577  
FXUS63 KJKL 042012  
AFDJKL  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY  
412 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- TEMPERATURES REMAIN MILDER THROUGH TUESDAY WITH POTENTIALLY  
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS BY EVENING.  
 
- MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY  
NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING, RESULTING IN A BENEFICIAL RAINFALL.  
 
- BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES SETTLE IN THROUGH SATURDAY, WITH PERIODIC  
LOW CHANCES FOR SHOWERS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 410 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2026  
 
AS OF MID AFTERNOON, AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDED INTO THE CENTRAL  
CONUS FROM AN UPPER LOW IN ONTARIO. AN INITIAL SHORTWAVE/DISTURBANCE  
WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST OF EASTERN KY WHILE ANOTHER  
SHORTWAVE WAS UPSTREAM ENTERING THE LOWER OH AND TN VALLEYS. AT THE  
SURFACE, A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDED FROM OFF THE SOUTHEAST  
COAST TO THE EASTERN GULF. MEANWHILE, A FRONTAL ZONE TRAILED INTO  
THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES INTO THE MID MS VALLEY TO CENTRAL PLAINS  
INTO THE WESTERN CONUS.  
CLOUDS HAVE DECREASED SINCE THIS MORNING AS THE DISTURBANCE AND  
ASSOCIATED CONVECTION HAS DEPARTED. TEMPERATURES HAVE MODERATED ON  
SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW AND A FEW FAIR WEATHER CUMULUS HAVE  
DEVELOPED INTO THE SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE AREA DURING THE HEATING  
OF THE DAY.  
 
THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT, THE NEXT UPSTREAM DISTURBANCE SHOULD CROSS  
THE REGION THIS EVENING WITH NO NOTABLE INFLUENCE ON SENSIBLE  
WEATHER. AT THE SAME TIME OF MID AFTERNOON, AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH  
EXTENDED INTO THE CENTRAL CONUS FROM AN UPPER LOW IN ONTARIO. AN  
INITIAL SHORTWAVE/DISTURBANCE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST  
OF EASTERN KY WHILE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WAS UPSTREAM ENTERING THE  
LOWER OH AND TN VALLEYS. AT THE SURFACE, A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE  
EXTENDED FROM OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST TO THE EASTERN GULF.  
MEANWHILE, A FRONTAL ZONE TRAILED INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES  
INTO THE MID MS VALLEY TO CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE WESTERN CONUS.  
CLOUDS HAVE DECREASED SINCE THIS MORNING AS THE DISTURBANCE AND  
ASSOCIATED CONVECTION HAS DEPARTED. TEMPERATURES HAVE MODERATED ON  
SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW AND A FEW FAIR WEATHER CUMULUS HAVE  
DEVELOPED INTO THE SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE AREA DURING THE  
HEATING OF THE DAY.  
 
THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT, THE NEXT UPSTREAM DISTURBANCE SHOULD CROSS  
THE REGION THIS EVENING WITH NO NOTABLE INFLUENCE ON SENSIBLE  
WEATHER. AT THE SAME TIME, THE UPPER LOW IN ONTARIO MEANDERS TOWARD  
JAMES BY WITH THE AXIS OF THE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING THE  
COMMONWEALTH. YET ANOTHER SHORTWAVE, POTENTIALLY CONVECTIVELY  
INDUCED IN THE PLAINS AND MOVING THROUGH THIS TROUGH SHOULD REACH  
THE MID MS VALLEY AND NEAR THE OH VALLEY LATE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT  
ACROSS THE CWA WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT SO THAT LEADS TO  
UNCERTAINTY ON THE AREAL EXTENT OF DEEPER VALLEYS DECOUPLING WITH AN  
ASSOCIATED RIDGE/VALLEY SPLIT AND HOW MUCH FOG COULD DEVELOP IN  
THOSE AREAS FOLLOWING RECENT RAINFALL. THE HEADWATERS REGION OF THE  
KENTUCKY AND THE BIG SANDY BASIN WOULD BE THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR  
SOME FOG DEVELOPMENT OR FOG DEVELOPMENT THAT MAY TEND TO LIFT OR  
DISSIPATE LATE TONIGHT WITH THE INCREASING GRADIENT. FOR NOW AS THE  
CLEAR SKIES SHOULD FAVOR SOME DECOUPLING INCLUDED SOME PATCHY FOG  
FROM AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGH NEAR SUNRISE ON TUESDAY GIVEN THE  
UNCERTAINTY. ASSUMING THERE IS SOME DECOUPLING A MODERATE MAGNITUDE  
RIDGE/VALLEY SPLIT MAY OCCUR IN THE EVENING TO THE START OF THE  
NIGHT WITH SOME VALLEYS POTENTIALLY REBOUNDING TO WARMER  
TEMPERATURES AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES.  
 
TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT, THE SHORTWAVE PROGGED TO NEAR THE LOWER  
OH VALLEY TOWARD DAWN SHOULD PROGRESS ACROSS THE LOWER OH VALLEY AND  
TN VALLEY ON TUESDAY WHILE THE UPPER LOW AND ANOTHER SHORTWAVE  
PROGRESSES INTO QUEBEC AND THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY. THE UPPER TROUGH  
AXIS SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF THE OH VALLEY THOUGH. THIS WILL RESULT IN  
THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT ONLY GRADUALLY SAGGING INTO EASTERN KY WED  
NIGHT. FOLLOWING SOME MID LEVEL HEIGHT RISES LATE TONIGHT INTO  
TUESDAY MORNING, DEEPER MOISTURE ADVECTS INTO EASTERN KY AHEAD OF  
THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS SCENARIO  
SHOULD RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW STRAY  
STORMS LATE ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. MORE  
WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY SHOULD PRECEDE THE FRONT FOR TUESDAY NIGHT.ME,  
THE UPPER LOW IN ONTARIO MEANDERS TOWARD JAMES BY WITH THE AXIS  
OF THE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING THE COMMONWEALTH. YET ANOTHER  
SHORTWAVE, POTENTIALLY CONVECTIVELY INDUCED IN THE PLAINS AND  
MOVING THROUGH THIS TROUGH SHOULD REACH THE MID MS VALLEY AND NEAR  
THE OH VALLEY LATE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE CWA WILL  
INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT SO THAT LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY ON THE  
AREAL EXTENT OF DEEPER VALLEYS DECOUPLING WITH AN ASSOCIATED  
RIDGE/VALLEY SPLIT AND HOW MUCH FOG COULD DEVELOP IN THOSE AREAS  
FOLLOWING RECENT RAINFALL. THE HEADWATERS REGION OF THE KENTUCKY  
AND THE BIG SANDY BASIN WOULD BE THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SOME FOG  
DEVELOPMENT OR FOG DEVELOPMENT THAT MAY TEND TO LIFT OR DISSIPATE  
LATE TONIGHT WITH THE INCREASING GRADIENT. FOR NOW AS THE CLEAR  
SKIES SHOULD FAVOR SOME DECOUPLING INCLUDED SOME PATCHY FOG FROM  
AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGH NEAR SUNRISE ON TUESDAY GIVEN THE  
UNCERTAINTY. ASSUMING THERE IS SOME DECOUPLING A MODERATE  
MAGNITUDE RIDGE/VALLEY SPLIT MAY OCCUR IN THE EVENING TO THE START  
OF THE NIGHT WITH SOME VALLEYS POTENTIALLY REBOUNDING TO WARMER  
TEMPERATURES AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES.  
 
TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT, THE SHORTWAVE PROGGED TO NEAR THE LOWER  
OH VALLEY TOWARD DAWN SHOULD PROGRESS ACROSS THE LOWER OH VALLEY AND  
TN VALLEY ON TUESDAY WHILE THE UPPER LOW AND ANOTHER SHORTWAVE  
PROGRESSES INTO QUEBEC AND THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY. THE UPPER TROUGH  
AXIS SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF THE OH VALLEY THOUGH. THIS WILL RESULT IN  
THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT ONLY GRADUALLY SAGGING INTO EASTERN KY WED  
NIGHT. FOLLOWING SOME MID LEVEL HEIGHT RISES LATE TONIGHT INTO  
TUESDAY MORNING, DEEPER MOISTURE ADVECTS INTO EASTERN KY AHEAD OF  
THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS SCENARIO  
SHOULD RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW STRAY  
STORMS LATE ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. MORE  
WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY SHOULD PRECEDE THE FRONT FOR TUESDAY NIGHT.  
   
