Good Thursday, everyone. Our stormy pattern rolls on and is likely to hang tough through the first half of next week. The storms in recent days have caused flooding, power outages and some wind damage. The storms ahead of us will likely do the same.
My biggest worry continues to be flash flooding. The ground is waterlogged in many areas and it won’t take very much at all to cause high water problems. Some spots in Kentucky are already showing record amounts of rain for the month of August.
The storms will continue to come at us in waves from northwest to southeast with the greatest concentration across central and eastern Kentucky. These will be loaded with lightning and torrential rains and will be able to cause some local wind damage. These rounds of storms will likely come at us through the upcoming weekend.
All of this is on the cusp of a heat ridge across the plains states. The local heat hypers have been having a field day with this, even though it never really gets into central and eastern Ky. The blog has been focusing on the thunderstorm threat because that’s what happens when we find ourselves on the eastern side of a plains heat wave. That’s where we look to stay for several more days.
Big changes are likely next week as a trough digs in from the northwest. It’s at this point we see the tropics coming to life and several models continue to develop a storm that threatens the southeast or Gulf states. We will worry about that potential in a few days.
For now… let’s track more rounds of heavy rain and storms through the region…
Today’s risk area
Current watches
Have a great day and take care.
I hope the people who have seen close to 5″ of rain over the past few days are really paying extra attention to the weather during this wet pattern. One more heavy downpour may set the stage for some seriously dangerous flooding in those valleys.
Who’s still in drought? If you are, wow. Anyways, I cant wait until the first legitimate cool shot that usually occurs in mid September. This might not be a hotter than average summer, but that doesn’t mean the average temp itself isn’t hot, especially when it’s humid. So ready for fall and winter!
I was just discussing the relative definition of hot. I am also ready for a cool down. Its been a long summer.
Had heavy flooding Monday and last night here in Carrie of knott co. I’m afraid another heavy rain is gonna be a terrible disaster up here
Yesterday, Lexington hit 90 degrees for the first time in nearly a month (July 22).
Only at the airport and it’s wrong. Mesonet only hit 86.
I thought it was the official reporting station…the 5.23″ for the month from the Mesonet site does not come anywhere close to the 8+ inches nor the greatest 24 hour total of 5.56″ at the airport.
In Breathitt County, Jackson has had 7 days in the 90’s since June 1 from Mesonet site. Officially, Jackson has recorded 7 days in the 90’s.
Lexington has had only 1 day in the 90’s since June 1 from Mesonet. Airport officially shows at least 12 days. Based on context of other official reporting sites, I would have expected Lexington to be warmer than Jackson.
I get it though. Louisville’s official reporting station should not be at the International airport which inflates our temperatures dramatically.
New thermometer was added to Blue Grass Airport last spring and it now runs way too hot. Never had one issue with that thermometer before. They know it’s wrong… but won’t change it. $$
That sounds familiar.
Thanks again for your relentless attention to the weather. We sure could use your services over here in Louisville. Just sayin.
Very kind. Thanks, Mike.
Where is the mesonet site in Fayette County?
Across from Walmart at Nicholasville Rd and Man O War
Heat hyper here lol…..90 in London yesterday per the NWS….87.7 at the dreaded mesonet in barbourville right now.
And 89 in Williamsburg
However u slice it…..Hot and Humid
upper 80s in August is hot? That’s called normal around here. 😉 My point continues that the same people talking heat wave this week in central and eastern Kentucky failed to talk about the storms and flooding threat. This has been the common all summer and it’s been one of the coolest in years. July was the 4th coldest ever for the state of Kentucky and August has been MUCH cooler than normal to date.
Hmmmm….Maybe my memory is hazy 🙂 Snowman says:
August 19, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Ahhh…..upper 80s and 90s forecast here in Eastern Ky. all the way through next Tuesday per the NWS…..Finally Summer!
Reply
Chris Bailey says:
August 19, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Won’t happen
But it hasn’t been upper 80s and low 90s every day and wont be with storm clusters.
Who cares whether it hits 90 or not.. Bottom line, if the humidity is 85% and the dew point is 74, it feels terrible outside.
Looks like that cluster of storms is headed south right toward Perry and Knott co. (Yet again) get ready folks, the creeks are still running high from yesterday evenings storms.
Agreed
Been in Panama City Beach on a much needed vacation. So I decided to take a gander at the forecast discussion a few minutes ago it made me laugh here’s what it said. Updated at 3:01 pm. Well the forecast from a few hrs ago isnt panning out very well. Storms have been more numerous and formed earlier than expected across our GA counties, and I’m not sure why. (At least the forecaster is honest frustrated but honest) lol
Well, here in Perry this line moved through quicker and didn’t pack near the punch as its predecessors. Bullet dodged this time.
We are close to “normal” on 90 degree days for the year in Lexington. I know, the airport thermometer is skewed on the warm side, but that is what will go down in the record books as “official”
Here are 90 degree day totals for the past few summers
2009: 6
2010: 44
2011: 30
2012: 42
2013: 17
2014: 13 (Through 8/20)
Normal for entire year: 19
My summer forecast had 18 so I need some more to verify. haha
I wonder how many there would have been in 2010 with the current thermometer? Louisville had 85 that year.
Half of the record high temps in Louisville would be untouched if the official temp was taken at the NWS office. Why the official temp is taken at a busy airport and not at the NWS office is well beyond me, politics.
An even better and more representative location would be Bowman Field. Still urban which is reflective of where most of us in Jefferson County live but not surrounded by giant aircraft taking off and landing 500 times a day.
John Belski is always talking about how Bowman should be the official thermometer for Louisville. Regardless though, it was pretty hot and miserable today and looks to stay test way with most of the rain and storms looking to go just north and east of us.
Winter time really upsets me the official snowfall is taken at the airport how does that remotely work with getting a accurate measurement??? Secondly back to the temps I couldn’t tell you how many times the airport is reporting 33/34 degrees with rain but the rest of the county is sitting between 30-32 with freezing rain in the winter months. Absolutely stupid. Completely inaccurate and very misleading.
Yet another cluster of storms headed our way here in NKY. I hear the thunder roll.
I’m not sure yet how the actual numbers will play out at KCVG, but this summer sure feels cooler than normal to me with about a week to go.