Good Wednesday, everyone. The pattern we are entering into pattern that’s about as extreme as I’ve ever seen for any time of year. The setup from Friday through early next week is straight out of winter and it has the potential to bring us some of the coldest temps ever recorded in the month of May. There’s even an outside chance for some snow with the Friday system.
Let’s begin with today and roll forward.
Leftover showers will be around, especially early on…
I’m wondering if Big Black Mountain can see a few flakes out of this today. Hmmm
Highs today are mainly in the 50s as skies try to brighten from northwest to southeast. This clearing sky will set the stage for some patchy frost tonight across central and eastern Kentucky as temps hit the 30s.
Thursday afternoon is pretty good with a mix of sun and clouds and temps in the 60-65 degree range.
Friday finds and interesting storm system rolling from west to east across the lower Ohio Valley. This has quite a bit of cold air to work with as it dives in behind our low. For the most part, this looks like a very cold rain around here, but there is the chance for a quick drop in temps on the northern and western edge of the low. That shows up well on the NAM…
Check out the swath of snow showing up on that same run of the NAM…
The GFS is very similar…
Whether it turns out to be like that or just few flakes… Any kind of flake action that shows up in May is historic.
The Euro isn’t as excited about the flake chance as it’s American model friends…
Friday night has then turns clear and absolutely frigid. Saturday morning has a real chance to become the coldest May morning on record for many areas. Lows can drop deep into the 20s…
Agricultural interests may take a massive hit from this hard freeze and another freeze that may follow that up Sunday morning.
After one more shot of cold coming in late Monday and Tuesday, we look to come out of this mess pretty quickly. Highs by next Thursday may reach the upper 70s and low 80s…
I will have another update coming your way later today. Until then, make it a great day and take care.
2020 will be definitely be remembered as historic. Is it possible that at the end of this year, that historians will be comparing 2020 to 1930?
I’m almost 70 years old and have seen snow flurries in May here in Southern Ohio. Chris is to young to remember back in the early 60’s when we had a hard freeze in the 20’s and it kill a lot of leaves that had just come out. There were no hickory nuts or acorns hardly at all. Squirrels were eating corn off the standing stalks of corn in the fields. They were that hungry. It has happen before. I know, I saw it.
This all happen in the month of May what I said.
The Squirrels were eating the corn in July.
The Squirrels were eating the corn in July not May.
If this freeze happens Bus, Not only Squirrels will suffer, Wild Turkey as well. These two species of animals depend on Acorns and Hickory nuts for food and not the GMO corn they grow now days.
Yes your right.
Thanks Chris, I don’t know for sure, but this Spring’s weather is similar to May and June 1976. I remember July 4th, 1976 with America’s 200 birthday, the temperature that day topped out at a scorching 105 degrees in southwest Indiana. An “old fashion July 4th” folks were saying “hot as a firecracker.” Those that are old enough to remember the Fall and Winter 1976-1977 was the coldest and snowiest Fall and winter in recent history. We shall see what Fall and Winter 2020-21 will bring ?
Thanks, Mr Bailey!
Sunday’s radar indicated only too well the very impressive bow echo approaching Nashville. Sure enough, a gust was clocked at 73 mph. But finally got power back! At the peak, 130,000 customers were without power which is a much larger number than from the March 2 tornado. Thankfully, other than some minor tree damage, no real property issues. Oh, kudos to electric crews from Kentucky (and other states and other parts of Tennessee) that a`s`s`i`s`t`e`d Nashville Electric Service while contending not only with COVID-19 but also with additional bad weather.
When the potentially historic cold arrives 🙁 , at least we will finally be able to turn on the furnace 😉 .
NWS Nashville link about the May 3 derecho.
https://www.weather.gov/ohx/20200503
I think the term “derecho” is overused by the public, but the NWS in Nashville is saying:
“Early indications are that this windstorm will be considered a “derecho”, which is a unique form of MCS that causes major wind damage over hundreds of miles”
Fine with me…
To clarify, no real damage on my own property other than some tree issues. Other property owners in town were not so fortunate. Including a large tree about a half mile away that toppled onto and damaged one end of a house.
Glad you and your Family are safe Mark. A close call though. That was a well defined “bow echo.” I followed that storm as it moved out of southern Missouri Sunday. I only been through one derecho and that was back in the 1960’s in south central Indiana.
Thanks, Schroeder. Being safe is of course the main thing. But also glad to report the relatively small, aging generator we acquired second hand worked well enough during the outage to save us a small fortune in refrigerated/frozen food!
Although I was too far south to be affected, I followed the impressive summertime 2012 derecho. It produced a gust front (visible on radar) with destructive winds well ahead of the actual storm!
I always feel like we are just one week away from some sort of relief in the extreme weather pattern.
We had a power outage on a bright beautiful day about a week ago and yesterday we had an early morning thunderstorm with lots of lightning that took out our county water pump but fortunately no power failure. Sure has been a “freaked up” year. And if it snows and freeze warnings are posted that will cap this insanity.