This Weekend's System is Taking a Southerly Turn

Good morning Kentucky and happy Saturday! I am so excited for the weekend and hope you are, too. We have an interesting forecast ahead, however, this weekend’s system is taking a southerly turn.

Currently…

First off, this morning’s temperatures are in the low-30s. You may think that’s cold, but the additional northern winds will cool the air even more. Wind chill temperatures will be in the high-20s.

Make sure to bundle up this morning, or stay warm inside and have some hot cocoa.

Breaks in the Clouds on Saturday

Today is going to be pretty cloudy and will stay cold. The temperatures are expected to increase into the mid-30s, the sun may help create some surface heating during cloud breaks but not much. That wind will continue to cool things off as the wind speeds are expected to top out around 11 mph.

Colder temps call for an extra layer of clothing... or 3 (giphy) — Colder temps call for an extra layer of clothing… or 3 (giphy)

This Evening

The trending topic for this weekend is the system that is expected to side-swipe south central Kentucky. The good news is the track of the storm.

The track of the Low-Pressure System (Pivotal Weather GFS-FV3)

The low pressure is now trending on a more southerly track throughout the southeast portion of the US. The strong high-pressure system to the North will drive the Low through the south . This means that the chances for large amounts of snow are lower than they were before. This event is a tough forecast, the models were having a tough time with the track of this system all week. However, since midday yesterday, most models have been trending to this southerly track shown above.

Expected type of precipitation today into tomorrow morning (Pivotal Weather - NAM) — Expected type of precipitation today into tomorrow morning (Pivotal Weather – NAM)

The chances will take place this evening into noon on Sunday. By no means does this rule out any snow chances, just less accumulations for our area.

According to the slides provided by the National Weather Service, south-central Kentucky is looking to receive anywhere from less than an inch to nearly 2 inches of snow.

Some more detail about the precipitation for tonight into Sunday around noon (NWS)

Because of this, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for much of the area, running from 7pm this evening through 11am tomorrow.

Also, sleet is mentioned as being a big probability throughout this event.

Quick lesson about sleet and how it forms…

Rain will start falling from a higher and warmer part of the atmosphere. As the rain begins to fall, the temperatures hit below-freezing temperatures early on. This will result in the frozen rain drops that we call sleet.

This picture gives a great visual on how sleet is formed (NWS)

As the temperatures are at or near freezing, make sure to be cautious while on the roads and leave extra space between your car and the person ahead.

Sunday

Precipitation chances will continue into tomorrow morning and temperatures will rise into the high-30s. The clouds will dissipate as the day goes on, however, the winds will stay strong and keep things on the more chilly side. As the evening approaches tomorrow, the snow chances will decrease and temperatures will drop into the low-20s.

Overall, a Cold and Wet Weekend

The heading says it all. Wear a warm and heavy coat while out running errands and make sure to drive cautiously. Ice accumulations are possible, especially on bridges and other elevated surfaces. Be safe and have a great weekend. Make sure to keep updated with our live weather feed on Twitter @wxornotBG. Have a great day and stay warm out there.