Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Jackson, KY
Issued by NWS Jackson, KY
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143 FXUS63 KJKL 082147 AFDJKL AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Jackson KY 447 PM EST Mon Dec 8 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - After the last of the snow exits east out of the area early this evening, dry weather is expected through Tuesday night. - Gusty southwesterly winds between 30 and 40 mph are likely on Wednesday. - The pattern remains active through the end of the work week, although confidence remains low in each passing system`s precipitation type forecast. - A much colder airmass is forecast to move into the region for the weekend, with widespread low temperatures in the teens likely. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday night) Issued at 425| PM EST MON DEC 8 2025 Remaining snow is quickly winding down late today as the supporting upper level shortwave trough passes east of our area and surface low pressure transitions eastward well of the southeast coast. Surface high pressure passing to our north is sending drier air southward into northern KY, but the influx will be short-lived as the high slips away to the east. The clearing line has been making very slow progress south with the drier air, reach near the OH/KY border as of late afternoon. Models want to bring the clearing south into the northern part of the JKL forecast area tonight. However, it has been very difficult to erode low stratus in recent weeks. Have backed off on the clearing from what models might suggest. However, confidence in the sky forecast for tonight meager. If clouds are able to break up at least in the northern portion of the area as is currently forecast, this would allow temperatures to drop off well in valleys in light of the fresh snow in our northern counties. Once again, it will be stated that it depends on a questionable sky forecast. A shortwave trough and associated surface low passing well to our north on Tuesday will set up a tightening pressure gradient against the surface high having passed to our east and southeast. This will bring warm air advection on increasing breezes. With increasing low level moisture lagging behind, this should get rid of any remaining low clouds, but high clouds arriving will cut into the amount of sun to be seen. Another shortwave and clipper type system rotating through a mean eastern CONUS trough will be approaching from the northwest on Tuesday night. A still increasing gradient and eventual increase in clouds will make it difficult for most of the area to cool off much on Tuesday night. Aside from nights with low clouds, our eastern valleys almost always find a way to decouple and see temperature drops. Cooler lows have been forecast there, but forecast confidence on valley temps on Tuesday night is also not very high. Clouds will eventually thicken up, and precip in the system`s warm air advection regime could be arriving from the northwest around dawn. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 447 PM EST MON DEC 8 2025 Broader troughing, with embedded progressive short wave troughs, will be the story aloft generally east of the Rockies through the rest of the week. The pattern will be more amplified on the front end of the period. While the model agreement is good regarding the long wave pattern, timing of the smaller scale features and sensible weather details continue to be challenging to predict with confidence. As such, have stuck closer to the blended guidance for precipitation chances. Did make some minor temperature adjustments for a few periods, mainly to incorporate ridge/valley temperature differences, as well as to play up more diurnally-limited temperature regimes, where confidence was a bit higher regarding the cloudier and colder spells. We start out in the middle of the week, with gusty southwest winds. The 12z ensemble probabilities have come down just a bit for seeing 40 mph gusts on the GFS compared to the 00z run. As such, have maintained continuity with the previous forecast, sticking with the 90th percentile blended guidance from later in the morning through the early afternoon hours, when wind gusts will peak in the 30 to 40 mph range. Wednesday will likely be the warmest day of the week, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s. Mainly rain will overspread the area from northwest to southeast during the day, as a frontal system traverses southeast from the Ohio Valley into the Tennessee Valley. Some upslope snow will follow Wednesday night into early Thursday, with precipitation chances lingering in the forecast from Thursday night through Friday night, generally favoring locations east of I-75. Will continue to keep precipitation types generalized to rain and/or snow, as temperature profiles remain low confidence. A reinforcement of colder air follows for this weekend, although spread remains large within the ensemble envelope. Overnight lows in the teens look probable for most valleys, especially Sunday night, with the surface high in closer proximity. Highs will retreat to the 30s this weekend, before recovering above 40 by early next week. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Tuesday afternoon) ISSUED AT 222 PM EST MON DEC 8 2025 Snow was ongoing over roughly the eastern half of the forecast area at the start of the period, with the western edge progressing eastward. Conditions were IFR or worse where the heaviest snow was falling. West of the snow, conditions were largely MVFR due mainly to ceilings. As the snow tapers off, most of the area should return to at least MVFR conditions by 00Z. However, localized IFR may linger. Ceilings may also try to start breaking up from the north late today and this evening. This would even allow for some VFR conditions. However,confidence in when this happens and how far it progresses is low. Onset of VFR conditions in TAFs should be considered a loose estimate, with reality likely varying. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM EST this afternoon for KYZ104- 106-107-109-113. Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM EST this evening for KYZ110- 118>120. && $$ SHORT TERM...HAL LONG TERM...JKL AVIATION...HAL