LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – After several days of dreary, damp weather, a break is finally on the horizon for midweek. Outside of a few early morning showers—mainly north of Lexington—most of your Wednesday is shaping up to be dry, with brighter skies breaking through by afternoon. Temperatures will respond nicely, climbing into the mid-to-upper 70s for central and eastern Kentucky.
Warm front to bring a few storms this evening
Later this evening, a warm front will begin lifting across the region from southwest to northeast. As this boundary pushes through overnight, a few stronger thunderstorms could develop, especially across central Kentucky. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed most of our area under a Level 1 out of 5 Severe Risk, highlighting the chance for isolated damaging wind gusts and large hail within the stronger storms. Overnight lows will stay mild, only dipping into the mid-60s.
Heat builds Thursday ahead of severe storm threat
Thursday will bring a noticeable spike in temperatures as warm, humid air surges into the region. Highs will soar into the mid to possibly upper 80s, marking one of our warmest days of the year so far. A strong cap in the atmosphere will likely limit storm development during the day, but the environment will become increasingly unstable heading into Thursday night.
By late Thursday night into early Friday morning, another round of storms is expected to develop and move in from the west. Once again, the SPC has placed all of Kentucky in a Level 1 Severe Risk for Thursday into Thursday night, mainly focused on this late-night timeframe. Large hail appears to be the primary concern overnight, with the possibility of isolated strong wind gusts as well.
Eyes on Friday into Friday night
As we head into Friday, storm chances ramp up significantly. With plenty of warmth, humidity, and wind energy in place, any storms that form Friday afternoon into Friday night could become severe. The SPC has already upgraded much of Kentucky to a Level 2 out of 5 Severe Risk, and that could be adjusted further depending on how Thursday night’s activity evolves.
All modes of severe weather are on the table for Friday, including damaging winds, large hail, and even a tornado or two. Storms may come in several rounds—starting with isolated development in the afternoon and potentially evolving into a more organized complex Friday evening into the night. This setup remains somewhat uncertain, but the potential is there for a high-impact weather event depending on how things unfold…