Temperatures of -8 won’t last forever. Here’s when Central KY can expect warmer weather
There’s good news and bad news for Central Kentucky residents eager to put frigid temperatures behind them.
The good news? Warmer weather will soon return to the area, beginning Thursday, Jan. 23 and through to the weekend with highs in the 40s. But that’s only after one last gasp of bitter cold temperatures Wednesday, Jan 22 — especially in the morning, when wind chills could dip to minus 8 degrees Fahrenheit.
The harsh temperatures have prompted Fayette County Public Schools to cancel in-person classes again Wednesday.
“Certainly people will want to take it easy if heading out to work or school in the morning,” Tom Reaugh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Louisville told the Herald-Leader Jan. 21. “Dress in layers, limit your time outside as much as possible and check on people who may be susceptible to the cold.”
A cold weather advisory remains in effect for much of Central Kentucky until 10 a.m. Wednesday, per the NWS. Expect cold temperatures to stick around throughout the day. The forecast high is near 25 degrees, with a low around 18 degrees Wednesday evening.
Here’s what to expect later this week, including a possible warming trend the nation’s Climate Prediction Center projects will for Kentucky in the next week or so.
Warmer temperatures return Thursday
While the temperature high Thursday isn’t expected to get above freezing, it kicks off a warming pattern that will fully set in by Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26, when there are highs in the low 40s.
“After a bitterly cold morning with potential for single-digit negative lows, temperatures will quickly bounce to mid 20s across southern Indiana to the freezing point in south-central Kentucky thanks to southerly winds,” Wednesday’s National Weather Service forecast discussion reads.
The warmer weekend weather may also be followed by a mix of snow and rain Sunday, but the NWS says the confidence in that outcome is low. Flurries remain possible between Thursday and Friday.
Above normal temperatures in early February?
Between Jan. 26 and Monday, Feb. 3, the Climate Prediction Center anticipates a return to near-normal temperatures followed by a moderate chance of above-normal temperatures across most of Kentucky.
The chance is unlikely, but still possible, with a probability between 33 to 40%, according to the agency’s eight to 14-day outlook.
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In January, the average temperature for Lexington is 34 degrees.
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