Good Friday to one and all. Summer is doing its thing across the bluegrass state, bringing steamy temps and scattered storms to close out July. It’s a setup that should roll into the first full week of July as the thunderstorm action tries to ramp up a little bit.

Given this boring pattern taking shape, I’m going to be shaking the blogs up a bit and focusing on some other weather interests looking farther down the road.

But, let’s start with the what’s going on now. Temps are generally in the 90 degree range out there today, but humidity levels will make it feel several degrees toastier. A few showers and thunderstorms will kick in, especially in the afternoon and evening hours. Here are your trackers for the day…

Our weekend will feature more of the same. Blah.

I have no changes to the setup for our 4th of July week. A few rounds of showers and storms are likely to dive in from the northwest…

That’s NOT a pattern of constant rain, but a few rounds of storms may be on the strong side and put down heavy rains. Temps continue to run steamy.

As we head into the middle of summer, let’s get a status check of the ocean temperature numbers. Much of the waters in the Pacific and the Atlantic continue to run above normal…

Two things stand out on that map.  The first is the warm pool across northern Pacific. That’s something winter lovers hope continues through the fall and into the winter months. It’s something that was common during that extended run of harsh winters we had a few years ago.

The second is the warmer waters off the southeastern seaboard. That may help give a little extra fuel to any hurricanes that develop in the coming weeks and months. It also suggests the southeastern part of the country stays warmer than normal, putting Kentucky in the battle zone again. That argues for above normal rainfall continuing.

Something else that stands out is the recent decline in the weak El Nino in the equatorial Pacific. We have been in a weak El Nino for several months and that’s forecast to continue through the fall and winter…

Again, that’s a good look for winter lovers, but there are many other seasonal indices that can foul it up.

Make it a great Friday and take care.