Rain and snow on the way early Saturday as an active pattern kicks in

It was a quiet finish to the week across Central and Eastern Kentucky Friday as an area of high pressure drifted east of the commonwealth. Following a cold start with lows in the low to mid-20s, afternoon highs surged into the low and mid-40s thanks to some early sunshine and a southeast wind. With the higher clouds rolling in early we enjoyed some delightful sunrise pictures around the area.

The much advertised area of low pressure will slide through the region with a mix of rain and snow for Central and Eastern Kentucky. The most favorable area for some slushy, wet snow accumulations will be either side of I-64 and points northward with rain the farther south you go. Keep in mind that any snow that accumulates will be be mainly on the elevated surfaces given that temperatures should remain at or above freezing so there should be lower end impacts on the roadways. Even with that scenario, A Winter Weather Advisory is out for The Bluegrass region and up I-64 from 3am to 1pm on Saturday due to the potential of some slushy roadways early. Highs will sneak into the low 40s after the system moves out into the afternoon so a lot of the snow may melt away.

Another wave of energy will keep our weather unsettled for the second half of the weekend with additional rain showers Sunday as afternoon highs reach the low 40s. We could see a few wet snowflakes mixed in on the tail end of that system but it shouldn’t be a big deal.

Following a quick break on Monday, our next storm system arrives on Tuesday with a solid rain chances across the board. Given the on-going drought since this past summer, a good soaking rain would help a lot. Temperatures will surge into the 50s ahead of the low and the wind is still going to be a major player with this event. Much of the data still indicates gusts could be in the 40 to 45 miles per hour range at times on Tuesday, which would firmly put us in the Wind Advisory criteria so stay tuned. Expect a few snow showers along with some chilly air on the backside into early Wednesday.

Looking down the road to late next week, the conveyor belt of storm systems rolls along with yet another impactful storm possible here in the Ohio Valley. Even though we are still a week out, the set-up looks similar in that our area could be right on the dividing line between liquid and frozen precipitation so that’s something to keep a close eye on as well.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
FRIDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with rain and snow, light accumulations north. Lows in low to mid-30s.
SATURDAY: Morning rain/snow then mostly cloudy. Highs in the low-40s.
SATURDAY NIGHT: A few showers, steady temps. Lows in the upper-30s.