit, although no impacts are expected. Temperatures dropped into the upper 30s and lower 40s, with many areas settling into the 30s around sunrise. Feels-like temperatures for some are down in the upper 20s due to the northwestern breeze.

Low clouds will gradually clear from northwest to southeast through the morning hours, with sunshine returning across the region by midday.

High pressure building into the Ohio Valley will bring a pleasant but noticeably cooler afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb only into the upper 40s to mid 50s under sunny skies. The dry air in place will also lead to low humidity levels during the afternoon, though recent rainfall and relatively light winds should limit any fire weather concerns.

Clouds increase Thursday night as winds shift

Quiet weather will continue through the evening hours as the area remains under the influence of high pressure. Later tonight, however, winds will begin increasing out of the south as a developing storm system strengthens across the upper Midwest.

Increasing cloud cover combined with strengthening southerly winds will keep temperatures from dropping too much overnight. Lows are expected to range from the mid 30s to lower 40s by Friday morning.

Windy and milder Friday

Friday will turn noticeably milder across central Kentucky as strong southwest winds develop ahead of a rapidly strengthening storm system moving through the Great Lakes.

As the strong low-pressure system nears, winds will begin to pick up. Once the sun rises and temperatures begin to rise too, gusty conditions will develop across much of the region.

Wind gusts around 35 to 40 mph will be possible Friday afternoon, especially across northern portions of the Bluegrass. Wind advisories are likely during the day.

Despite the increasing wind, rainfall is unlikely with this system, as we will be quite dry. In fact, dry conditions paired with gusty winds could lead to fire weather risks, and this is something that will be monitored.

We’ll see a few clouds during the day, and temperatures will warm into the low to mid 60s.

Quiet start to the weekend

A weak cold front will slip through the region Friday evening, bringing slightly cooler air overnight. Winds will gradually relax Friday night, allowing temperatures to fall into the 30s and lower 40s by Saturday morning.

Saturday should bring quiet weather across the Bluegrass with light southeast winds and a mix of sun and clouds. Temperatures may vary across the region depending on the position of a stalled front, but highs should generally range from around 60 degrees in northern areas to the lower 70s farther south.

Strong system may bring storms Sunday night

Attention then turns to a potentially strong storm system expected to impact the Ohio Valley late in the weekend.

Southerly winds will increase Sunday ahead of a strengthening low-pressure system tracking toward the Great Lakes. These winds may become quite strong at times, with gusts potentially exceeding 40 mph across parts of the region.

Temperatures will surge well into the 70s Sunday afternoon as warm air surges northward into Kentucky.

As a strong cold front approaches Sunday evening and overnight, showers and thunderstorms are expected to move through the Bluegrass. While severe weather seems less likely, we could still see a few impacts and stronger storms.

Much colder air arrives early next week

Behind the front, temperatures are expected to drop sharply Sunday night into Monday as strong cold air pours into the region.

Monday may end up nearly 40 degrees colder than Sunday, with highs struggling to reach the 30s across parts of central Kentucky. Some lingering precipitation could even mix with or briefly change to snow as the colder air arrives.

The coldest temperatures of the stretch may occur Monday night, when lows could drop into the teens and around 20 degrees by Tuesday morning. Wind chills may fall into the single digits in some areas.

Cooler conditions are expected to continue into the middle of next week, though temperatures should gradually rise back to average by late week.