Cooler & quiet Friday ahead of more active weather

Meteorologist Dillon Gaudet has the latest in your full ABC 36 Storm Team forecast

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – After several rounds of rain and storms, we’ll get a brief break on Friday before the next system moves in late tonight. Expect a mix of sun and clouds through the day with afternoon highs reaching the low-to-mid 40s across northern Kentucky and the low-to-mid 50s to the south.

Rain Returns Late Tonight into Saturday

By late tonight, a warm front will begin lifting northward, bringing scattered showers into southern Kentucky around midnight. Rain will pick up in intensity through Saturday morning as this front advances north. By Saturday afternoon, temperatures will surge in the warm sector, climbing into the low 70s across southern Kentucky while Lexington reaches the mid-60s.

A cold front will then sweep through late Saturday afternoon into the early evening, bringing another round of showers and a few rumbles of thunder. While instability remains limited, the combination of strong low-to-mid level winds could lead to some embedded heavier downpours. Once the front passes, temperatures will drop sharply, with Sunday afternoon highs only reaching the 40s.

Next Week: Wintry Mix and Flood Concerns

Colder air settles in to start the new week, setting the stage for a messy pattern. Multiple systems will bring a mix of precipitation types and the potential for flooding concerns by mid-to-late week.

The first system arrives late Monday into Tuesday, with precipitation developing along a stalled boundary. There remains significant uncertainty regarding precipitation types across central and eastern Kentucky. The GFS model trends colder, favoring more snow potential, while the European model brings a more northerly track, leading to mixed precipitation and heavier rain to the south.

Another system will arrive late Wednesday into Thursday. This one appears warmer overall, meaning more rain than snow for most of the region. However, colder air on the backside could lead to a transition to snow as precipitation exits. Regardless of precipitation type, rainfall amounts will be substantial through the end of next week, which could lead to flooding concerns, especially in areas that see multiple rounds of heavy rain.

Stay with the ABC 36 Storm Team for more updates.