Good Thursday everyone and welcome to March Madness! We all know the basketball kind of madness that grips the country and especially the state of Kentucky. Go Big Blue! But... there is another kind of madness that we can sometimes get into around here this time of year and that comes from the weather. Your friendly weather dude has been, for a few weeks now, talking about the possibility of another taste of winter before true spring sets in. That taste may come later this weekend or early next week.

Between now and then... the weather is looking AWESOME! Highs today and Friday will warm well into the 60s across the board with a 70 possible Friday. Mainly sunny skies will be with us, though some early morning clouds will be noted out there today in some areas.

Saturday should be a very warm day as well as temps warm toward 70 in the east where sunny skies will be noted again.

A blast of winter will be working into the plains states by Friday and Saturday and will bring a lot of snow to some folks out there. It is this blast of cold that will be working eastward toward the region by Saturday night and Sunday and would carry over into Monday. The question is... how does this all work itself out? Some of the models have been bringing the front through here much quicker with cold and some snow by Saturday night and Sunday morning. Other models are slower with this as they develop a second low pressure along the front as it swings through here. That setup would bring the cold in by Sunday night into Monday and would have a better shot at putting down some accumulating snows during that time.

The NAM is on the fast track with the cold and snow.

NAM Sunday Morning


Check out what a temp gradient along the front...



As you can imagine... the NAM is also showing a quick transition from rain to snow...



Here is what the NAM thinks the snowfall will look like by Sunday morning...


While that is impressive... I have a hard time seeing much accumulation with a warm ground and temps above freezing. It's cool to look at though.

The other scenario is slower with the cold coming in as low pressure "pops" just to our east. This would give us a chance for snow Sunday night into Monday. You can see this on the European Model...


The GFS is looking very similar to the European with the slower setup...

GFS Sunday Evening


Monday Morning


Here is what the snowfall map from the GFS looks like through Monday...



We will see how it all plays out. But the moral of the story is... Old Man Winter may still have another trick up is sleeve later this weekend and early next week so enjoy these next few days.

Have a great Thursday and GO BIG BLUE!!!  Take care.

    

                                         

Good Wednesday to one and all and a big Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Today is the day when we are all supposed to break out our green and sport it for all to see. Do people still pinch you if you don't wear green today? I used to take pride in not wearing green when i was a young weather dude back in grade school in hopes a cute girl would have to pinch me. Even then I was an enterprising lad. haha

The luck of the Irish will be with much of the region today... but that may not be the case for everyone as mother nature may pinch a few of you with a light shower or two. I am talking to you southern Kentucky as you have the best chance of seeing a few of those. Temps today will range from the upper 50s to low  60s across the area.

The rest of the forecast gets interesting as we are likely to have one heck of a weather weekend shaping up with a little bit of everything coming our way. Here is a look at how things will play out...



The breakdown...

- Temps for Thursday and Friday will soar well into the 60s. Western Kentucky has a shot at some low 70s during this time as sunshine will reign supreme.

- Saturday should provide upper 60s and low 70s across the entire region as winds gust up and a few clouds increase during the day ahead of a big storm and pattern change.

- This system will really begin to influence our weather Saturday night into early Sunday as showers and thunderstorms race eastward across the area ahead of a cold front...

GFS Sunday Morning


Sunday will start out with temps in the 50s or even some 60s as winds crank up. Low pressure winds up across the Ohio Valley and heads into the Great Lakes. This will bring a rapid drop in temps during the day Sunday...

GFS Sunday Evening


So... this means we start Sunday with springtime showers and thunderstorms and mild temps and end it with a taste of winter coming back in. Temps will drop some 30 degrees behind this front and by Sunday night and Monday... snow showers and flurries are likely to be flying across the area...

GFS Monday Afternoon


Highs Monday may not even get out of the 30s with gusty winds making it feel even colder than that! I see the NWS in Louisville has mid and upper 50s for Monday. Hmmm...

The cold shot should be in an out with a fairly quick warmup by later Tuesday and Wednesday that would bring temps closer to normal. That is good... right? Well... it wont last as a similar system to the Sunday storm rolls in here toward the end of next week with another shot of cold and maybe some flakes. Remember... we MUST empty some of this cold air out of Canada over the next few weeks if we want a nice April!

Here is hoping the luck of the Irish finds you today... take care.

    

Good Tuesday everyone and thanks for checking out what the blog has to offer. These are often quite times on the weather blog as not a whole lot of people care about dull March weather... I can't say that I blame them. The weather for the rest of this week will fall into that category as temps warm and some sunshine returns. The weather may not be so dull by later in the weekend and early next week as a storm changes the pattern up a bit.

Here is what the next 5 days look like...



The breakdown looks like this...

- Today will feature clouds breaking up some as temps rise into the 50s.

- A weak system skirts to our south Wednesday and will throw a few more clouds back our way. There may be just enough moisture for a light shower or some sprinkles our way... especially in the south. Highs will stay in the 50s.

- Thursday through Saturday will feature some GREAT spring weather as temps soar well into the 60s with some sun. Saturday will be rather windy and that may boost temps toward 70.

