Rain and storm chances continue through the rest of the week
Scattered rain and storms could lead to a few localized flooding issues Wednesday
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – After a stormy start to the day for parts of central Kentucky—including Franklin, Owen, and Scott counties—we’ll continue to monitor the chance for more scattered downpours and thunderstorms through this afternoon and evening. The setup remains very muggy, with tropical-like air fueling pop-up storms that can produce torrential rainfall, gusty winds, and frequent lightning.
As we go through the day, expect more showers and storms to flare up, especially during peak heating hours. While not everyone will see rain, some neighborhoods could pick up 1 to 2 inches of rain quickly under a slow-moving storm. This could lead to localized flash flooding in poor drainage areas or places that have already picked up rain this morning.
The northern half of the viewing area is under a Level 1 (Marginal) Risk for both flash flooding and severe storms today. Any stronger storm could produce brief damaging wind gusts, but widespread severe weather is not expected.
LOOKING AHEAD
Thursday brings another uptick in storm chances as a weak boundary settles across the Ohio Valley. That boundary, paired with deep tropical moisture and high instability, will set the stage for more widespread thunderstorms by the afternoon and evening. A few of these storms could turn strong to severe, especially near and along the I-64 corridor, where instability looks greatest.
Thursday’s storms may also produce repeated downpours in the same areas, which raises concerns for isolated flooding, especially in low-lying or urban areas. The Weather Prediction Center has placed parts of eastern and central Kentucky under another Level 1 (Marginal) Flash Flood Risk, and the Storm Prediction Center has also outlined a Marginal Risk for severe weather, with damaging winds being the main concern.
From Friday into the weekend, we’ll continue to monitor the pattern closely. A stalled boundary and waves of energy riding along the jet stream could spark rounds of thunderstorms each day. The exact timing and coverage will depend on where those clusters develop, but the potential is there for more organized storm systems, especially by the weekend and early next week.
We’re in the thick of a classic summer storm cycle, where the heat and humidity work together to produce daily chances for storms. Be sure to stay weather-aware through the rest of the week—especially if you’re in areas that saw rain this morning. Keep your NOAA weather radio or weather app handy for any alerts that may be issued as storms fire up.
