More rain chances on the way into the late week

It was all about location relative to temperatures across Central and Eastern Kentucky as a warm front drifted northward toward the commonwealth. While much of the area including the Bluegrass region saw a dreary and chilly day thanks to clouds, drizzle and a cool east wind, while far Southern Kentucky saw slightly milder air into the late-afternoon hours as the front lifted northward. The result was quite a temperature gradient across the area with afternoon temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s north of the boundary with those spots closer saw highs surge into the low to mid-50s! Our rain chances will pick up into the late week and with an already saturated ground, a Flood Watch is out for Southeastern Kentucky until 1pm Thursday.

This warm front will be the focal point of scattered showers and thunderstorms into Thursday as the front lifts north of the commonwealth. A few of those storms could be on the strong side late Wednesday evening/early Thursday morning as the front moves through with hail being the main threat along with a brief spin-up tornado although that threat is low. The Storm Prediction Center has the entire area under a Level 1 severe risk (out of 5) into Thursday so keep that in mind. Temperatures will actually rise into Thursday morning with winds shifting to the south so most folks will wake up to milder readings into the mid to upper 50s! A cold front will be moving in from the northwest so occasional rain and a few storms will be possible through the day along with breezy and mild conditions. Afternoon highs should be spring-like once again with temperatures topping out into the mid-60s before falling off late in the day.

Our rollercoaster ride of temperatures will continue to finish out the week on Friday as we see a brief window of dry weather. With a mix of clouds and sunshine it should be a cooler day with afternoon highs back into the upper 40s which is closer to average for early February. Our break from the active weather won’t last long as another storm system moves into the region this weekend. You’ll need to keep the rain gear handy if you have any weekend plans as scattered showers and a few thunderstorms will be back on the table. Between the 2 systems over the next 4 to 5 days with could add a good 2″-3″ of rain into parts of the area so the concern for flooding with persist. Saturday should be breezy and mild with afternoon highs back into the mid-60s. Once the front moves through, much cooler air will return on Sunday as we dry out with afternoon highs in the low 40s.

We’ll see a reminder that we are still in the heart of winter early next week as our weather pattern shifts to colder air with a better chance of some wintry weather. A couple of waves of energy look to pass by to our south early next week and with enough cold air in place there is the chance of a mix of rain and snow showers Monday and Tuesday. Based on the latest data, it may be a potpourri of wintry precipitation with areas down south seeing a chilly rain, some light snow to the north and a wintry mix in the middle across the area. Of course we’ll be watching that closely in the coming days.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Breezy with rain and storms. Rising temperatures into the upper 50s by daybreak
THURSDAY: Breezy and mild with scattered rain and storms. Highs in the mid-60s early before dropping late.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Showers ending and turning colder. Lows in the low-30s.