Good afternoon, folks. Rounds of rain continue to roll across the bluegrass state, bringing the potential for local high water issues. I’m a littler more concerned about this potential than earlier, especially in the southeast. As our storm slowly moves by later Friday, a switch to some wet snow is still in the cards for some.
After that, we focus on the next system later in the Christmas weekend.
As always, let’s start with the system upon us. My thoughts really haven’t budged all week long:
Round of heavy rain will put down 1″-3″ rains across the eastern half of the state. Local high water issues are very possible, especially across the southeast. Watch those water levels!
Winds will increase and gusts may reach 30mph-35mph at times.
Cold air gets pulled in behind our departing storm on Friday. That means a mix of wet snow and rain then a switch to a period of wet snow for parts of central and eastern Kentucky.
Some light accumulations are possible, but the wet ground is gonna put up a fight to melt those falling flakes.
Watch for a few slick spots to develop Friday night and Saturday morning. All this rain and temps in the 20s will make for some icy spots.
I mentioned the high water potential showing up a little better than before. Check out the additional rainfall amounts from the GFS…
That has some 2″-3″ amounts in the southeast.
The NAM also has some 2″ amounts…
With a soaked ground and no vegetation, it doesn’t take much to cause high water issues in the mountains!
As far as the switch to wet snow and a few snow showers late Friday into Friday night, the NAM Fam isn’t budging on light, slushy accumulations…
NAM
Hi Res NAM
The GFS is in more of a Grinch mood…
Those higher elevations in southeastern Kentucky have the best chance to pick up on accumulating snow. There’s an outside chance for a quick thumper in the high ground there.
The next system arriving Sunday into Sunday night should bring a period of light rain and light snow to the area…
There could be a similar system arriving later Christmas Day.
Another big storm system is likely to move through here a few days after Christmas on Thursday. It’s the period after that next weekend that has my attention. My winter storm spidey senses are telling me to watch that period into New Year’s. Those spidey senses are 2 for 2 on the young season.
I will have the latest on WKYT starting at 4pm and another update on KWC later this evening. Until then, here are your soggy Thursday trackers…
It’s been 40 years since that infamous blizzard that we experience back in Janurary 1978. I wonder if that’s going to be a once lifetime experience or will we experience it again. Does anyone on this blog remember the blizzard?
Terry on December 20, 2018 at 1:31 pm
I wasnt born yet but survived the SE KY shut down 1993 blizzard…..loved it!
Debbie on December 20, 2018 at 1:47 pm
Yep! I was 16. I remember it coming in that evening with mainly wind and some snow(I live in Nelson Co.) and the power went off around 10pm and it just got reallllly cold, so we piled blankets on the bed and I slept w/ my Mom (just DON’T…lol! It was freakin’ COLD in that old house we lived in!!!)to keep warm. Next morning, a good friend of the family that lived up the road called and said his wife needed to go to the hospital and the ambulance had gotten stuck at the bottom of the big hill leading to his house (a very curvy one-lane backroad that ended at his place). My grandpa got in his Scout and went up there and pushed the EMS up the hill, then followed it back out to the main highway and another 6 miles to the hospital. Our friend had had a bad seizure while on the phone w/ her daughter which turned out to be a brain tumor. (She had surgery a couple days later and did very well for another 30 years! 🙂 ) That winter -or the one in ’77-I think BOTH?!- were great winters for missing like almost 2 straight months of school!!! 🙂
feederband on December 20, 2018 at 1:54 pm
I made a very big snow fort that was awesome. Had plenty of snow and cold air to make it last for over a week. I think we were out of school for over two weeks. Grandma made snow cream when we came in from playing in the snow to warm up. Fun times for us but hard times for others.
I remember both 1977 and 1978. Everyone talks about ’78 but ’77 was really bad too. I was a senior in HS. We went back one day after Christmas and missed the remainder of January. Our water was frozen for six weeks, missed four weeks of basketball games, and being out of school for one month in the dead of winter ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. that was the beginnings of my hatred of snow, which continues to this day.
TennMark on December 20, 2018 at 5:09 pm
I wasn’t born until the 80s, but I’ve read much about both winters you describe. It actually snowed in Miami on one morning in January 1977. The winter of 1977-78 set so many snow records from Boston to Dallas/Ft Worth. One of our neighbors said that early 1978 had so many snow days in Nashville that schools had to tack on extra hours each day during much of the spring to catch up which must had been a drag.
I was about nine in Morristown TN when the March 93 blizzard struck… by far the most impressive winter event I have ever experienced!!
Debbie on December 20, 2018 at 5:18 pm
Kim, I was saying I thought ’77 was worse, because I remember being off for Christmas break and going back to school on Jan. 2 and it was either that day or the 3rd, we got to leave school early because snow had moved in, and we had snow(BIG snow!) about every other day for a month and a half. I think we had about 3-4 days of school the whole time…we’d go back for one day, be off the next week, go back and get off early that day, etc etc. then another 4-5 days. Instead of waiting for the news in the mornings for school closings, I’d listen to local radio every afternoon for the next day! 🙂
Terry on December 20, 2018 at 1:29 pm
Getting slammed with a decent rainfall rate in Harlan for hours now. May need a flood watch but probably want get one.
