LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Happy Wednesday! After several strong storms rolled through the area on Tuesday, we lose the severe threat but keep the rain chances around for your Wednesday. A stalled out frontal boundary has parked itself over Kentucky. This will keep off and on rain chances in the forecast on Wednesday, especially south and east…
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Happy Wednesday! After several strong storms rolled through the area on Tuesday, we lose the severe threat but keep the rain chances around for your Wednesday. A stalled out frontal boundary has parked itself over Kentucky. This will keep off and on rain chances in the forecast on Wednesday, especially south and east of Lexington ahead of where the front is stalled out. Temperatures today will struggle to get out of the mid-70s in most locations as dense cloud cover will be around for most of the day. Attention after today turns to the impacts from Helene which will be making landfall in Florida on Thursday, likely as a major (cat. 3 or stronger) hurricane.
Far southeastern Kentucky will need to be watched for a band of rain and storms setting up late tonight and into Friday. This will be well ahead of Hurricane Helene, but will still be influenced by tropical moisture associated with the storm. Some of the data keeps the far northern edge of this band of rain sitting over the far southeastern Kentucky areas. It’s going to be a close call, as the heaviest of the rain is expected to remain to our south. Lexington and surrounding areas will just see a few showers on Thursday, with most of the rain remaining well to the south.
As the system races inland Thursday night into Friday, it is expected to be making a turn to the northwest potentially moving over our area. This system will likely be a tropical depression by this time, or even a remnant low by this point. Regardless, the National Hurricane Center does have areas south and west of Lexington included in forecast cone. This is a change from yesterday, shifting a bit further southwest. Breezy conditions and rain is in the forecast for Friday. There is still some uncertainty with the exact track of the system though. Some of the data does suggest it may move a bit to our east, while other forecast models do move the low right over our area.
The system will be pinwheeling or pivoting around the upper level low that I previously mentioned. This upper level low will likely be sitting over Missouri/northern Arkansas as the remnants of the tropical system pivot around it. This is before the remnants of the tropical system are eventually absorbed by the upper level though. The upper level low will slowly be moving across the Ohio Valley over the weekend and likely even into early next week. This will keep rain showers in the forecast through at least Monday and possibly into Tuesday of next week. This will also limit our temperatures as we are expected to stay near-to-below normal temperature-wise during that time frame.
Stay with the ABC 36 Storm Team for more updates.
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with off and on showers with a few storms. Highs in the mid-70s.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with rain developing to the southeast. Lows in the low-to-mid 60s.
THURSDAY: Overcast skies with rain to the south and east. Highs in the low 70s.