Dry weather stays put into the late week but rain is on the horizon

It was a breezy and mild Wednesday across Central and Eastern Kentucky, especially by early November standards thanks to strong southwest winds pushing unseasonably warm air into the region. With a good bit of sunshine along with a few scattered clouds, afternoon highs surged into the upper 60s with a few low 70s sprinkled in spots across the commonwealth thanks to winds gusting 30 to 35 miles per hour at times. A weak cold front dropped through the Ohio Valley but with no moisture associated with it we saw dry conditions with more to come into the late week.

Slightly cooler air will filter into the area on Thursday as high pressure briefly takes control of our weather. Even with a good bit of sunshine expected, afternoon highs may struggle to get out of the upper 50s and into the low 60s despite the break from the breezy conditions with just a light east wind on tap. Overall it should be a very pleasant day for early November so enjoy the quiet conditions while they stick around.

Friday should be a more active day of weather with a frontal system and a wave of low pressure sliding into the Ohio Valley from the west. First off the wind fields will be elevated so look for another breezy to windy day with gusts over 40 miles per hour at times. rain chances will ramp up heading into the afternoon and evening hours so you’ll need the rain gear with wet weather on tap. While gusty showers look to be the main play with this system, there is the potential of a few strong to severe storms thanks to the spin associated with the area of low pressure. The Storm Prediction Center has the entire area in a Level 1 severe risk (out of 5) with the area southwest of Lexington toward Lake Cumberland in a Level 2 threat. This is mainly due to the isolated tornado spin-up potential so just keep that in mind for Friday. Depending on the timing, the weather may impact some games for round 1 of the high school football playoffs Friday evening.

Heading into the weekend we should dry out for Saturday with a mix of clouds and sunshine and afternoon highs in the low 60s, which is right where we should be for early November. The good news is that conditions look good for both tailgating and the actual game as Kentucky takes on Florida at 7:30 pm on Saturday evening at Kroger Field. Of course it will be “football weather” with temperatures dropping through the 50s during the game so plan accordingly. A secondary front will arrive into Sunday bringing a few scattered showers but also a legitimate shot of colder air for a few days. Highs may struggle to get into the upper 40s to end the weekend so it may be a chilly and raw day. With some energy rotating through the Great Lakes we may see a few flurries Sunday night and into Monday as temperatures remain on the cold side. Highs should continue to struggle and may only reach the low 40s on Monday before milder air begins to work back in quickly on Veterans Day and beyond.