Our rain chances ramp up as we head into the late week
The great stretch of weather we've enjoyed the last few days will briefly come to end Thursday as our next storm system rolls in
It was another dandy day of weather across Central and Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday with more spring-like air and tranquil conditions. The combination of a breezy southwest wind and plenty of morning sunshine allowed afternoon highs to surge into the low to mid-60s across the board. High clouds thicken through the afternoon signaling a change in our weather as the next storm system makes a run into the Ohio Valley for the late week.
With an area of low pressure to our northwest and the trailing cold front sweeping through the commonwealth from west to east, it looks like a wet Thursday around the area so you’ll definitely need the rain gear from time to time. We should see some fairly widespread rainfall and even a few rumbles of thunder will be possible just ahead of the front mid to late afternoon. Southwest winds will stay strong around 15 to 20 miles per hour with higher gusts so temperatures should be able to recover into the upper 50s to around 60 degrees for highs despite the clouds and rain around. Totals should range between 0.50″ to 0.75″ so some decent rain is possible.
Luckily we won’t see any big push of chilly air initially behind the front on Friday as highs reach the low to mid-50s but that may not be the case heading into the weekend. We’ve been watching the potential for a mid-level wave to dive through the Ohio Valley Saturday bringing some moisture and colder air. The model data is coming together with pushing this system through with a mix of rain and snow showers, especially in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. Temperatures look to struggle to even get out of the 30s for afternoon highs so it will be a quick reminder that we are still in late February.
We should flip the script in a hurry for the second half of the weekend as high pressure over the southeastern U.S. allows a nice southwest wind to push afternoon highs all the way back into the upper 50s to around 60 degrees on Sunday! What a recovery! Heading into the final few days of February it sure won’t feel like it as another stretch of temperatures well above average will be on tap. Highs could surge as the mid to upper 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week with the trade off being the chances for rain and storms as a couple of waves of low pressure slide through along with eventually a trailing cold front. Stay tuned!
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Breezy and mild, a late shower. Lows in the low-50s.
THURSDAY: Breezy with rain and storms. Highs in the upper 50s to low 60s.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Showers ending, cooling off. Lows in the upper 30s and low 40s.
