Warm and windy Friday expected

Temperatures will climb near 80 thanks to a gusty southerly wind

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Partly cloudy skies, strong breezes, and unseasonably warm temperatures will headline your Friday forecast across central and eastern Kentucky. A powerful southerly wind is fueling a major warm-up, with afternoon highs surging into the upper 70s to near 80°. A few locations, especially in eastern Kentucky, could even crack the low 80s by late afternoon.

Those heading out to Keeneland for the Spring Meet will want to prepare for a warm afternoon, but also hang onto those hats—southerly wind gusts will be pushing 30 to 35 mph at times!

Breezy and Warm Tonight

Skies remain partly cloudy tonight with mild conditions sticking around. A weak cluster of showers and storms will try to drop south of the Ohio River overnight, but most of that activity should remain north. There is a slight chance that a few light showers could sneak into northern counties early Saturday morning, but this is a low-probability event.

Saturday Warmth with a Low Storm Chance

Another warm day is on tap for Saturday with highs once again topping out around 80° for central Kentucky. Southern and southeastern parts of the state will likely warm even more, with low to mid 80s possible. While most areas will stay dry, there’s a low-end chance for an isolated shower or storm during the afternoon and early evening, especially across areas north and west of Lexington. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center places far northern Franklin and Scott counties in a Level 1 out of 5 Severe Risk due to this isolated potential. Any activity should be brief and relatively tame.

Easter Sunday Forecast

We’ll keep the warmth rolling for Easter Sunday, with highs once again flirting with 80°. While most of the day looks dry, a few isolated showers or storms may pop up in the afternoon or evening. That said, the rain chance remains fairly low, so your Easter plans should be in good shape overall.

Early Monday Chance of Rain

A more organized round of rain and storms arrives late Sunday night into Monday as a cold front moves through the Ohio Valley. Widespread severe weather is not expected at this time, but some locally heavier rain and a few rumbles of thunder are certainly possible. Behind that front, we’ll cool things down slightly—with highs slipping back into the 60s by Tuesday.