11:15pm Update
Moderate freezing rain is moving across northern Kentucky and will cause moderate ice accumulation over the next few hours. Strong thunderstorms are cranking across southern and western parts of the state and these may go severe. Hail and high winds are the main threats.
9:45pm Update
Good late Friday evening. Temps are running about where we thought they would at this point. The south is well into the 50s with the north in the upper 20s. Light freezing rain and some sleep is working across the norther part of the state and will continue to increase overnight.
Temps along and south of Interstate 64 are spiking up and will come crashing down later tonight as the low works by to our east.
Overall… things appear to be on track and it’s just a matter of tracking that 32 degree line overnight into early Saturday.
Take care.
Good Friday evening. We have a crazy weather night ahead of us! Ice will impact the northern half of the state at the same time severe thunderstorms threaten those across the south. Buckle up.
A WINTER STORM WARNING is out for far northern Kentucky and a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect south toward Interstate 64. Here’s a look…
The warning is for the possibility of .25″ or more of freezing rain. That would be enough to cause some serious issues. Farther south… the advisory is for areas that may get .10″-25″ of freezing rain or mix. That would be more than enough to ice things up. The NWS in Jackson has elected to leave their northern counties out of the advisory and that makes little sense and only confuses people looking at the map. Montgomery, Bath, Rowan and Fleming should be included in the advisory as it only takes a small amount of ice to cause problems. It really isn’t that hard to do the right thing, guys.
Temps will rise some late this evening into the wee hours of the morning before they crash back down by daybreak. Readings will hit the mid and upper 50s south and this may set the stage for some strong or even severe thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center has this area in a slight risk…
I will have another update later this evening. Don’t forget to check the radar, current conditions and live weather cams at the top of the site. Keep posting the weather from where you live and take care.
I agree, I live in Morehead/Rowan County, it’s crazy how JKL will put all counties around us under a watch or advisory but somehow magically we are supposed to be in this bubble where it’s not going hit? they do that all the time and we end up getting the same weather or often worse. I’ve been seeing pink on the radar over us for some time now, but nothing hitting the ground..
For those keeping count.. the GFS model s m o k e d the others, including the Euro on this storm. Anybody who isn’t a hater saw this ice coming 8 days ago. 😉 The Weather Channel…here’s lookin’ at you, kid.
You owned this one!
Okay WXman, you usually have our neck of the woods pegged. What are your thoughts for us with this system? Southern Franklin Co/ Northern Anderson.
I still REALLY like that map Chris posted on his last update. I think he did a great job on that map.
It’s 33.8 degrees in Lawrenceburg as of 19:30 tonight. Going to be a close call! The areas north of I-64 are going to be a mess in the morning.
actually the EC had the 32 line just north of the river all along while the GFS was south of I-64. Looks like the freezing line will be in between.
Actually the Euro had the 32 degree line at 850mb all the way up into northern OH and northern IN close to the Lakes and showed 50s for highs here in KY all week long. It just finally got a clue in the past 2 or 3 runs. It got smoked, again, but I feel like I’m the only one who isn’t surprised. It all makes sense now though.. that’s why all the published forecasts were wrong all week, because they give the euro model double weight.
not at the surface that line was on the other side of the ohio river big difference unlike most i have access to the full model I don’t imply from the small sample of size of data given to the general public.
The Winter Weather Advisory that was just extended south to include Evansville, IN is just one county north of me. I surely hope the freezing rain reads that map closely!!!
Now, the Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for a location just 3 miles NNE of me. Owensboro itself, is not included.
Lisa, welcome to winter along the Ohio River. We’re often the dividing line between frozen and liquid. I’d much rather have a big snow than this crap though I do like to listen to sleet hit the windows!
Thanks Joey!! As it turns out, I am new to this area, and outside of the dividing line, I love it here. I’m with ya though, I’d much rather have snow!!
32.9 in Frankfort, temps came up a few tenths last hour? Temps would have to get in the 30to31 degree range before any real icing problems would happen?
Ok, a Winter Weather Advisory in the northern KY counties. Now all we need is a severe t-storm (if not tornado) watch in extreme south central KY, and that would put a rubber stamp on how typical wx extremes are in our area!
Not that I’m wishing for this. I spent my teenage years living in the Chattanooga/Cleveland TN area which was devastated during the April 27 2011 tornado outbreak. The infamous Ringgold GA/Apison TN tornado (almost an EF5) came within 10 miles of my parents, now that was unnerving (add to this the huge snow storm there last Jan, even if this was really small potatoes compared to the April tornadoes).
