October chill in the air during the morning hours late week

It definitely felt like Late October across Central and Eastern Kentucky on Thursday as a cooler air-mass filtered in on the heels of a breezy west wind. After starting the day in the low-40s, temperatures struggled to recover despite plenty of bright sunshine around the area. Most spots topped out in the upper 50s for afternoon highs, which is below average for this time of the year as winds gusted 20 to 25 miles per hour at times, making it feel even cooler especially if you weren’t in the direct sunlight.

Look for some scattered frost, especially in the valley areas to kick off Thursday as winds diminish a bit compared to the last few mornings. This should allow temperatures to drop into the mid to upper 30s, with the sheltered valley areas away from any slight breeze having the best chance of seeing the frost. As a result a Frost Advisory is out for much of Central and Eastern Kentucky from 4am to 9am Thursday so protect those plants that you want to hang onto a bit longer. We should see a pleasant Thursday with more sunshine, a little less wind and afternoon highs climbing back into the low-60s.

Our coldest morning should be Friday with optimal conditions for radiational cooling thanks to clear skies and lighter winds as high pressure drifts overhead. A Freeze Watch is already out for early Friday morning so look for another Frost Advisory (at least) as temperatures dip down into the low to mid-30s with a few locations even going below freezing for a short period of time. This should set us up for our first widespread frost of this season so you know the drill on protecting those tender plants for any damage. Friday afternoon will be another dandy fall day with sunshine the rule again and highs creeping back into the low to mid-60s. Our weather looks great for high school football as the regular season hits the home stretch.

The trend for a dry weekend continues to be in place as high pressure moves eastward but hangs on enough to keep the tranquil conditions in place. Saturday should be delightful for any outdoor activities and really nice for tailgating leading up to the Kentucky/Tennessee game at Kroger Field on Saturday evening. Afternoon highs should top out in the mid-60s with temperatures dropping through the 50s during the game so definitely dress for “football” weather that evening. Sunday looks good as well as a few scattered clouds enter the picture but expect more dry weather as temperatures continue to top out into the mid to upper-60s for afternoon highs.

Early next week a wave of low pressure is forecast to slowly work into the Ohio Valley from the northwest. Right now the data isn’t synced up with the overall strength and timing so the challenge is trying to pinpoint when our best shower chances will be. For now do expect some low end rain chances beginning Monday and carrying on through the middle part of next week. Afternoon highs should continue to hover in the mid-60s thanks to the additional cloud cover so it should feel about right for late October with our temperatures.