More hot and muggy weather as summer officially arrives
We saw a brief break Wednesday thanks to some cloudiness but more heat is on the way into the weekend
It was definitely a warm and humid Juneteenth holiday across Central and Eastern Kentucky but compared to the latest few days we actually caught a bit of a break from the heat. With the big high pressure ridge centered well to our east and our region on the western edge of it, this allowed some cloudiness to stream in from the south. As a result these clouds really masked the sun out and in turn helped to keep our afternoon highs confined to the upper 80s worst case in most spots. Sure it was muggy to be out and about but at least we got a brief respite on the final full day of spring.
Even though it has felt like it the last several days, the summer season will officially arrive at 4:50 P.M. Eastern time on Thursday afternoon and it will continue to feel like it. With a little more sunshine expected along with the scattered clouds, afternoon highs should warm back into the low 90s and factoring in the humidity levels our “feel-like” temperatures will work back into the upper 90s. Of course this isn’t anything we haven’t see a few times this week but you’ll want to avoid any strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day and stay hydrated as best as you can.
As the big bubble of heat that has a firm grip on the eastern part of the country begins to strengthen and “retrograde” back to the west a bit for Friday and Saturday, this should set us up for our hottest days of this extended period of above average temperatures. As the high builds westward, the air sinks, compresses, heats up, and dries out. This will lower humidity levels slightly ( it will still be muggy) but more importantly it will allow afternoon highs to climb into the mid-90s with a few upper-90s not off the table. There shouldn’t be a huge spread between air temperatures and the heat index but it doesn’t take much to cause some issues, especially given that it is heading into a summer weekend when folks have outdoor activities planned so just keep that in mind into the weekend.
If you are looking for a bit of a break and some relief from the mid to late June heat, a weakening front should drop into the area as it penetrates the “bubble” of high pressure on Sunday and into early next week. This will allow a few showers and storms to develop and more importantly knock a few degrees off of afternoon highs, similar to the break we enjoyed Wednesday. While the rain shouldn’t be widespread, we’ll take what we can get as afternoon highs back off into the upper 80s and low 90s.
ABC 36 HOUR FORECAST
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: A few clouds, warm and muggy. Lows in the low-70s.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny, still hot and humid. Highs in the low-90s.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Fair skies and warm. Lows in the low-70s.
