Quiet weather to begin the week as a winter storm looms toward the holiday
Tranquil conditions should persist through the mid-week with highs in the 40s as we eye a potentially disruptive weather maker into Friday
We started out this week leading into the Christmas holiday and a dry and quiet note across Central and Eastern Kentucky. It was quite cold to begin the day with temperatures in the teens at daybreak before recovering into the upper 30s and low 40s. It was definitely frosty in some of the low lying areas with such cold air Monday morning.
Tuesday looks very similar with a few scattered clouds and temperatures just a few degrees milder into the low and mid-40s. We’ll be squeezed between two systems, one to our north and one to our south but aren’t expecting anything more than a few clouds.
Of course the main focus this week will be a very dynamic and potentially disruptive storm system that will move into the Ohio Valley late Thursday. The bottom line is that the timing stinks given that the winter element of this system will be in full swing Friday, which is “getaway” day for the holiday weekend. In reality it could be a challenge to travel on Friday. Keep in mind we are still a few days away but right now the models are surprisingly in sync with the timing of the winter blast coming in.
While many folks will focus mainly on the snow potential because Christmas is looming, that is only one small element of the whole system. The bigger issue will be the very cold air and strong winds, which will combine to produce dangerous wind chill factors through Friday and into Christmas Eve. We should see a quick change from rain to snow as the cold air rolls in sometime late Thursday and into early Friday. We could easily see a 30 degree drop over a short time frame, which could lead to a “flash freeze”, which turns wet roads icy in short order. Besides the chance of slick roads, temperatures will plummet into the single digits/low teens and create wind chills in the 15 to 20 degrees below range thanks to wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. Not a good recipe for travel, either on the road or via the air.
Below I’ve listed the “Timing” talking points and our “Key Messaging” at this juncture with the storm still a few days out. They are pretty self-explanatory and we’ll be updating theses on-air and on-line as the week progresses. There is some question whether some drier air may undercut the snow behind the front, which would lessen snow totals, but confidence is high on the cold and wind being very impactful on Friday. If you have the option to travel early in the week, it would be worth considering. Stay tuned.
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy and cold. Lows in the mid to upper-20s.
TUESDAY: A few clouds, not as chilly. Highs in the low to mid-40s.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy and quiet. Lows in the mid-20s.
