Frigid temperatures and below zero wind chills possible into Wednesday morning
The snow is gone for now but the issue will be the wind and cold through the mid-week
After much of Central and Eastern Kentucky received a healthy dose of snow to begin the week, our focus now shifts to the very cold air settling in and wind that is coming along with it. Many locations across the Bluegrass had snowfall totals in the 2″-3″ range with Southern and Southeastern Kentucky the big winners thanks to a widespread 4″-6″ snow with a few localized areas reporting 7″-8″. We did enjoy some sunshine Tuesday but it didn’t do much to warm us up as afternoon highs struggled to get into the mid-teens.
The biggest threat into Wednesday morning will be frigid temperatures as readings drop into the low single digits during the early morning hours. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few spots in Southeastern Kentucky drop below zero thanks to the heavier snowpack. Tack on a southwest wind at 5 to 10 miles per hour and we should see some bitter wind chills with our “feel like” temperatures -10 to -15 degrees! As a result, A Wind Chill Advisory is out for the entire area through Wednesday morning. You’ll want to cover any exposed skin, dress in layers ands minimize your time outdoors. The same southwest wind will pick up during the daylight hours and adding some sunshine to the mix will push afternoon highs all the way into the mid to upper 20s!
Our focus shifts to the potential of more accumulating snow for Thursday and Friday as another wave of energy moves through the Ohio Valley. It should be an all snow event with temperatures cold enough from top to bottom so we should lay down some additional snow to close out the week. The biggest impact may be on the Friday morning commute with more slick roadways as temperatures take a tumble so stay tuned.
Another shot of Arctic air will follow suit this weekend with a similar set-up to what we are experiencing now. Early morning lows both Saturday and Sunday should be in the low single digits and depending on snowpack could be even colder! There should also be enough wind to push wind chill values below zero yet again but luckily we should see temperatures moderate nicely into next week. In fact we could be pressing the upper 40s for highs by next Tuesday!
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and frigid, below zero wind chills. Lows from 0 to 5 above.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny and breezy, “feel-like” temps still cold. Highs in the upper-20s.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Breezy with increasing clouds, not as cold. Lows in the upper teens to low-20s.
