Flash flood threat continues across Kentucky as multiple rounds of rain move through
Showers Continue This Morning With More Storms Ahead
It’s another wet start to the day across central Kentucky as scattered showers continue to move through portions of the viewing area. Temperatures started the morning in the low 70s, making for a mild and humid beginning to the day.
While we’ll likely catch a few breaks in the rain through late morning and early afternoon, the atmosphere remains very moisture-rich. Additional scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to redevelop through the afternoon and evening, with afternoon highs climbing into the low 80s.
Some locations may experience periods of dry weather between rounds of rain, but don’t let that fool you—the threat for additional heavy downpours will continue through tonight.
Flash Flooding Remains the Primary Concern
The biggest weather story over the next 48 hours continues to be the potential for heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
A Flood Watch remains in effect for the entire viewing area through Sunday morning as multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms move across Kentucky. The atmosphere contains an unusually high amount of tropical moisture, meaning any thunderstorm will be capable of producing torrential rainfall in a short amount of time.
Most locations can expect 1 to 2 inches of rainfall through Saturday, but localized totals of 3 to 4 inches or more are possible. Your forecast area could even see isolated higher amounts, especially across southern Kentucky, where repeated storms may track over the same locations.
Because many areas have already received significant rainfall over the past couple of weeks, the ground is saturated, making it much easier for flash flooding to develop.
If you encounter a flooded roadway, remember to Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Floodwaters can rise quickly, and it only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep away a vehicle.
Another Round of Heavy Rain Arrives Tonight
Today’s showers aren’t the end of the story.
Another organized round of showers and thunderstorms will develop late tonight into early Saturday morning as another disturbance moves into the Ohio Valley.
This overnight round has the potential to produce the heaviest rainfall of the event. Some storms may drop 1 to 2 inches of rain in just an hour, and repeated storms over the same areas could quickly lead to dangerous flash flooding.
While flash flooding remains the primary concern, a few storms could also become strong, producing gusty to locally damaging winds. The severe weather threat is expected to remain isolated since storms will arrive overnight after daytime instability has decreased.
Unsettled Weather Continues Saturday
The wet weather pattern will continue into Saturday as the slow-moving front gradually pushes south across Kentucky.
Periods of showers and thunderstorms will remain possible throughout the day, especially during the morning and afternoon hours. As the front slowly shifts farther south Saturday evening, the heaviest rain and strongest storms should begin moving into Tennessee, allowing conditions to gradually improve across central Kentucky.
Even so, additional flooding issues may develop through the day where repeated rounds of rain occur.
Rain Chances Gradually Decrease Next Week
While the weekend will remain unsettled, there are signs that conditions will slowly improve next week.
Rain chances won’t disappear completely, however. Instead of widespread rainfall, we’ll transition back toward a more typical summertime pattern with isolated to scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
Sunshine will become more common, and temperatures will gradually warm back into the upper 80s, with a few communities reaching around 90 degrees by the middle of next week. Humidity will remain elevated, so any afternoon storm will still be capable of producing brief heavy downpours.
ABC 36 Storm Team 36-Hour Forecast
Friday: Mostly cloudy, humid, and cooler with highs in the low 80s. Multiple rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day. Heavy rainfall remains the primary concern, although a few storms could produce gusty winds. Localized flash flooding is possible.
Friday Night: Numerous showers and thunderstorms continue, with another organized round of heavy rain expected overnight. Rainfall rates may become intense at times, leading to additional flash flooding. Overnight lows remain in the low 70s.
Saturday: Cloudy, humid, and unsettled. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms continue, especially through the morning and afternoon. Flash flooding remains a concern as additional heavy rainfall develops. Highs reach the low 80s before conditions gradually begin improving late in the day as the front shifts south.
