Good Thursday, folks. We’ve had one heck of a run of awesome spring weather, but all good things must come to an end. We have two systems set to impact our weather over the upcoming weekend with a quick-hitting blast of chill to follow.
Today’s weather features temps in the 75-80 degree range with some clouds increasing from the south. That’s where low pressure is finally starting to move out of the Gulf Coast states and could bring a shower or storm into Kentucky later tonight.
Here are your radars to follow along with the action creeping in from the south…
The threat for scattered showers and storms will be with us on Friday, especially across central and eastern Kentucky. That stuff works out of town by early Saturday…
This leads us into a warm and windy Saturday with temps once again in the 75-80 degree range. This is ahead of a strong cold front that works from west to east through early Sunday with colder air rushing in behind this…
Some of the storms along that front could be strong or severe, especially across western Kentucky. This is where the Storm Prediction Center has the best chance for Saturday severe storms…
Temps crash all day on Sunday and reach the 30s by Monday morning. Temps Monday may not get out of the 50s for some, but this shot of cold looks to be out of here by Tuesday and Wednesday as temps soar.
The operational models are going strongly away from what the Ensembles have been showing during this time. The Ensembles have been showing colder than normal numbers, but the medium range operational models suggest 80 is possible again before the week is over.
That could be ahead of another strong storm maker set to follow…
Have a terrific Thursday and take care.
Chris are you thinking we have seen the last of the cold weather after the next week or so??
I think we probably still have a couple cool shots left. I remember 30s for lows in mid-May 2002. Not suggesting that will happen, though. 😉
I also believe that we could see a few sub-freezing days, but nothing prolonged, nor do I see us going deep into the 20’s. I agree that the ensembles are overstated, but that’s something that we’ve seen during the early to mid Spring time-frame, especiallyduring ENSO-Neutral or El Niño conditions. We’ve had a brief lull in severe weather, but I suspect that we will see a resurgence, once temperatures begin to rise.
This has been a tremendous week.
Perfect temperatures without the humidity.
This week might be the best we see and feel for the whole year.
The change to ENSO / neutral conditions has not yet affected atmospheric reactions. The Pacific still displaying below normal SST along the West Coast. I expect a return to a stormy weather pattern, which would not be that unusual. Due to a low relative humidity and dewpoint here lately in my area, the growing season has gotten off to a slow start.
speaking of cold shots, keep in mind we still got dogwood and blackberry winters sometime later this month or in May. Just a thought
The Redbuds came out early and froze last month. The Dogwood bracts ( leaves ) are just beginning to show in my area. Blackberries bloom in late May and June and we always have a cool period then.
My mom use to talk about those winters. I didn’t know what she was talking about but I do now. Did Chris say he thought a Warmer than (normal) whatever that is now Summer. I will have to go back and read.
An ‘ El Nino Watch ‘ has been posted by NOAA ( May- July time period. ) Was just release today. It gave the phenomenon a 62% chance of development in region Nino 3.4. I hope this happens as this will give Kentucky a better chance for Snowstorms this coming Fall and Winter.
Hope your right Schroeder, our last 4 winters have been duds.
If you look back, all the major Snowstorms in Kentucky have occured when El Nino was in charge of the Pacific, however I’ve seen some sizeable Snowstorms in La Nina Winters, but that was years ago.
I’ve copied a link below to the April ENSO bulletin that was released today. The warm-up of the eastern equatorial Pacific waters off the coast of South America has been dramatic. The warming waters are already making their presence known, in the form of changes in the trade winds speed and direction, which will negatively affect hurricane development in the equatorial Atlantic, during the Summer/Fall hurricane season.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml
The 83-degree temperature at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport at 4 PM today broke the all-time record high for April 13th of 82 set way back in 1941.
The humidity is almost at a desert-like level of 19%, with dew points only around 40 degrees. Fortunately, the winds are blowing gently so there’s not much of a fire danger.