- A pretty decent storm will roll through the region on Sunday. We could start the day with thunderstorms and temps near 60 and end it with temps in the 30s and some snowflakes trying to mix in during the night. The European model shows this setup nicely...



Have a great Tuesday and take care.

    

Good Monday to one and all. Here is hoping each of you had a great weekend. I know the weather wasn't the best in the world... but for me and my fellow Kentucky fans... we never even noticed! It's good to be a Wildcat right now! Speaking of... I will have a travel forecast for New Orleans coming Tuesday so check it out before heading out. In terms of the overall weather this week... it's a typical stretch of mid March weather we have ahead of us.

Things are starting off kind of ugly out there once again today as low clouds and showers continue across the region. You can take a look at those pesky showers here on regional radar...



The chilly temps will be around today as well. Many areas across central and eastern Kentucky will struggle to get out of the lower 40s giving us another well below normal day.

The storm responsible for the dreary weather over the past several days has done a number on parts of the mid atlantic states into the northeast. Tropical storm force winds were common with this bad boy and it still looks pretty good on satellite...



You also notice a nice looking spin showing up across the southwestern U.S. . This storm will weaken out as it rolls our way, but may have enough left for a few clouds and even a sprinkle or shower by Tuesday night and Wednesday. For the rest of the forecast... back by popular demand... I give you the 5 day forecast...



Admit it... you have been lost without it!

Here is your breakdown...

- Tuesday will see some clouds lingering across the east. This will create a nice temp gradient where the eastern counties struggle to get out of the upper 40s while the west surges well into the 50s.

- That system we talked about may bring some clouds and even a brief shower by Wednesday. Temps will mainly be in the 50s.

- The 60s arrive in all their glory for Thursday and Friday! Sunshine will be with us once again giving us a couple of great days for March Madness!

The pattern changes this weekend as a big time cold front makes a run at us late Saturday. Showers will increase late in the day into Saturday night as much colder air moves in by Sunday. The models are trying to develop low pressure across the eastern Ohio Valley on Sunday which has a shot at bringing a touch of winter back to parts of the region. Here is what the European Model shows for Sunday morning...



From this weekend on.. the pattern does not look a whole lot like spring. I have said we really have to get one more blast of wintry weather before we can FINALLY break out into true spring! If we get a week of more of a wintry look to the weather pattern... that switch to true spring weather should hit just in time for the first week of April! If we don't get it... April won't look as good as more back and forth will be with us.

Have a great Monday and beware the ides of March! Take care.

    

Good Sunday everyone! The last day of our weekend will continue to see a few more showers out there to go along with some cooler temps. Today also marks the start of Daylight Saving Time which arrived at 2 am this morning meaning, if you didn't set your clocks up an hour, your whole day is gonna be messed up!

Track today's showers here...



Let's take a look at some weather headlines...

1. Today will continue to feature below normal temps as highs stay in the middle 40s for most areas.

2. Monday will see a scattered shower or two holding on across the east with some sun west. Highs will hit the 50s west and stay in the 40s east.

3. Temps will return to the 50s for the entire state by Tuesday as the sun returns. There is a small chance for a few sprinkles by Wednesday as temps stay in the 50s.

4. The end of the week will see the temps making a run into the 60s for a few days.

5. It is by next weekend into the following week that the pattern takes on a much more wintry look across much of the country. I am not a happy camper with the pattern for the end of the month. 

Have a great Sunday and take care.

    

                                               

Good Saturday everyone and welcome to the weekend. Before we get into the weather part of the program... we must remind you to set your clocks FORWARD one hour before going to bed Saturday night as Daylight Saving Time returns at 2am Sunday. Nothing like losing an hour of sleep to get a little more sun in the evening.

Speaking of the sun... we won't be seeing as mush of it this weekend as we have recently because some clouds and scattered showers will be floating around. You can track those rains here...



The heaviest rains will be taking place to our northeast and will combine with Appalachian mountains snow melt to cause some significant rises on the Ohio River this weekend into next week. That is something we will follow closely in the coming days.

Temps the next few days will be running on the chilly side. Highs today will struggle to get to 50 in many areas and should stay in the 40s for Sunday and maybe Monday. Winds will add an extra chill to the air.

Milder temps will return by the middle and end of next week as readings return toward the 50s for highs again. Lows will run cold with upper 20s to low 30s. There could be a shower or two at some point toward mid week as a weak system dives in here.

For those looking for TRUE SPRING... the pattern says we must get one more blast of winter before it can fully switch. It is looking more and more likely that we have another 7-10 day period of wintry weather coming our way starting later next weekend or early the following week. This is something we have talked about being possible at some point this March and the models are all over it. Check out the GFS...

Sunday March 21st


March 23rd


March 24th


People have been asking me for a few weeks if I thought we had seen our last accumulating snows and I have told all of them NO! We will see if Old Man Winter can back me up on that.

Have a great Saturday and take care.

    

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for parts of the area until 7pm. Here is a look at the counties included...



The warnings map





Please post the weather conditions where you live and I will have updates later today. Take care.

