Frosty mornings are in store for you here in the Bluegrass over the next few days

It definitely felt like mid-October in central and eastern Kentucky on Tuesday, with windy and chilly conditions once again. A high elevation system descending through the Ohio Valley kept the clouds aloft and even provided a few scattered showers and a rumble of thunder or two. Add to that the brisk northwest wind at 10 to 15 miles per hour, and temperatures struggled to reach highs of over 50 degrees in the afternoon, a good 15 degrees below average for this time of year. In fact, some spots dipped back into the upper 40s as the air cooled where the showers passed through. Some of the heavy showers included “sleet,” a form of soft hail caused by supercooled water droplets that typically occurs in the cool season.

As the upper system moves quickly eastward into the night sky, skies will clear and winds should ease enough for frost to develop across the region by Wednesday morning. A freeze warning is in effect for all of central and eastern Kentucky, with morning lows expected to fall into the low to mid 30s. As the growing season quickly comes to an end, consider covering any plants you want to hold onto for a little longer or bringing them indoors if possible.

High air pressure is building up from the west, which will ensure the sun returns on Wednesday. However, with a cool air mass overall, afternoon highs are only expected to rebound into the low 60s, leaving us below the mid-October average for the next few days.

Our best chance of a widespread freeze affecting the entire region should be Thursday morning as high pressure is literally directly overhead. This creates optimal conditions with radiative cooling (clear skies and light winds) so that early morning minimum temperatures fall below 30 degrees and some of the outlying areas fall below freezing. The high pressure area will drift eastward late in the week with more sunshine expected. As a slight backdraft begins, temperatures will rebound significantly on Thursday and Friday, with highs rising back into the 60s in the afternoon.

The upcoming weekend seems to be perfect for this time of year as the weather conditions remain calm. Expect more sunshine in the area, with afternoon highs rising back into the low 70s. This should be ideal for all outdoor activities and with the fall festivals in full swing in central and eastern Kentucky, make some plans and enjoy the pleasant weather as it lasts well into next week.

ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
TUESDAY EVENING: Clear skies and cold, frost expected. Lows in the lower 30s.
WEDNESDAY: Lots of sunshine, still cool. Highs in the mid 50s.
WEDNESDAY EVENING: Clear and frosty again. Lows in the lower 30s