Quiet and cool conditions to kick off the weekend

Milder air should return quickly heading into next week

1 hour ago

T.G. Shuck,

We saw some big changes across Central and Eastern Kentucky on Friday as a cold front dropped through the area bringing rain showers and much cooler air. After highs around the 80 degree mark on Thursday, it was a pretty abrupt change with temperatures in the 50s north and 60s south out the door on Friday morning. Cool air continued to filter in through the day on the heels of a brisk north wind so temperatures remained steady and/or dropped depending on location. We ended up with quite the temperatures gradient across the viewing areas with Southern Kentucky remaining in the 60s until mid to late afternoon before cooling off while the Bluegrass Region and areas northward hovered in the chilly low to mid-40s. A few scattered showers lingered behind the front especially across the northern half of the state, which kept things damp and dreary before eventually tapering off later in the day as drier air started to push in from the northwest.

The big story as we kick off the weekend will be the cold temperatures expected early Saturday morning. With clearing skies and cool high pressure building in, temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 20s and low 30s to begin the day. With the growing season in full swing, you’ll need to protect those tender plants by covering them up or bringing them in to prevent any potential damage. A Freeze Warning is out for all of Central and Eastern Kentucky until 10 am on Saturday morning. The rest of the day should feature abundant sunshine and blue skies so it should be a pleasantly cool day for any outdoor activities as afternoon highs recover into the low-50s.

The area of high pressure will slide to our east into Sunday, allowing winds to shift around to the southwest and bring milder air back into the Ohio Valley. We’ll still have to watch for some frost potential in the sheltered valley areas on Sunday morning with temperatures in the low to mid-30s but a nice warm-up is in store later in the day as afternoon highs surge back into the mid-60s. The southwest wind will bring a little moisture in addition to the mild air so look for a few more scattered clouds to go along with the sunshine as we close out the weekend. Heading into early next week the upward trend of temperatures will continue as afternoon highs climb back into the low to mid-70s on Monday. Some mid-level energy sliding through the region could help trigger an isolated shower or two but most locations should be dry.

Look for another stretch of unseasonably mild to warm temperatures as we close out March and kick off April into the middle part of next week, although some rain and storm chances may come along with it. The combination of a slow moving frontal system stretched out to our north, moisture streaming in from the south and some mid-level energy rotating through will keep the potential for a few showers and storms in the mix during that window. Highs will surge into the upper 70s for the final day of March on Tuesday before backing off slightly into the mid-week as much of the data now shows a little better chance of organized showers and storms on Wednesday as the front drops a little closer to the commonwealth. The bottom line is that you may need the rain gear from time to time but temperatures continue to stay a little above average for the early part of April.