LONG TERM
 
(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)  
ISSUED AT 348 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2026  
 
THE LONG WAVE PATTERN WILL REMAIN AMPLIFIED THROUGH THE PERIOD.  
AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL GYRE AROUND THE VICINITY OF HUDSON BAY,  
ALLOWING FOR BROADER CYCLONIC FLOW AND GENERAL TROUGHINESS TO RULE  
EAST OF THE ROCKIES THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. MODEL AGREEMENT IS  
GOOD THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND, BUT THEN BREAKS DOWN  
FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 
ON WEDNESDAY, A POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH WILL BE ALIGNED FROM  
CENTRAL ONTARIO THROUGH THE EASTERN PACIFIC. AT THE SURFACE, A  
COLD FRONT WILL BE STRETCHED FROM NEW ENGLAND THROUGH THE OHIO  
VALLEY AND INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS FRONT WILL  
BRING SOME NEEDED RAINFALL TO EASTERN KENTUCKY, WITH WIDESPREAD  
SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED DURING THE DAY. THE MORE  
SUSTAINED SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL THEN GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM  
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ON THURSDAY, ANOTHER SHORT  
WAVE TROUGH WILL BRING SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT RAINFALL TO THE  
AREA, MAINLY FAVORED OVER OUR SOUTHEASTERN TERRAIN. HIGH PRESSURE  
WILL THEN BUILD IN FROM THE WEST ON THURSDAY NIGHT. OVERALL, THE  
PROBABILITIES FOR EVENT RAINFALL TOTALS OF GREATER THAN AN INCH  
HAVE REMAINED IN THE 50-70 PERCENT CHANCE RANGE, SIMILAR TO 24  
HOURS AGO. THE HIGHER PROBABILTIES HAVE ALSO REMAINED GENERALLY  
OVER LOCATIONS THAT HAVE BIGGER RAINFALL DEFICITS, NEAR I-75 AND  
ALONG AND SOUTH OF KY-80.  
 
DRY WEATHER WILL BE SHORT-LIVED ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH ON FRIDAY,  
AS ADDITIONAL SHORT WAVE ACTIVITY ROTATES THROUGH THE BROAD  
CYCLONIC FLOW SET UP IN THE EASTERN CONUS. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL  
APPROACH AND EVENTUALLY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND  
SATURDAY, BRINGING IN LOW RAIN CHANCES. DRY WEATHER RETURNS FOR  
SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING, BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM  
ENCROACHES BY THE AFTERNOON, WITH RAIN CHANCES CONTINUING INTO THE  
START OF THE NEW WEEK. AGAIN, MODEL AGREEMENT IS POOR BY SUNDAY  
AND MONDAY, SO CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON THE TIMING OF THE UNSETTLED  
WEATHER AT THIS TIME.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL AVERAGE BELOW NORMAL THROUGH SATURDAY. HIGHS  
WILL BE IN THE 60S TO LOW 70S WEDNESDAY, BEFORE RETREATING TO THE  
50S AND 60S FOR THURSDAY BEHIND THE DEPARTED COLD FRONT. HIGHS  
WILL THEN MODERATE EACH DAY THROUGH SUNDAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE  
UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80 BY THAT TIME. DEPENDING UPON THE TIMING OF  
THE NEXT COLD FRONT, MONDAY HIGHS WOULD COOL BACK TO THE UPPER 60S  
AND LOWER 70S. LOWS WILL AVERAGE IN THE 40S THURSDAY MORNING,  
WITH SOME 30S POSSIBLE FOR FRIDAY MORNING, GIVEN THE NEARBY HIGH  
PRESSURE AND CLEAR SKIES OVERHEAD. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL  
THEN WARM THROUGH 40S AND 50S EACH DAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON)  
ISSUED AT 235 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2026  
 
A DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED CONVECTION WERE MOVING EAST OF THE  
REGION AT ISSUANCE TIME WITH CLEARING OCCURRING BEHIND THIS.  
WINDS WERE BECOMING SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST SUSTAINED AT AROUND 10KT  
WITH SOME GUSTS TO NEAR 20KT. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH  
THE PERIOD THOUGH THESE SHOULD SLACKEN AROUND 00Z. ALTHOUGH THE  
WINDS AT THE SURFACE ARE EXPECTED TO SLACKEN, A RENEWED LOW-LEVEL  
JET SHOULD BE MARGINALLY STRONG ENOUGH FOR MENTIONABLE LLWS  
BETWEEN 05Z AND 12Z. DEEPER NON TAF SITES, ESPECIALLY SOUTH AND  
EAST OF THE TAF SITES MAY EXPERIENCE SOME REDUCTIONS TO MVFR OR  
PERHAPS IFR IN FOG BETWEEN ABOUT 03Z AND 12Z FOLLOWING RECENT  
RAINFALL ASSUMING THESE LOCATIONS DECOUPLE. ANY VALLEY FOG AT NON  
TAF SITES AND THE LLWS THREAT DIMINISHES AROUND 12Z WITH WINDS  
RETURNING TO SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT ROUGHLY 8 TO 15KT WITH GUSTS TO  
AROUND 20KT TO END THE PERIOD.  
 

 
   
JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...JP  
LONG TERM...JKL  
AVIATION...JP  
 
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