Mainly dry to kick off the weekend but much needed rain chances loom
If you have outdoor plans this weekend, Saturday looks to be your day with typical late July weather expected
It was a quiet finish to the week weather-wise across Central and Eastern Kentucky as high pressure to our north attempted to push drier air into the commonwealth. With a weak boundary stalling out along the Kentucky/Tennessee border this limited just how far south the less humid air was about the make it. As a result it felt pretty comfortable along the I-64 corridor northward while Southern Kentucky essentially stayed in the muggy air. The other x factor was some mid to high level cloudiness streaming in from the southwest which kept skies mainly cloudy in many locations although we did see some sunshine from time to time. Afternoon highs ended up right at or just slightly below average with most spots in the mid to upper-80s.
Heading into the weekend much of the area should still be under the influence of the area of high pressure to our northeast with the exception continuing to be across Southern Kentucky with the pesky boundary linger there. It should be a mainly dry Saturday and with a bit more in the way of sunshine, afternoon highs will climb to around the 90 degree mark so keep that in mind if you have any outdoor plans and make sure to stay hydrated. Those areas along the Kentucky/Tennessee border may squeeze out a stray storm during the heating of the afternoon Saturday but most location will be dry it appears. If you do have outdoor plans this weekend try to get them in on Saturday as our weather pattern shifts back to more “unsettled beginning Sunday.
The return flow of moisture off the Gulf of Mexico will stream northward beginning Sunday so you should really feel the jump in humidity levels along with an increase in our rain and storm chances. While a few showers will be possible early Sunday it appears the bulk of the chances will hold off until later in the day. The upward tick in moisture should give us a golden opportunity to get some potentially widespread rain into the region into the early part of next week. The “muggy-cast” shows very humid conditions and much of the data has multiple rounds of rain/storms and even a thunderstorm complex or two possibly impacting the area in the northwest flow aloft by Tuesday and Wednesday. While it will still be warm, afternoon highs will be held in check slightly Sunday through Tuesday topping out in the upper 80s.
The 7 day rainfall potential shows much of Central and Eastern Kentucky with totals ranging from 2″ to 3″ (higher in isolated spots) during that timeframe which would be great news given the on-going dry conditions around this part of the state. In case you missed it Thursday, the latest Drought Monitor is still showing much of the Bluegrass and points just west and south in the “Moderate Drought” with much of Eastern Kentucky “Abnormally Dry” so we could use a decent soaking as there are a long of brown lawns out there. Have a great weekend and be safe!
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear and pleasant. Lows in the low-60s.
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny and heating up. Highs in the upper-80s to around 90.
SATURDAY NIGHT: A few clouds and warm. Lows in the uuper-60s.
