548  
FXUS63 KJKL 091549  
AFDJKL  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY  
1149 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- SOME SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A STORM OR TWO ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES  
FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
- ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TODAY. HOWEVER, A COLD  
FRONT PASSING TODAY WILL USHER IN COOLER TEMPERATURES FROM  
FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH WARMING THEN RETURNING.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 1150 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
 
LOOKING AT UPSTREAM ACARS SOUNDING OVER SDF AND CVG AND MATCHING TO  
LATEST HI-RES GUIDANCE, THE 14Z HRRR SEEMS TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE  
ON A LOW-LEVEL INVERSION ACROSS THE REGION. THAT MODEL HAS BACKED  
OFF ON PRECIP CHANCES FOR THIS AFTERNOON, WITH JUST A SMATTERING OF  
A FEW SHOWERS. NAM/RAP TIME-HEIGHT SECTIONS KEEP MOISTURE AND LIFT  
SHALLOW ACROSS THE AREA, PERHAPS A LITTLE DEEPER OVER NE AND FAR  
EASTERN KY. THUS WILL CONTINUE TO TRIM POPS DOWN A BIT, AS WELL AS  
THUNDER CHANCES FOR TODAY.  
 
UPDATE ISSUED AT 945 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
 
MOST OF THE RAIN HAS EXITED EASTERN KY THIS HOUR, WITH RESIDUAL  
HIGH CLOUDS STREAMING NORTHEASTWARD FROM ONGOING CONVECTION OVER  
NORTHERN ALABAMA. WE COULD SEE A BRIEF WINDOW OF SUNSHINE BEFORE  
LOW CLOUDS BUILD IN WITHIN THE MOIST LOW-LEVEL ENVIRONMENT. HAVE  
BACKED OFF OF RAIN CHANCES A LITTLE, AND KEPT THE BEST CHANCES FOR  
SCATTERED STORMS ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM MT. STERLING TO  
JACKSON TO MIDDLESBORO. THESE WILL BE BRIEF EVENTS, WITH NOT AS  
MUCH DEEP MOISTURE TO WORK WITH. WE COULD SEE SOME BRIEF GUSTY  
WINDS WITH THESE CELLS AND CANNOT RULE OUT SMALL HAIL WITH ANY  
TALLER CORES THAT DEVELOP. UPDATED PRODUCTS WILL BE OUT SHORTLY.  
 
UPDATE ISSUED AT 730 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
 
HOURLY GRIDS WERE UPDATED BASED ON RECENT OBSERVATIONS AND TRENDS  
AND WITH THE RAIN RATES NOT BEING ALL THAT SUBSTANTIAL THE FLOOD  
WATCH WAS CANCELLED EARLY.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 436 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
 
EARLY THIS MORNING, AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDED FROM THE  
MARITIMES ACROSS PORTIONS OF ONTARIO AND QUEBEC TO THE GREAT  
LAKES TO SOUTHWEST CONUS. WEST SOUTHWEST FLOW WAS IN PLACE  
BETWEEN THIS TROUGH AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGING, THE AXIS OF WHICH  
EXTENDED ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA TO PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN. A  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS APPROACHING EASTERN KY AT THIS TIME. AT THE  
SURFACE, AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS TRACKING ACROSS THE LOWER OH  
VALLEY REGION WITH THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL ZONE EXTENDING EAST TO  
THE MID OH VALLEY TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. MEANWHILE AN  
INSTABILITY GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH OUTFLOW FROM ROUNDS OF  
CONVECTION SINCE WEDNESDAY WAS IN PLACE SOUTHWEST OF EASTERN KY.  
RECENT MESOANALYSIS HAD VERY LIMITED INSTABILITY IN PLACE NORTH  
OF THIS BOUNDARY WITH MUCAPE 250 TO 500 J/KG IN THE SOUTHWEST  
PORTION OF EASTERN KY, MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AREA WIDE NO MORE  
THAN 6 TO 6.5C/KM, AND BEST SHEAR PARAMETERS FROM THE TN BORDER  
AND LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA. PW AS HIGH AS 1.3 TO 1.5  
INCHES WAS IN PLACE FROM CENTRAL KY TO AREAS GENERALLY NEAR AND  
WEST OF INTERSTATE 75. CONVECTION WAS OCCURRING ACROSS THE OH AND  
TN VALLEY WITH THE MORE ROBUST/DEEPER CONVECTION FROM NEARER TO  
THE TN BORDER AND SOUTH IN THE INSTABILITY GRADIENT THOUGH  
LIGHTNING WAS OCCURRING INTO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KY IN A  
STRATIFORM RAIN REGIME.  
 
THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF EASTERN KY THIS  
MORNING WHILE THE TROUGH AXIS AT 500 MB REMAINS NORTH OF THE THE  
OH VALLEY TODAY. THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE TROUGH IS PROGGED TO  
CLOSE OFF/BE LEFT BEHIND OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION TODAY AND  
THEN MEANDER TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST THROUGH FRIDAY. MEANWHILE,  
THE 500 MB TROUGH AXIS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST  
ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND NEAR THE OH VALLEY AND MID MS VALLEY  
TONIGHT, BEFORE THIS TROUGH AXIS AXIS ROTATES ACROSS THE OH VALLEY  
AND INTO THE APPALACHIANS TO END THE PERIOD. SHORTWAVE RIDGING  
SHOULD ENTER THE OH VALLEY TO END THE PERIOD WHILE ANOTHER  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE EVOLVING TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN  
CONUS AND INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES AND UPPER MS VALLEY.  
 
CHANCES FOR CONVECTION TODAY SHOULD BE GREATEST THROUGH THE  
MORNING THOUGH AFTER A POSSIBLE LATE MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON  
LULL, A SLIGHT UPTICK IN ACTIVITY MAY COINCIDE WITH PEAK HEATING  
AND THE COLD FRONT CROSSING EASTERN KY. RECENT CONVECTIVE  
ALLOWING MODELS FORECAST AS MUCH AS AN INCH OR MORE OVER THE NEXT  
FEW HOURS THROUGH ABOUT DAWN IN THE SOUTHERNMOST TIER OR TWO OF  
COUNTIES NEAREST TO THE TN BORDER. AT THIS POINT HAVE HELD ONTO  
THE FLOOD WATCH THROUGH 8 AM ACROSS THE SOUTH.  
 
CHANCES FOR AT LEAST ISOLATED CONVECTION WILL LINGER INTO THE  
EVENING AND TONIGHT AS THE 500 MB TROUGH AXIS LINGERS UPSTREAM  
THOUGH A LULL DURING THE EVENING INTO A PART OF THE OVERNIGHT IS  
POSSIBLE. IF AND WHERE CLOUDS CAN CLEAR OUT, FOG MAY BECOME A  
CONCERN FOLLOWING RECENT RAINFALL THOUGH A GENERAL INCREASE IN  
CLOUD LATE TONIGHT AND TOWARD DAWN ON FRIDAY LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY  
IN LOCATION AND DURATION. SOME PATCHY FOG WAS INCLUDED IN THE  
GRIDS FOR TONIGHT, WITH SOMEWHAT LOWER VISIBILITIES FOR DEEPER  
VALLEYS. CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WILL INCREASE ON FRIDAY DURING  
PEAK HEATING AS THE TROUGH NEARS WITH THE BEST CHANCES IN THE  
SOUTHEAST. TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY WILL BE NOTABLY COLDER THAN  
RECENT DAYS WITH HIGHS NOT EXPECTED TO GET OUT OF THE 60S. FRIDAY  
HIGHS SHOULD BE NEARLY 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME IN  
MAY.  
   
LONG TERM
 
(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 542 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
 
OUR WEATHER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD WILL BE UNDER  
THE INFLUENCE OF A LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE NORTHEAST CONUS AND  
SHORTWAVE TROUGHS ROTATING AROUND IT. A COOL AIR MASS WILL PERSIST  
OVER OUR AREA IN THIS REGIME. ONE SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL BE  
DEPARTING TO OUR EAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AND IN ITS WAKE, TRANSIENT  
SURFACE RIDGING WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST. THIS RESULTS IN SKIES  
BECOMING MOSTLY CLEAR. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES SOUTHEAST  
OVER THE OHIO VALLEY ON SATURDAY, AND WITH IT WE CAN LOOK FOR A  
POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS TO RETURN. THE GREATEST PROBABILITY WILL BE  
OVER THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE AREA, CLOSEST TO THE SHORTWAVE.  
HAVE INCLUDED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDER OVER OUR NORTHEAST  
COUNTIES BASED ON NAM FORECAST SOUNDINGS, BUT IT LOOKS VERY  
MARGINAL. THIS WAVE DEPARTS TO THE EAST BY EVENING AND PRECIP AND  
MOST CLOUDS DRY UP AGAIN.  
 
