Strong winds & a line of storms late Tuesday night
Meteorologist Dillon Gaudet has the latest in your full ABC 36 Storm Team forecast
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – A powerful storm system is set to bring strong winds, showers, and a few storms to central and eastern Kentucky late tonight before a sharp temperature drop midweek.
Gusty Winds Ahead of the Front
A Wind Advisory will take effect this afternoon and continue through Wednesday as wind gusts could reach 40-50+ mph across the region. Additionally, a High Wind Warning is in place for Harlan and Letcher counties, where gusts along the mountain ridges could exceed 60 mph late tonight into early Wednesday morning.
Through Tuesday afternoon, winds will steadily increase with gusts around 30-35 mph, while temperatures climb into the mid-to-upper 60s ahead of an approaching cold front.
Showers & Storms Late Tonight
By late evening, a line of showers and isolated thunderstorms will push into Kentucky, tracking west to east between 9 PM and 1 AM. This system will be accompanied by a strong low-level jet, allowing wind gusts of 40-55 mph—and possibly brief 55-60 mph gusts in south-central Kentucky. There is a low-end severe weather risk, especially near Lake Cumberland, where an isolated damaging wind gust cannot be ruled out.
Big Temperature Drop & Rain-to-Snow Showers Wednesday
As the system moves out early Wednesday morning, a secondary cold front will trail behind it. Temperatures will start in the upper 40s to low 50s in central Kentucky but will fall sharply through the day. By midday, eastern Kentucky will still be in the low 60s, while the Bluegrass region drops into the low 40s. By the afternoon, everyone will be in the 40s, with another round of gusty winds making it feel like the 20s.
Scattered showers will redevelop through Wednesday afternoon and transition to a rain/snow mix by the evening. Off-and-on snow showers will continue into early Thursday morning, especially in the higher elevations. No major accumulation is expected, though brief visibility reductions are possible.
Colder & Breezy Through Late Week
Thursday will be a blustery & chilly day, with highs struggling to reach the low-to-mid 40s. Winds will gradually weaken but still gust 20-30 mph, keeping wind chills in the upper teens to low 20s in the morning.
Looking ahead, a few weak systems will bring scattered showers late Friday into the weekend, but temperatures will moderate, with highs returning to the 50s by Friday. Don’t forget to “spring forward” Saturday night as Daylight Saving Time begins!
Stay with the ABC 36 Storm Team for more updates.