    

Good Friday to one and all and thanks for all you do for the blog. We are heading into a wet weekend here across Kentucky and an increasing threat for some heavy rains and thunderstorms later today into tonight and Saturday. This will force us to keep an eye on creeks and streams for the chance for some high water. Eventually... areas along the Ohio River are going to have to keep an eye on water levels as snow melt in the Appalachian mountains and the potential for heavy rains in those same areas send the river levels up.

Today will start out calm enough with some sunshine taking us into the afternoon hours. Low pressure will be working into western Kentucky and Tennessee this afternoon into tonight and will cause a surge of rain and storms to break out ahead of it. This band of heavy rain and strong storms will roll northeastward across the region. More rounds of showers would then continue into the day on Saturday as cooler temps and gusty winds work their way in here.

The models are spitting out some heavy amounts of rainfall in some areas. Take a look at what a couple of them show through Saturday night...


You can see many areas are forecast to get an inch or more of rain during this time. The models are both having their problems trying to pinpoint the exact placement of the heaviest rains as they don't handle thunderstorms very well.

I mentioned possible flooding for along the Ohio River and the extreme northeastern Kentucky counties are under a FLOOD WATCH because of this possibility...



Areas upstream along the mighty Ohio are also under Flood Watches with a few flood warnings out...



Keep in mind that snow melt from the mountains already has streams and some rivers on the rise. Throw some heavy rain on top of that and significant rises along the Ohio River will be likely over the next several days and into next week. Just something to keep an eye on right now.

You can track today's rounds of showers and storms rolling our way from the southwest here on regional radar...



As mentioned earlier... we also have to watch for a few strong or severe storms later today. Here is the latest severe weather map from the storm prediction center...



I will have updates as needed today so be sure to check back. Have a great Friday and take care.

    

Good Thursday everyone and thanks for checking out the blog. This is the time of year when we begin to shift gears from winter mode to spring mode and that means thunderstorms and the threat for severe weather start to take center stage. The threat for some booming storms will be with us today across parts of the state and that is something for us to keep an eye on and that is just what the blog will be doing.

We have talked and talked about the overall setup that finds low pressure across the plains states. This SLOW moving low is going to continue to sit and spin for a few more days and this puts us squarely into the warm sector. That means very mild temps roll on with temps today and Friday back into the 60s with 70 or a touch better possible for areas getting some decent sunshine.This also means an increasing threat for showers and storms... some of which could be strong or even severe and produce locally heavy rains.

The best threat for severe weather today into tonight will be across central and western Kentucky. Here is the latest all inclusive severe weather map from the Storm Predication Center...



Take a look at how photogenic this storm is and at what a reach it has across the country here on Water Vapor...



It looks like a line of showers and storms will come rolling in from west to east today and you can track the line here on regional radar...




Friday will see a break in the action to start out the day before showers and storms get cranking again during the afternoon and evening hours. Here is what the GFS looks like during that time...

Friday Afternoon


Friday Evening


That takes us into the weekend and a much colder pattern that will set up. More on and off showers will be with us during this time and those will likely hold strong into Monday. Highs for Sunday and Monday will likely be in the chilly 40s.

The good news is that the sun and milder air will push in here for the middle and end of next week.

I will have updates on the storms as needed so make sure you check back. Have a great Thursday and take care.

    

Good Wednesday gang and welcome to a pattern that is looking pretty wild for a while. The overall setup for the next week will feature a mega cutoff low sitting and spinning across the region and this will give us a continued taste of spring weather the rest of this week. That will be followed up by a rather nasty period of weather from the weekend into early next week that may feature some more flakes trying to get back into the mix. I know... I am tired of that stuff too.

Tuesday saw our temps hit 70 in a lot of the area and the potential for another 70 is with us on any day that features enough breaks in the clouds this week. Scattered showers will be out there today... but there should be plenty of breaks in the clouds giving today a shot to hit that mark in a few areas. You can track today's scattered stuff here on radar...



Low pressure will be camped out across the plains states through Friday before giving way to another low just to our east by the weekend. That low will then get pulled back west into the Ohio Valley by Sunday and Monday to give us much colder temps and one heck of an ugly stretch with more showers and even the chance for some snowflakes mixing in.

A good shot of rain will come Thursday as showers and thunderstorms increase and these may bring some locally heavy rains.

NAM Thursday Evening


The same can be said for later Friday into Friday evening and I can actually see where we try to crank a strong storm or two out of all this.

GFS Friday Evening


The setup over the next few days will produce some severe weather across the country. It is also one that would make for a major outbreak severe weather outbreak later this spring.

As mentioned... the weather this weekend into early next week will look and feel much different than the next few days. Watch the eastern low work back to the west as colder air dumbbells underneath it...

GFS Saturday Afternoon


Sunday Afternoon


Sunday Evening


You get the idea... our spring fling will be coming to an end later this weekend and early next week.

If you are a fan of severe weather and tornadoes here is a MUST SEE video from a twister that touched down in Oklahoma Monday...

File that one away under the WOW category!

I will have updates as needed so make sure you check back.