AT THIS POINT, THE HEART OF THE LONGWAVE TROUGH ALSO SHIFTS EAST,  
AND RIDGING ALOFT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST ON SUNDAY AND PASSES  
OVER ON MONDAY. THIS BRINGS DRY WEATHER AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES  
FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY MORNING. AT THE SURFACE,  
HIGH PRESSURE PASSES EASTWARD SOUTH OF OUR AREA ON SUNDAY AND  
DEPARTS EASTWARD ON MONDAY. INCREASED SUNSHINE WILL ALLOW FOR  
TEMPERATURES TO RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL ON SUNDAY, WITH A FURTHER  
CLIMB ON MONDAY AS WARM AIR ADVECTION BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED.  
 
OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE AREA ALREADY BY  
LATE MONDAY. A NEARLY STATIONARY CLOSED UPPER LEVEL LOW CENTERED  
OVER UT TODAY WILL EVENTUALLY OPEN UP AND GET ABSORBED BACK INTO  
THE FLOW. TIMING OF THESE FEATURES CAN BE TRICKY, ESPECIALLY AT  
LONGER TIME RANGES. AT PRESENT, A MODEL BLEND SUGGESTS IT WILL  
APPROACH US FROM THE WEST LATE MONDAY AND ARRIVE ON TUESDAY. IT  
IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT A WEAK SURFACE LOW WHICH WILL HELP TO PULL  
MOISTURE NORTHWARD ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEPARTING HIGH. THE  
GFS IS FASTER THAN THE ECMWF WITH THE SYSTEM AND SHOWS SOME LIGHT  
PRECIP REACHING OUR SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES BY MONDAY EVENING. BOTH  
MODELS HAVE PRECIP HERE ON TUESDAY. BASED ON THIS, HAVE USED ONLY  
A SLIGHT CHANCE LATE MONDAY, INCREASING TO LIKELY BY TUESDAY  
EVENING. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE LITTLE CHANGE IN AIR MASS  
BEHIND THE SYSTEM, AND MODELS TRY TO GENERATE MORE CONVECTION WITH  
HEATING ON WEDNESDAY. HAVE USED A CHANCE POP ON WEDNESDAY, WITH  
THE BEST UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT DEPARTING TO THE EAST.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING)  
ISSUED AT 735 AM EDT THU MAY 9 2024  
 
SHOWERS WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDER WAS MOVING ACROSS THE  
REGION AT ISSUANCE TIME WITH SOME INSTANCES OF REDUCTIONS TO MVFR  
OR IFR IF NOT NEAR OR BELOW AIRPORT MINS. THE SHOWERS SHOULD  
DEPART IN THE FIRST 2 TO 3 HOURS OF THE PERIOD AND IMPROVEMENTS TO  
VFR SHOULD THEN FOLLOW TOWARD 18Z FOR MOST AREAS AS COVERAGE OF  
CONVECTION DECREASES. SOME INCREASE IN COVERAGE COULD OCCUR AGAIN  
DURING PEAK HEATING AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. BEHIND THIS  
ACTIVITY, REDUCTIONS DOWN TO MVFR IF NOT IFR ARE ANTICIPATED IN  
LOW CLOUDS OR STRATUS AND SOME REDUCTIONS IN VIS DUE TO FOG ARE  
ALSO POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT  
AROUND 10KT OR LESS BEFORE 18Z BEFORE BECOMING WEST AND EVENTUALLY  
WEST TO NORTHWEST LATE IN THE PERIOD AFTER A COLD FRONT MOVES  
THROUGH.  
 

 
   
JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...JP/SHARP  
SHORT TERM...JP  
LONG TERM...HAL  
AVIATION...JP  
 
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