Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Louisville, KY

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462 FXUS63 KLMK 201938 AFDLMK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Louisville KY 338 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024 .KEY MESSAGES...
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* Heat continues for the end of the week into the weekend with near-record highs for some locations Friday into Sunday. * Scattered showers and storms possible Sunday, and again by the middle of next week.
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&& .SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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Issued at 338 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024 Center of the anomalous 500mb ridge will continue to slowly retrograde westward over the Commonwealth tonight into tomorrow as the region remains under the influence of strong 1020-1024mb sfc high. Temperatures were already near 90 as of 3pm EDT and when you factored in current dew points in the upper 60s/low 70s the heat index values were already in the low and in some places the mid 90s. Current visible satellite imagery shows a nice scattered to broken Cu field over the region but looking at current SDF ACAR soundings there is a strong capping inversion at 800mb and strong subsidence aloft. Given these conditions, don`t expect any shower/storm development this afternoon. Skies will clear with the loss of daytime heating and winds will continue to remain light and calm as the boundary layer stabilizes. It will remain warm overnight, lows will only fall into the low 70s with urban locations warmer in the mid 70s. Could see some valley fog once again form but should remain overall very isolated. Tomorrow looks to be the hottest day for the week and even into the weekend thanks to the strength of upper level ridge. Could once again see some scattered mid level cu form in the afternoon but highs are expected to be in the mid/upper 90s with widespread heat index values in the upper 90s to low 100s. This is just shy of heat advisory category but if we continue to see heat index values near 100 into the weekend, a headline may be warranted due to the very warm overnights in the 70s.
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&& .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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Issued at 338 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024 Friday night - Saturday night... Strong, elongated upper level ridging will remain in place over the southern half of the United States Friday night and Saturday. We`ll start to see gradual height falls as multiple shortwave disturbances to the northwest break down the ridge. Multiple upper level shortwave impulses are forecast to ripple across portions of the Plains and Upper Midwest as a stronger upper level trough drops ESE across Saskatchewan. Plenty of lingering dry air and subsidence aloft will keep us hot and dry during this time frame. Lows in the lower 70s will be common Friday night, with low to mid 70s Saturday night. For Saturday, temperatures are forecast to max out in the low to mid 90s in the afternoon and early evening. Heat index values are likely to climb into the 95-100 degree range, and some spots will likely top out just above 100. Sunday - Monday... By Sunday, the primary northern stream upper level trough will be rotating southeast over the Great Lakes with sfc low pressure deepening eastward over far SE Ontario. A weak sfc cold front is likely to approach the Ohio River by late in the day. This front will interact with a hot, humid airmass with increasing SW low-level flow ahead of the boundary. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected Sunday afternoon and evening, some of which could produce gusty winds and heavy rainfall. The threat for organized severe weather is low due to weak shear. Temperatures are still likely to soar into the low to mid 90s Sunday with the highest rain chances (30-40%) confined to the second half of the day. Lows Sunday night will range from the upper 60s to mid 70s. Conditions dry out once again Monday in the wake of the front. High pressure noses in from the west. Look for highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s. Tuesday - Wednesday... Hot, dry weather will likely linger into Tuesday. Notable warm air is pumped into the region ahead of another weak cold front. While several days out, some guidance suggests Tuesday could be one of our hotter days with highs well into the 90s. However, multiple upper level shortwave impulses rotating through deepening eastern US troughing will help provide increasing rain chances by the middle of next week. Ensemble data points to Wednesday as our best shot at rain with temperatures cooling off slightly late next week.
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&& .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 125 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024 We continue to remain under the influence of both strong sfc high pressure and upper ridging. Other than some BKN Cu forming this afternoon between 3000-5000 ft, conditions will generally remain VFR. Earlier HNB saw MVFR due a report of haze and VIS around 5 miles but overall should remain VFR with the sunshine and even the scattered to broken Cu field. Overnight, skies will clear out and while some isolated fog, especially in river valleys is possible, decided for now to keep it out of the forecast for tomorrow morning. We will remain under the same strong ridge and sfc high again for tomorrow so expecting light winds and fair weather again with VFR conditions to end the week. && .CLIMATE...
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Issued at 338 PM EDT Thu Jun 20 2024 ================== Near-Record Heat This Weekend ================== Friday 6/21/2024 Max T Fcst/Record (Year) Louisville: 99/98 (1988) Bowling Green: 97/102 (1933) Lexington: 97/97 (1988) Saturday 6/22/2024 Max T Fcst/Record (Year) Louisville: 97/100 (2022) Bowling Green: 97/102 (1901) Lexington: 96/99 (1988) Sunday 6/23/2024 Max T Fcst/Record (Year) Louisville: 95/98 (1988) Bowling Green: 96/104 (1930) Lexington: 93/96 (1988) Some records may have occurred in multiple years. The latest year the record was tied is displayed.
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&& .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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KY...Air Quality Alert until 1 AM EDT Saturday for KYZ029>031. IN...Air Quality Alert until 1 AM EDT /midnight CDT/ Saturday for INZ076>079-083-084-089>092.
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&& $$ SHORT TERM...BTN LONG TERM...EBW AVIATION...BTN CLIMATE...EBW