Good Tuesday, everyone. The first of two arctic fronts is now pushing east of the area, with the second arriving later tonight. That front will usher in some of the coldest wind chills we have seen in near 4 years. That means the numbers are firmly into the danger category from later tonight through early Thursday.
Let’s start with how our day begins and roll forward. Black ice is a good bet on area roads, with some very light snow accumulations also possible, mainly in the southeast. Temps are in the teens with a wind chill in the single digits.
The next arctic front arrives late this evening into overnight and looks increasingly likely to bring a swath of arctic snows to the region…
That would be a powdery snow that blows around. The GFS has a swath of 1″ snows tonight…
The Canadian is a bit more generous in coverage and amounts…
Temps behind this arctic front are brutal and drop quickly into the single digits and may stay there all day long on Wednesday, especially across the north. Winds are going to crank with wind chills ranging from -5 to -20.
The RPM wind chill numbers go a little lower than that in the north…
Frostbite can occur quickly in those kind of numbers, so please limit your outdoor exposure.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see another streak of light snow move from west to east Wednesday night. There are several small scale disturbances embedded underneath the massive Polar Vortex moving into the Great Lakes.
Speaking of the Polar Vortex, it’s taking the weather to the extreme across many states just to our north. All-time record lows are being threatened in several states and cities, such as Chicago. Wind chill numbers may approach -60 in some areas.
As the Polar Vortex lifts out by Friday, overrunning moisture may bring some winter weather back into the region. This is ahead of a temperature surge this weekend and early next week, but the cold returns shortly thereafter.
I will have updates later today. Until then, let’s track a little morning action…
Hamburg Area from WKYT Studio
Lexington
I-75 @ Newtown Pike
Lexington
I-75 MP 127
Georgetown
I-64 at KY-801
Near Morehead
I-64 MP 97
Winchester
Mountain Parkway near Slade
Pine Mountain
Jenkins
Florence
Covington
Louisville
E-town
Make it a good one and take care.
No snow here in Southern Ohio where I live.
Just flurries today not much happening snow wise. Just getting colder for now.
Just wet here at the moment. Might be lucky to get a dusting this morning.
My temp is sitting at 30 degrees and we had 0 05 of rain and that was before midnight.
No snow and not that cold… bummer. (At least in my part of Richmond)
Busted…missed…typical. Expect the temps to be mid 50-60. That will be in line with most recent hyped talk. It’s all about the followers!
Your comment is rubbish.
I’m confused. Is the polar vortex that has been hyped up since the fall happening only this week? Or could it come back later too?
“Polar Vortex” is the trendy term for what was once known as “winter”. It was supposed to come right after Xmas but didn’t show up until this week and looks to leave again on the weekend with another return later next week. Just hope it leaves when it’s supposed to.
To be fair, the Polar Vortex is a real thing – just a term for the coldest air in the hemisphere, and sometimes it can dislodge from the pole and rotate around through either Siberia, or Canada & the northern US like it’s going to do this week. Here today, gone tomorrow, that’s just the nature of it. It may or may not come back later in the winter. It’s just gotten trendy to use the term and look for excuses to call the weather “extreme” when like you said – it’s just winter.
Just disappointed! Wanted some snow. Hope temp forecast is wrong and it is 50-60, not looking forward to bitter cold especially with no snow. Bring on spring
Brandon Robinson was on WYMT and him and another anchor were laughing about how hard it is to give an accurate forecast this winter. I would hate to be a meteorologist in Kentucky in the winter. It’s labled as the fence for a reason and unlike other areas of the country the forecast for snow seems very difficult even just a few hours out.
A few days of “winter” cold coming and a move on to a few warmer days. The new term for winter has apparently been changed to be”polar vortex”. Looks to be the cycle the rest of the winter. Hopefully spring will come when it’s supposed to.
Changed over to snow a half hour ago. Big flakes coming down but not very heavy. Hrrr model likes us, jackpot are right over Knox County here in east TN. The jackpot is three inches lol. But I’ll take it!
Anybody get snow?
Thelma Lou has said for the first time this year, she’s ready for Spring. Nothing but a few flurries all winter here in Wayne County, like most she holds on to hope of a snowmaker but at this point she’s ready for sunshine and Spring.
Faux-lar Vortex.
Incorrect
The models are showing no rain for the next couple of days haha, I’m gonna go out on a limb and agree with them haha
It would be a dry powdery rain if any fell. Haha
I know it’s been bummer as far no show snow for most people here in ky. But we still got Feb and March to go we just have to wait and see how it plays out. Right now the pattern that were in ins t favorable but that can change if the so call mini EL-Nino starts to fade away before spring.
I think we need new models, the old ones just aren’t cutting it anymore. Maybe everwho is in charge of the accuracy of what the models represent will turn a knob or put some different data into it for Kentucky, or even better we just begin to do the old fashion method and just go outside to see what the weather is.
No snow… not even the projected “coating” in Greenup Co. Shocking…
We got our -2 inches in Ashland
If the GFS pans out for next week we could be looking at some major flooding issues:
https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/gfs/2019012906/gfs_mslp_pcpn_frzn_us_33.png
You can take the Rain model to the bank. It will happen.
That will be turned into a nor’easter
Thank God it’s going to rain. I can’t imagine what we would do if we went a week without flooding rains. Heavens forbid.
