Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Louisville, KY
Issued by NWS Louisville, KY
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496 FXUS63 KLMK 161134 AFDLMK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Louisville KY 634 AM EST Sun Nov 16 2025 ...Updated Aviation Discussion... .KEY MESSAGES... * Sunny and cooler today, with very dry air this afternoon and 10-20 mph winds from the northwest. * Chilly start Monday morning, with lows in the upper 20s and lower 30s. * Unsettled weather next week resulting in multiples waves of rain Tuesday through Friday. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... Issued at 353 AM EST Sun Nov 16 2025 The cold front has just about cleared all of central KY, with winds now veering westerly at the Clinton County KY Mesonet site. We just have a few very light rain showers lingering in the Lake Cumberland area. Temperatures range from the mid 50s in southern IN to the mid 60s in southern KY. Low-level cold air advection will accelerate through the remainder of the morning hours. Breezy NW flow will pull much cooler, drier air into the region today into tonight. Temperatures will continue to fall steadily into the mid 40s to mid 50s by mid-morning. Temperatures should rebound slightly into the mid 50s to lower 60s for highs with the aid of full sun. As mentioned, 10-20 mph NW flow in the lower levels will advect much drier air into the region today. And with slightly deeper mixing during the afternoon, we should mix down even drier air aloft. Afternoon RH values are forecast to crash into the 15-25% range. Very dry, somewhat breezy conditions could lead to an elevated fire risk despite the cooler temps. Area RAWS sites observed 10-hr fuel moisture dipped to around 10% Saturday afternoon, and given herbaceous fuels have cured due to a previous hard freeze, there appears to be some concern for an elevated fire danger. High pressure continues to build in from the northwest tonight, allowing winds to diminish after sunset. Clear skies and lighter winds will lead to a chilly night. Look for Monday morning lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s. Monday will again feature mostly sunny skies and very dry lower levels. Afternoon highs will be in the 50s, with minimum RH values dipping below 25% in most areas. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 353 AM EST Sun Nov 16 2025 Monday night - Tuesday night... A compact upper level shortwave trough and weak sfc reflection are forecast to swing east from the central Plains across the Mid- Mississippi Valley Monday night into Tuesday. A robust SW low-level jet will provide enhanced lift and moisture transport just ahead of the wave. Forecast soundings show top-down moistening, with the column mostly saturated by early to mid-morning Tuesday. Fairly widespread light to moderate showers are expected across southern IN and central KY on Tuesday. Decent mid-level lapse rates should yield at least weak elevated instability, supporting a chance for embedded thunderstorms. A warm front will likely set up west to east in the vicinity of central KY Tue as the weak sfc low moves over MO. Strong lower level WAA across this boundary will yield a large SW to NE temperature gradient. After a cool start to the day, temperatures will eventually climb into the mid/upper 50s in the Bluegrass Region. Meanwhile, Bowling Green and Russellville could top out near 70 degrees. Scattered to numerous showers will likely continue into Tuesday night, with lows in the 50s. Wednesday - Saturday... Rain chances linger into Wednesday due to a quasi-stationary boundary left behind by the Tue wave. However, any rainfall would be much lighter on Wednesday with weaker forcing in place. Upper level ridging sets up over the eastern CONUS downstream of a deep upper level trough over the Desert Southwest. Our weather is likely to remain unsettled through the remainder of the week. Additional SW flow moisture transport into the stalled boundary could yield additional rounds of rainfall Wednesday night and Thursday. Deep W/SW flow will remain in place downstream of the southern system. The upper level trough is forecast to eject northeast with sfc wave development and occlusion possible over the central CONUS by Friday. This system may very well bring strong forcing and deep moisture transport to the Ohio Valley before a cold frontal passage sometime Friday into Saturday. Overall, the pattern next week appears conducive to a pretty good swath of rainfall through the Ohio Valley. Rainfall totals of 1-3 inches are possible Monday night through next Saturday. However, forecast confidence remains relatively low in the details, especially rainfall amounts beyond Tuesday. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... Issued at 633 AM EST Sun Nov 16 2025 VFR conditions expected. Mostly clear skies today with just a few cirrus. NW winds will be somewhat breezy in the wake of the cold front, with occasional gusts of 15-20 kts possible 14-22Z. Winds will diminish after 22Z as high pressure builds in from the northwest. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...None. IN...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...EBW LONG TERM...EBW AVIATION...EBW