Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Jackson, KY
Issued by NWS Jackson, KY
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371 FXUS63 KJKL 190208 AFDJKL AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Jackson KY 908 PM EST Tue Nov 18 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - An area of low pressure and its trailing cold front will track through the Ohio Valley and bring widespread rain chances to the region tonight. - Active weather continues through the end of the work week, with a seasonably mild and moist airmass in place. && .UPDATE... Issued at 908 PM EST TUE NOV 18 2025 No major changes made to the forecast grids as the forecast is on track. Did some housekeeping of early overnight text and radio products to remove stale wording. Grids have been saved and sent. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 425 PM EST TUE NOV 18 2025 Late this afternoon, an upper low was nearing the Chicago area with a lead shortwave tracking through portions of OH and eastern KY at this time while another shortwave was over the mid MS Valley vicinity. Further southwest and west, an upper level ridge was centered in the western Gulf with ridging extending northwest and north into the Plains. At the surface, a warm front extended across the Commonwealth from low pressure moving into the Lower oH valley and the boundary bisected the JKL CWA with temperatures in the low 40s north of the Mtn Parkway and temperatures in the upper 60s to around 70 along the TN border. Convection was ongoing across northern sections of eastern KY west into western KY, IL, and MO. Some lighting was embedded within the showers in eastern KY. This evening and tonight, the initial shortwave trough will depart early this evening while the upper low continues to weaken to an open wave as it treks to the mid Atlantic states and the trailing shortwave trough crossing eastern KY this evening into the overnight. Behind this trough the upper ridge axis will move east to the MS Valley and then into the Gulf to southeast to MS and TN Valley. A trend of rising heights is progged from late tonight through Wednesday. The axis of this ridge shifts across the area through the end of the period and height tendencies late in the period should be neutral to falling a bit. Meanwhile multiple sfc waves are progged to move east along the boundary with the first crossing the northern portions of the area to the mid Atlantic states tonight and the second moving into central to eastern KY late tonight and into early on Wednesday. The frontal zone will gradually sag south into eastern KY late tonight and eventually south of the area Wednesday afternoon and evening. Instability over eastern KY is very limited, but will be best in the southwest near the TN border. MUCAPE per the RAP may reach as high as 200 to 600 J/kg. Shear is ample, however, with bulk shear of 50 to 60KT. Mid level lapse rates per RAP runs reach the 6 to 7C/km range briefly for a couple hours either side of 00Z or 8 PM EST. SPC has western and southwestern portions of the area in a Marginal Risk for severe weather and hail and perhaps strong wind gusts will be the main risks in quick moving storms. With storms to the west and northwest arriving into the region around or after sunset, that is also a limiting factor. Thunder chances decrease by late evening into the overnight hours and showers should also decrease in coverage behind the shortwave. Temperatures will remain mild in the low to mid 40s to mid 50s for lows tonight. As the night progresses, stratus build down may lead to reduced visibilities fog in the northern half of the area. Wednesday into Wednesday night, near the boundary and the passing surface wave, showers or areas of rain will possible Wednesday to Wednesday evening. Temperatures will again be milder in the south ahead of the boundary for highs on Wednesday. Lows for Wednesday night will again be milder, in the mid 40s to around 50. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday) Issued at 204 PM EST TUE NOV 18 2025 At the open of the long term period Thursday, models and ensembles depict 2 areas of low pressure, upstream from Kentucky. One of the upper-level lows are located over the Southwest U.S. and the other over the Ozarks area. Through Thursday both progress east across the Central Plains. A warm front will move across Eastern Kentucky through Thursday leading to showers through the afternoon and isolated to scattered thunderstorms Thursday evening and overnight. Storms are not expected to be severe. By Friday morning, the warm front that was over the area yesterday is modeled to become a stationary front, continuing to provide showers to the area. Morning thunderstorms may be possible, but they are not expected to be severe. With any thunderstorm, strong and erratic gusty winds are possible under or around them. Saturday morning, A cold front in the Ohio Valley from a passing Canadian low will help progress the stationary front sitting over Kentucky. This will lead to showers and thunderstorms tapering off in coverage in in the afternoon-evening. Sunday should be pretty quiet with the Saturday system exiting overnight. Leading to partly cloudy skies and dry conditions. Another upper low over the Southwest U.S. will move into the Ozarks overnight Monday and bring another chance of rain to the area Tuesday. Model spread has decreased some toward the end of the forecast period. In general temperatures will remain in the mid to upper 60s for most of the area Thursday through Saturday. Afterwards, seasonable temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s return to the area. At night, lows Thursday and Friday night will remain in the 50s. With a cold front expected to move through Saturday, lows will range in the upper 30s to low 40s both Saturday and Sunday nights. Lows gradually recover beyond that, in the mid 40s. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) ISSUED AT 640 PM EST TUE NOV 18 2025 Mostly VFR conditions are prevailing across all TAF sites. However, widespread showers and storms are creating brief reductions in category when over a terminal but the terminal quickly bounces back to VFR once the shower moves off. This will persist through the remainder of the evening as a weak boundary moves through the area; however, behind the boundary, CIGS are forecast to fall into categorical LIFR after 06Z beginning at KSYM and moving south over the next couple of hours. Terminals will stay LIFR through the remainder of the overnight with very slow improvement expected through Wednesday morning. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ UPDATE...VORST SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM...GINNICK AVIATION...VORST