Quiet weather late week with summer warmth on the horizon

With a weak front sliding in from the northwest, we saw a mix of clouds and sunshine along with a few scattered showers across Central and Eastern Kentucky Wednesday. Unfortunately this system had very little moisture with it so those fortunate enough to catch a passing shower typically saw a brief burst of rain that did nothing more than wet the ground in most cases as we stayed locked in to the on-going spring drought. A breezy southwest wind shifted westward through the day with the passage of the front but afternoon highs still managed to reach the mid-70s in most locations.

High pressure will build into the Ohio Valley on Thursday bringing a return of tranquil and pleasant weather to the commonwealth. Look for a chilly start to the day as cooler air drifts in behind the departing front. You may need the light jacket early with temperatures in the low 40s to begin the day. With plenty of sunshine around and a light northwest wind in place, afternoon highs will recover into the upper 60s, which is slightly below average for mid-May but it will still be a very pleasant day.

We’ll start to climb the ladder again as milder air begins to build back into the region as we close out the week. A mid-level wave and a warm front out to our west may throw a few high clouds eastward but it should be a mainly sunny Friday with afternoon highs returning to the mid-70s. As the warm front arcs through Friday night and into Saturday, a few scattered storms will be possible but the bigger story will be a change in our overall weather pattern as summer-like air makes a return to the Ohio Valley. Even with the scattered storm threat, afternoon highs should surge back into the low to mid-80s and this upward trend will continue to close out the week.

It may feel like the heart of summer on Sunday as some legitimate warmth returns to the commonwealth as afternoon highs surge all the way into the upper 80s to near 90 degrees. This will be our warmest stretch of weather so far here in 2026 so if you have outdoor plans you definitely will need to use the sunscreen with mostly sunny and dry conditions expected along with pace yourself as it takes the body a bit to get acclimated to the warmer air. The near record high temperatures should continue into early next week with Monday being our best chance of reaching the 90 degree mark as breezy southwest winds continue to crank the warm/hot air into the commonwealth. A frontal system will be approaching from the northwest so a late day storm can’t be ruled out but our best chance for organized rain and storms will arrive on Tuesday. We’ll have to watch for the strong storm potential given all the heat and humidity in place over the area so that’s something to keep an eye on down the road.