Well, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
Tornado Watch has just been issued for most of central and western Tennessee, just south of the KY state line. It’s until 5am central time. Obviously a time when many are in bed, a good reason to have a NOAA radio alert radio or some other warning system.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0002.html
Good job WxMan. I been following you since last week when you started talking ice! Glad that the ice isn’t here in Keavy/Corbin area. Instead…we get strong to severe thunderstorms and even a chance of a possible tornado tonight. Gotta love weather. Anyways, it is 48 degree’s here and light rain falling. Been raining for an hour or so now. Thank you Chris for all you do. Love the post.
Temps up & down in Frankfort, 32.3 light rain falling, Borderline freezing rain at the moment?
evening folks..
Evening Rolo, how are ya?
Temp is about 41 in Irvine and we had a few rain drops earlier. Old saying, ” If you don’t like the weather in Kentucky, just wait a few minutes!” I guess it still goes!
Its 45 degrees in Someret, andwe have seen a few rain drops. Nothing major. But it sure took its time starting to warm up! We were in the high 30s to barely 40 until about 4:30. This is one time I am glad that everything is north of us. Do not want ice.
Kudos to you, Wxman, and Chris. At least both of you have been mentioning this for a few days, and Wxman, even longer.
Crazy weather we have here. Ice in the north andcentral, and thunderstorms in the south….Typical Kentucky January? Not quite. But certainly interesting.
You guys in the bullseye be safe and careful tonight. Will be interesting to see what everyone posts in different parts of the state.
Thanks, Chris, for all you do.
If surface temps are above 32 precip will not freeze, despite air temps below 32. Second many of the heavier radar echos are a giveaway of sleet is falling.
temp 32.7 at my house right now. i can see something very light falling from the sky, doesnt really look like rain though!
I am supposed to be flying out of Lexington tomorrow, what are the chances of a flight being delayed due to ice????
With any luck, Lexington will stay just above freezing (it’s currently 39 degrees). Any freezing rain in Lex may remain very light and perhaps be limited to tree limbs and such (hopefully roads/runways will stay warm thus only be wet) so routine aircraft deicing should take care of things. You can check with your airline beforehand, but my guess Lex will have few problems although your destination or connecting airport may or may not be another matter (for example, Chicago and Detroit are dealing with snow).
You’ll be fine as long as your plane gets to Lex on time from wherever its coming from. Check online to see where its coming from. I flew out of Lex the day of the ’98 “dusting” and was fine. Lex weather won’t delay. Depends on where your plane is flying in from.
Thanks guys…..I’m flying to Vegas so hopefully everything will go smoothly!!
Have fun. Hopefully this weather won’t follow you to Vegas 🙂
Current data from I-64 and BG Parkway sites shows that pavement temperatures are generally running within 1.0 degree of air temperatures. So it won’t take a whole lot to start accumulating ice on some of the area roadways, particularly state routes that are in wooded areas which are likely already at or below freezing.
Wxman u think we stay above avg with no snow mcrae week?
****next
Hope I get in on some of that sleep lol but you can have the freezing rain lol (couldn’t help but poke fun at the first paragraph)!! Thanks for the update and hope that freezing line stays away from Johnson County.
Can’t believe a “sleep” warning has not been posted!!! Mr. Bailey, it appears, should heed his own post!!
30 degrees here in owenton and light freezing rain falling. Everything has a light glaze of ice right now. Could get real messy before long.
From what the radar is showing it looks like the moisture is moving away from the Ashland/Flatwoods area. Will that fill back in or are we in the clear for now. Temp at my house is 31 deg currently!
I was wondering the same thing. I just checked the radar… and there is plenty to our west that looks like it just might reach us overnight. My son has basketball pictures and a game tomorrow morning, so I really need to get to bed. Buuuuuut, I am so curious as to where that line is going to go.
i didnt see anything here at my house until around 2am. when we got up this morn we had a coating of ice on the vehicles and on the tree branches but nothing major!
stepped outside, WOW! getting some ice, can’t stand up without holding on to something. does not appear to be to heavy on trees or lines yet, but coming down at a steady drizzle here in southeast Ohio. Could be a real mess!
Covington region likely a real mess the airport got .19 inches of freezing rain last hour Lexington is 45*F and rising. GFS forecast of icing along I-64 looking like a bust.
Just had a small t’storm blow through a bit ago in Corbin. Sounded like a brief but very heavy downpour, a couple rumbles of thunder and some lightning. Dunno about wind, I didn’t look out.
Spring night here in Rockcastle, muggy and thunderstorms have me wondering just how long i dosed off for?
So happy that this has been pretty much a snowless Winter for Kentucky, Keep the snow north of kentucky!!! God has been good to kentucky this winter. I say bring on Spring, I’m truely happy that the mets got Dec and Jan wrong : ) Have a great weekend : )
Hail, high wind , and rain in Whitley city . It hailed for 5 min !!! Crazy !dime sized .
Lots of lightning and thunder !