Good Friday, folks. We have made it to the last weekend of the year and we are tracking some light snow to end it and bitterly cold air to end it. The bitterly cold air is settling in for the long haul, with the first week of 2018 looking absolutely frigid.
A band of light snow moves in from northwest to southeast this afternoon and evening. That will mainly impact northern and northeastern Kentucky with a few rounds carrying us into Saturday. There’s a VERY fine line between snow and no snow, so it’s a tough call on where the southern edge of the accumulating stuff sets up, but here’s the current thinking…
Again, the weather does not follow lines, so there’s some wiggle room there. The southern edge of the 1″-2″ can easily oscillate a little north or south.
The Canadian continues to be the model of choice, but it’s a littler farther south than I am…
Bitterly cold air crashes in behind this with readings dropping through the teens on Saturday evening. Single digit lows show up for the final morning of the year, with wind chills dipping below zero.
New Year’s Eve can feature a few flurries flying with a very cold wind blowing. Temps will be from 10-15 in many areas as the clock strikes 2018. Readings by Monday morning should range fro 0 to 5 above with Tuesday morning looking the coldest. -5 to +5 numbers should show up with a wind chill much colder.
Deepening troughs continue to drop into the eastern half of the country through the first week of the new year…
That is absolutely a bitterly cold pattern for much of the country. It’s a continuation of the pattern we are in, but on a colder level. Can we get these troughs to produce snow across Kentucky? You have to like the chances, even if the snows have hit all around us early this winter.
I will have updates later today. Have a great Friday and take care.
This weather is brutal.
A big price to pay for a few flakes.
Ol Doc is delighted to be back home again for good. After working 24 years in Norman,Ok. For our government, time to set back sleep late and see what Mrs Mother nature throws at us. As a snow lover too, don’t give up!the winters still young, I’m sure we will snag a descent snow maker yet.
The only positive aspect of this weather pattern today, we get a slight break and some moderation in temperature this afternoon, hopefully a few hours of sunshine.
I’m ready for spring.
Once this cold weather breaks we’re probably going to get about 6″ of rain since it’s going to be so dry for so long.
Its been dry overall for a while. We have had 1 or 2 rain events but thats basically it.
It’s just barely the end of December. Calm down.
Thanks Chris. You know, I have been thinking, given all the variables that have to come together for accumulating snow, it’s a wonder we get any at all here in TN. Trough necessary, but not too strong. Arctic high East but not too far East. Low pressure strong but not too strong, Inland but not too far inland. Hoping the pattern relaxes a tad to give us a better shot in Jan.
The Gulf of Mexico is closed for business unfortunately or maybe not we don’t need an ice event, because that is what we would have when we have shallow cold Arctic air with over running warm air from the Gulf. Which translates into a prolong power failure, so I guess we are lucky there. The weak clippers moving to our north are helping us out by keeping the ice storms away.
Again we may have a shot of snow by mid-week if it’s not to far south that’s supposed to track up the east coast. The pattern gotta change to our favor someday.
Again, please save yourself the disappointment and pay no attention to what any model shows more than 2 days out. They have all proven that a storm (snow) shown a week out will never materialize. Just sayin…
It looks like we’re going to be under that snow dome again this winter. The big stuff will fall all around us, but we’ll get a flurry or two, here and there.
For Dec. 27…
Barrow AK high/low……19/10
Louisville KY high/low…21/8
Both had an average temperature for the day of 15 degrees. Barrow AK still without sun above horizon, yet their temperatures were some 25 degrees above normal while Louisville’s were 21 degrees below normal.
Louisville and Lexington were still above average for the month of December. However, both should slip into below average territory by year’s end.
If it’s frigid at Point Barrow, Alaska, ( well below zero ) would indicate a trough in the Northwest, and Louisville, Kentucky would be basking under a high pressure ridge with above normal temperatures. This pattern shift will happen probably in late January or February, and it can’t come too soon for me. Maybe we can get our usual changeable weather back ?
It is certainly aggravating to see all that moisture coming out of the Pacific Northwest, and we are left out high and dry. I liked last winter better, we didn’t have that much snow, but at lease it wasn’t cold and dry. Bummer
I am no meteorologist but it sure looks like that snow that is Northwest of us is coming right at us. Wishful thinking probably but sure looks that way.
Initial band of precip, maybe. What’s behind it is aiming for central Indiana. Rodger in Dodger
If your location is north and east, you have a decent chance of a Clipper snow maybe 1-2 inches. In my area of the state of Kentucky the sun is shinning, and the temperatures are rising, and winds are out of the southwest, and I am definitely not a meteorologist either, and never will be. I just like to converse about the weather on this great forum.
Thanks. I know what you mean. I love weather. Grew up working on a tobacco farm so I always kept my eye to the sky. Believe me when I tell you, if rain dances really worked, then I am sure I conjured a few up. Lol. Been a casual weather nut ever since.Some of my first weather memories(on tv) were of Frank Faulkner. He was the man..So is Mr. Bailey. Thank you for all the updates.
This maybe something to monitor the 12k NAM and the 3K NAM both models are going with decent snow shower activity for tomorrow mid-morning through mid-afternoon. The snow showers look convective in nature NAM model the only model really showing this. NAM usually is pretty good within 24 hours. I would of thought CB or some met would of tweeted about what the NAM is showing.
Well that something to look forward to.
I guess it is, the NAM only model showing this scenario the GFS nor the Canadian model not showing what the NAM is showing. However the NAM model is the better model within a 24-48 hour window.