TennMark on December 20, 2018 at 5:04 pm
My office at work is an interior room. I generally would prefer looking out at the weather but on wet cold dreary days like this it’s just as well I can’t see the depressing conditions 😉 .
Jimbo on December 20, 2018 at 3:04 pm
I remember the 78′ blizzard well. That storm and the entire Winter that year is why I came to really love snow/Winter. Even though the Winter of 95/96 produced way more snow, 106 inches to 1978’s 78 inches, which is the second most snow on record. I still think I enjoyed 78 more. Because I was only in junior high and we were out of school a lot that year.
BengalFan on December 20, 2018 at 3:41 pm
11 degrees to warm!!!!!
Dr wx on December 20, 2018 at 5:03 pm
I also remember the 78 Blizzard as well along with the other comments I remember Brad James on WKYT tv here in Lexington about how low the Barometric Pressure was and him relating it to a “Winter Hurricane “
Yes. at the time it was the lowest Barometric pressure that ever been recorded. I’m not sure it still stands today as the record. The mighty Ohio river froze up that winter too the only time it has done so. People would on walk on the ice that’s how brutle cold it was.
TennMark on December 20, 2018 at 5:45 pm
IIRC, early 1978 was only like the third time in recorded history that the Mississippi River had at least some ice flowing by New Orleans into the Gulf of Mexico! I don’t think it’s happened since.
It’s been 40 years since that infamous blizzard that we experience back in Janurary 1978. I wonder if that’s going to be a once lifetime experience or will we experience it again. Does anyone on this blog remember the blizzard?
I wasnt born yet but survived the SE KY shut down 1993 blizzard…..loved it!
Yep! I was 16. I remember it coming in that evening with mainly wind and some snow(I live in Nelson Co.) and the power went off around 10pm and it just got reallllly cold, so we piled blankets on the bed and I slept w/ my Mom (just DON’T…lol! It was freakin’ COLD in that old house we lived in!!!)to keep warm. Next morning, a good friend of the family that lived up the road called and said his wife needed to go to the hospital and the ambulance had gotten stuck at the bottom of the big hill leading to his house (a very curvy one-lane backroad that ended at his place). My grandpa got in his Scout and went up there and pushed the EMS up the hill, then followed it back out to the main highway and another 6 miles to the hospital. Our friend had had a bad seizure while on the phone w/ her daughter which turned out to be a brain tumor. (She had surgery a couple days later and did very well for another 30 years! 🙂 ) That winter -or the one in ’77-I think BOTH?!- were great winters for missing like almost 2 straight months of school!!! 🙂
I made a very big snow fort that was awesome. Had plenty of snow and cold air to make it last for over a week. I think we were out of school for over two weeks. Grandma made snow cream when we came in from playing in the snow to warm up. Fun times for us but hard times for others.
I remember both 1977 and 1978. Everyone talks about ’78 but ’77 was really bad too. I was a senior in HS. We went back one day after Christmas and missed the remainder of January. Our water was frozen for six weeks, missed four weeks of basketball games, and being out of school for one month in the dead of winter ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. that was the beginnings of my hatred of snow, which continues to this day.
I wasn’t born until the 80s, but I’ve read much about both winters you describe. It actually snowed in Miami on one morning in January 1977. The winter of 1977-78 set so many snow records from Boston to Dallas/Ft Worth. One of our neighbors said that early 1978 had so many snow days in Nashville that schools had to tack on extra hours each day during much of the spring to catch up which must had been a drag.
I was about nine in Morristown TN when the March 93 blizzard struck… by far the most impressive winter event I have ever experienced!!
Kim, I was saying I thought ’77 was worse, because I remember being off for Christmas break and going back to school on Jan. 2 and it was either that day or the 3rd, we got to leave school early because snow had moved in, and we had snow(BIG snow!) about every other day for a month and a half. I think we had about 3-4 days of school the whole time…we’d go back for one day, be off the next week, go back and get off early that day, etc etc. then another 4-5 days. Instead of waiting for the news in the mornings for school closings, I’d listen to local radio every afternoon for the next day! 🙂
Getting slammed with a decent rainfall rate in Harlan for hours now. May need a flood watch but probably want get one.
My office at work is an interior room. I generally would prefer looking out at the weather but on wet cold dreary days like this it’s just as well I can’t see the depressing conditions 😉 .
I remember the 78′ blizzard well. That storm and the entire Winter that year is why I came to really love snow/Winter. Even though the Winter of 95/96 produced way more snow, 106 inches to 1978’s 78 inches, which is the second most snow on record. I still think I enjoyed 78 more. Because I was only in junior high and we were out of school a lot that year.
11 degrees to warm!!!!!
I also remember the 78 Blizzard as well along with the other comments I remember Brad James on WKYT tv here in Lexington about how low the Barometric Pressure was and him relating it to a “Winter Hurricane “
Yes. at the time it was the lowest Barometric pressure that ever been recorded. I’m not sure it still stands today as the record. The mighty Ohio river froze up that winter too the only time it has done so. People would on walk on the ice that’s how brutle cold it was.
IIRC, early 1978 was only like the third time in recorded history that the Mississippi River had at least some ice flowing by New Orleans into the Gulf of Mexico! I don’t think it’s happened since.