Same here in central Kentucky. Temperature at 17 degrees with a few flurries blowing around. We MUST NOT forget those people who have to work out in this Arctic outbreak. I had to when I was younger back in the frigid 1970’s, when it was a lot colder. I don’t understand how we can get this cold with a zonal flow and not a strong blocking high pressure system in Greenland and positive NAO currently present ? Maybe that’s why the cold is going to retreat by Friday. Another weather factor I don’t understand is ENSO El Nino. Which is weak and is based in the central Pacific. The same as it was back in 1977-78. It seems the subtropical jet has been push farther south ? I think that faction I mention yesterday about weather control could be true just to get the cost of heating our homes higher ? It would be scary to find out that the said faction can move weather systems around like the Arctic Vortex and high and low pressure systems as well as hurricanes and nor’easters and droughts anywhere they would want them just to get the cost of living up. Something to think about. If the above is found out to be actually true, then what is the point in studying meteorology. The only thing that could change my mind on the above theory would be a cold and snowy February and March followed by Spring in mid April and a normally warm and humid summer which ends in mid- September followed by a cool colorful fall in October.
Your weather beliefs and theories are truly bizarre and definitely not true way way out there and they change daily depending on what mood you’re in.
Your weather theories and beliefs are beyond bizarre and simply not true and border on ignorance.
Haha, pretty sure ol Schroeder is not serious with most of his posts, just trying to get a rise…. looks as though he was successful haha
Jim B, trust me Schroeder is serious as you are to trends.
Trends haven’t failed me yet, don’t knock it haha
Yes the weather is all a big conspiracy to make people pay more for electricity obviously.
I believe Schroeder just says bizarre things just to get a reaction, depending on what mood he’s in on any one particular day.
Actually, you never know haha. Truth definitely stranger than fiction.
Conspiracy Theory at its best
BINGO !!!!
I’m just playing around with you all. I have nothing else to do. Have fun on the comments. It’s not serious lighten up.
No really I enjoy Chris’s blog each and everyday and I think all the commentators are great.
Thanks.
Thanks.
You’re not seriously suggesting that we can control the weather, are you? We still can’t predict it 5 days out. How could we possibly think we could control it?
*Meteorological Illuminati smile at your naivete while dispatching agents for Schroeder’s re-education*
Mother nature once again has the last laugh at KYs expense…not even a dusting this morning!!!!!!! This winter has gone from full of potential to disappointing to sad to ridiculously hilarious!!!!!!!
On a good note there was also very little rain to glaze the roadways.
Geez, calm down folks. No snow is not the end of the world. I, for one, prefer no snow. It just causes too many problems for folks trying to make it to work everyday.. some of you need to move to Buffalo.
Them dang blasted models! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! 🙂
What can the mets do? The models showed snow two days ago, hence the forecasts. All mets forecasted snow, so not like a CB exclusive. The models then showed hardly any snow later, hence the snow maps going away.
How do folks think the mets feel having models that essentially can’t be trusted for snow until less than 24 hours? Probably not too good.
Maybe Mets shouldn’t be so overly dependent on models to build a forecast?
Not a flake at my house in Anderson Co. but here in Lex we have flurries. So glad the bitter cold will only last a few days.
Prelude and Jim B you want to call out Schroeder for his/her post and throw the ignorance word around, well Dudes You just won “The pot calling the kettle black “ Award. I see you all didn’t exchange phone numbers and group messaged each other to pour your whining and crying around bc the weather just didn’t pan out to your likings, but you will critique others comments when you do the exact same thing. Look at you people I’m applaud at your behavior for such grown adults that you claim to be. Your definitely not smarter than my 3 rd grader Grandson. Gheez everyday it’s the same ole crap from you people, I feel so sorry for your spouses if you do this everyday over weather I can’t imagine living with any of you crybabies. Guess you keep the box of Kleenex on your laps.. CB us here in the county appreciate all your endless nights you spend on this crazy weather. We love just waking up no matter what it does ain’t nothing anyone can do about it, it’s weather some of us truly understand what a Forecast is.
Check yourself I haven’t cried and whine about the weather I’m not a snow fan I could careless If it snows or not Nana!!! Eat a snickers you’ll feel better.
Oh come on prelude – you know there’s something magical about a huge winter storm…….even though it can cause lots of headaches. This is some peoples way of venting their disappointment. That’s all it is. It’s been this way from the beginning on this blog.
Disappointment is not allowed, neither is venting. You must be grateful for each day on Mother Earth. Don’t let Boyd Nana or Jeff Hamlin repeat this lesson.
Yes, I like a major snow if it’s not too cold and I still like to play in it. It always brings back those childhood days.
Thanks.
I have cried when they said it was going to snow heavy and it didn’t. I just didn’t want to go to school so I decided to play sick.
Thanks.
Funny Schroeder how you called out teachers who were hoping to enjoy a snow day a few years ago. Hypocrite much?
Jeff, I don’t remember this ” calling out teachers. ” Please find the post and post it on today’s blog. We need to settle this dispute. I support teachers with much respect. Thank you in advance.
Prelude, Who is this clown? Throwing around what ignorance? Haha, and who is crying? You may be a little sensitive there haha, Futhermore, I haven’t read anyone saying a rude thing about CB, and if anyone does, he is a grown &## man, I’m sure he could care less if people agree with him or not. He is the professional, not us… lighten up ! Wow, hahaha
I’m a he not a she
Thanks.
Don’t like snickers. I prefer Three Musketeers. Easier on my teeth.
Thanks.