Good Thursday to one and all. An impressive cold front is rolling eastward across the state today and is bringing a shot of MUCH colder air with it. The good news is that the chilly air will only be around for a couple days. The bad news is that it will be pretty darn chilly and feel even colder because of how warm it has been recently.
The cold front does have a line of showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of it. A few strong storms will be possible very early today as high wind gusts will be the main thing to watch for. You can track this line on regional radar…
Temps will tumble all day long with readings by dropping toward 50 degrees right behind the front. Track that temp drop through the real time stations from Kentucky Mesonet…
Gusty winds today will make it feel even colder… even as skies try to clear out a bit later today. This chilly air will hang tough into Friday as lows dip into the 30s with afternoon highs struggling into the low 50s. A mix of sun and clouds will be noted to go along with more windy weather.
The weekend looks good! Highs for Saturday will warm well into the 60s under sunny skies. Sunday will be even better with 70s moving back into the picture.
Much warmer air is lurking again for next week. We need to keep an eye on Monday for the potential for a few showers or storms trying to develop on the nose of this next warm surge. Something similar happened just a few days ago and is a good illustration of how things can get cranking along a warm front.
A prolonged stretch of 80s looks good for much of next week as our hot April pattern moves back in.
If you are a tropical weather tracker… one of the more respected hurricane forecasters is out with his call for the season ahead. Dr. William Gray from Colorado State University has this call…
15 Named Storms
8 Hurricanes
4 Major Hurricanes
PROBABILITIES FOR AT LEAST ONE MAJOR (CATEGORY 3-4-5) HURRICANE LANDFALL ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING COASTAL AREAS:
1) Entire U.S. coastline – 69% (average for last century is 52%)
2) U.S. East Coast Including Peninsula Florida – 45% (average for last century is 31%)
3) Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville – 44% (average for last century is 30%)
If Dr. Gray is correct… this is going to be a busy tropical season!
Have a great Thursday and take care.
At about 4 am this morning…I thought the house was going to blow over. Very gusty winds.
Mother nature always throws us these cold spells; dogwood winter, blackberry winter, just the Lord’s way of bringing out his beautiful creation!!!!
BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1016 AM EDT THU APR 8 2010
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON KY HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
FLOYD COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY…
SOUTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KENTUCKY…
EASTERN KNOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY…
LETCHER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY…
SOUTHEASTERN MAGOFFIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY…
MARTIN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KENTUCKY…
WESTERN PIKE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY…
* UNTIL 1045 AM EDT
* AT 1012 AM EDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM GYPSY TO BETTY TO BLACKEY…AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
WHITESBURG…PRESTONSBURG…PAINTSVILLE…PIKEVILLE…INEZ…
DOTSON…WAYLAND…NEALY…BLUE RIVER…DREW…ICE…ISOM…SWAMP
BRANCH…MAY…BONANZA…LANGLEY…WHITCO…SACKETT…RAVEN AND
DOBSON.
Thanks, Chris. We got some pretty good rain out of the front, but no storms, which is alright with me, since it was occuring overnight. Right now, we have mostly cloudy skies, and 55. Temp has not dropped off too much as of yet.
Also had a peek of sunshine a little while ago.
Looking forward to sunshine tomorrow, even if it is still going to be cool. Don’t want to “miss” any of the seasons. Spring is such a pretty time. Have a great Thursday, all!