Good Wednesday to one and all. Heat and humidity are back in the bluegrass state and may be accompanied by a round of strong to severe storms. This steamy setup will kick into high gear once we get into the upcoming weekend as temps soar even higher.
As always, we start with the precious present.
There’s the chance for early day scattered storms across the south and east, so keep that in mind.
Heat and humidity are combining to to bring a heat index into the 100-107 range across the western half of the state. Areas farther east will have to settle for 95-100 for a heat index. Actual temps are in the 90s.
A weak front drops in this evening and will have a line of thunderstorms with it. Some of these storms may be strong or severe through the wee hours of Thursday. Damaging wind and large hail are the main threats, but I can’t rule out a quick tornado spin up or two. The Storm Prediction Center has much of the area in the risk for severe storms…
I have no big changes on where we go from here as the steam really kicks in for the weekend…
THURSDAY
- Temps come down a bit as a cold front works through the region.
- Highs are in the upper 80s to near 90 much of central and eastern Kentucky.
- 90-95 hangs on in the west.
- A few showers and storms may linger into the morning hours.
FRIDAY
- Temps reach the low 90s east with middle and upper 90s far west.
- Humidity levels make it feel 95-100 east and 100-105 west.
- There’s a small chance for a popcorn shower or storm.
SATURDAY
- This looks like the hottest day of the bunch.
- Highs reach the mid and upper 90s for much of central and eastern Kentucky.
- The west makes a run at 100 degrees.
- Heat index values are firmly into the danger category ranging from 100-115 across the state.
- There’s a small chance for a shower or storm to pop up.
SUNDAY
- Temps are similar to the Saturday numbers but may come down just a touch.
- The heat index is still in the danger category.
- Some showers and storms fire up late in the day.
The pattern then becomes more active as we get into early next week. A series of systems then drop in from the northwest, bringing an increased chance for some big clusters of showers and storms…
EURO
CANADIAN
That has the look of a strong storm and potential flash flood maker.
I will have the latest on WKYT-TV starting at 4pm. As always, I have y’all hooked up to track today’s action…
Current watches
Possible Watch Areas
Have a great Wednesday and take care.
It was another hot one in Bowling Green, with the temperature topping out at 92°F and a Heat Index reading of 106° The question “how hot is it” has been on everyone’s lips. The answer is Very, and the following stats help prove that out:
● In an average year, Bowling Green experiences 47 days of 90°F or above.
● We’re at the halfway point of
“Meteorological Summer” (June through August, and we’ve already logged 40 days of 90°F and above!
By this time in 2021, there had only been 20 days of 90°F or above.
So much for the long distance models that forecasted below normal temps.
I hope I will receive some rain tonight.
I don’t have complete access to weather statistics except what the Kentucky Mesonet says. The highest temperature in July so far has been 97 degrees and precipitation at 2.54.
these airport thermometers BUG me!! On a super hot day…what’s going to be the hottest area? Probably the downtown area of a city or an airport…If not for the mesonet in Lexington (which is not really in a rural area), I would have just taken the airport temp as gospel…but when Bluegrass airport is 91 and the mesonet is 87….it makes you go hmmmm? That KLEX temp is the temp that is being reported in the records…as is the case with all other airports…It makes me wonder when I’m looking at the national temp map…am I really seeing accurate temps?
the airport temps bug me….especially since we have the mesonet to compare with the airport temps. Remember, the mesonet in Lexington is near Fayette mall I think..which isn’t really a rural area…anyway…if the mesonet says it’s 87 and yet the airport says it’s 91…which is it? Obviously the airport temp is the one that goes in the record books…How many 90+ degrees days has Lexington had that may in fact have not actually been 90+ degree days. Then…with that… I wonder if it’s the same thing all over the US…when we look at the national temp maps, are all of those airport temps skewed hotter or something too? I mean, I know it’s HOT… but if it’s recorded a high of 95 when it was actually 91… that’s crazy!
Mark, when I read your post I looked at the current temperature and it read 73 degrees the same as the Taylor County Airport. Most of Taylor County is considered rural so I guess the temperatures are the same because of that.
Only a 40% chance of thunderstorm coverage in my local forecast but, I would be happy just to see Cumulous clouds in the afternoon to keep the high temperature below the forecast high of 95 degrees.
Not only we been having the heat spells, notice the tropic’s has been very quite so far it be interesting if it picks up in August.
I would be very surprised if the Tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean remain inactive through late Autumn. Usually, there is only inactivity during El Nino Summers, but there always a chance of inactivity in La Nina Summers. This would be rare.
There certainly hasn’t been any extreme heat here in the Chicago area this month. In fact, temperatures are averaging a bit below normal. At the official reporting station at O’Hare Airport, the average temp so far this month is 74.9 degrees, which is 0.7 degrees below normal. There have only been two 90-degree days so far in the month, with precipitation at 2.41 inches.
Sounds like your having a nice Summer Mike. I hoping and praying this Heat Wave we are having will come to an end soon with lots of rain.
Hope everyone is safe and sound tonight.
If East KY get a anything near 6-7 inches of rain over the next few days, we are in major trouble.
God bless you guys. I hope we are spared the awful rain totals.
Fmn