Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Jackson, KY

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859 FXUS63 KJKL 160605 AAA AFDJKL AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED National Weather Service Jackson KY 205 AM EDT Thu May 16 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - After a lull in shower and thunderstorm chances on Thursday, chances return to close out the week. - Near normal to slightly above normal temperatures are expected to return for Thursday through the middle of next week. && .UPDATE...
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Issued at 155 AM EDT THU MAY 16 2024 Stratus and fog is thickening through the area so have beefed them both up in the grids and issued and SPS. Did also include the latest obs and trends for the T/Td grids with this update. These adjustments have been sent to the NDFD and web servers along with forthcoming set of zones and SAFs. UPDATE Issued at 1217 AM EDT THU MAY 16 2024 Hourly grids have been freshened up based on recent radar, satellite, and radar trends. Fog has developed where there have breaks in the clouds with some low stratus also reported. With additional breaks in the clouds expected overnight, light winds, and small dewpoint depressions, coverage will likely increase and the fog should become dense in some locations. UPDATE Issued at 835 PM EDT WED MAY 15 2024 Hourly grids were updated based on recent observations and radar trends. Overall, with the loss of daytime heating, coverage of showers should wane through late this evening. Following the recent rainfall, any breaks or areas of clearing should promote fog formation, and it is probable this would become dense overnight, especially in valleys.
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&& .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 410 PM EDT WED MAY 15 2024 Isolated to scattered showers and storms will persist across the area through early this evening, before steadily tapering off after dark. The last bits of rain should be exiting to our east late this evening. A couple of counties in our far east may see isolated showers and storms from time to time on Thursday, especially in the late morning to early afternoon time frame, as moisture wraps around the back side of a departing upper level low pressure system. It is this low that will continue to bring rain to parts of the area through late this evening before it moves off to our east overnight. Cloud cover will remain in place through tonight, before finally thinning out on Thursday. We should see partly cloudy skies on Wednesday, which should allow temperatures to warm several degrees higher than today, yielding highs in the upper 70s for most locations around eastern Kentucky. A few spots may even reach 80. Another area of low pressure will approach from the west late Thursday night, and will cause and increase in clouds late Thursday night into early Friday morning. However, we should still see a long enough period of mostly clear skies to allow for small ridge valley temperature split across the area. Nothing drastic, but the differences will likely show up in obs around the area by Friday morning. Most of the models area keeping precipitation out of our area until early to mid-morning Friday. That being said, based on current trends, decided to hold off on introducing precip to our western counties before 12Z Friday. Winds should be light and variable through out the period. We are expecting no weather concerns in the short term. Keep in mind that any thunderstorm could produce cloud to ground lighting at any time along with locally heavy rainfall, so be on the look out if out and about while storms are around this afternoon and this evening and go indoors if you hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, you`re close enough to the parent storm to be hit by a lightning strike. .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 410 PM EDT WED MAY 15 2024 Models are indicating an upper level split flow expected across the CONUS at the start of the period, with the southern portion of the flow having troughiness over the south central CONUS along with an embedded upper low. While there is agreement for the regime to shift east with time, there is not good agreement on how quickly it happens and where the upper low is positioned as it happens. That being the case, a model blend will wash out details, but that is the best that can be done at this point. In the lower levels, initial flow north off the gulf will allow for plenty of moisture availability for the advancing upper level trough/low. However, there is also uncertainty regarding the track/position of any surface low associated with the upper level low. The advancing upper level system will take advantage of moisture availability and produce showers and thunderstorms for our area at times, but only broad brushing can be done for the POP at this point due to uncertainties. It does appear that by Sunday night there should be little if any precip left in our area as whatever semblance of the system that exists departs. A decreasing POP trend will be used for Saturday night and Sunday leading into a dry forecast for Sunday night. Ridging at the surface and aloft then transitions east over the region Sunday night through Monday night, with little if any chance for rain. Beyond this, a shortwave trough aloft is expected to approach and pass over Tuesday night and Wednesday, with the bulk of the wave to our north. This supports a surface cold front which both the GFS and ECMWF pass through our area on Wednesday. Only light precip is generated locally in the models, with the best upper level support weakening and shifting to our north as the system goes by. Won`t carry anything more than chance POP for Tuesday night and Wednesday at this time. && .AVIATION...
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(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) ISSUED AT 205 AM EDT THU MAY 16 2024 Light winds and some breaks in the higher clouds have set the stage for fog down to MVFR and IFR at a few sites, on their way to LIFR or even lower by dawn. All the TAF sites would likely be affected by this in accordance with climo and LAMP guidance. Between 13Z and 15Z, the fog and low stratus will gradually begin to lift and dissipate, with most areas likely to experience VFR by 15Z and once conditions improve to VFR in a location they will persist to end the period. Winds will be light and variable through the this aviation cycle.
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&& .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && $$ UPDATE...GREIF SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM...HAL AVIATION...JP/GREIF