499  
FXUS63 KPAH 201619  
AFDPAH  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY  
1119 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN  
COVERAGE THIS MORNING, BRINGING ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF  
RAINFALL. A LOW RISK FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING ISSUES SHIFTS MORE  
SOUTHEAST INTO MAINLY WESTERN KENTUCKY WITH TORRENTIAL  
DOWNPOURS, BUT IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO  
SUPPORT A FLOOD WATCH EXPANSION.  
 
- A BRIEF LULL IN THE RAIN OCCURS WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY,  
FOLLOWED BY DAILY CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY  
THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE IS A 50-70% CHANCE SOUTHEAST PORTIONS  
OF THE QUAD STATE EXCEED 3 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL BY  
NEXT TUESDAY.  
 
- TEMPERATURES TREND 5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL TODAY THROUGH  
THURSDAY IN THE LOW TO MID 70S, FOLLOWED BY A WARMING TREND  
THIS WEEKEND WITH TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE 80S. NEAR TO  
SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST WITH HIGHS  
WARMING INTO THE MID 80S BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 1110 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
 
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 18Z TAFS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 1236 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
 
A COLD FRONT IS NOW BEGINNING TO PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE QUAD  
STATE THIS MORNING. THE INCREASE IN SURFACE CONVERGENCE COMBINED  
WITH FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH A MID-LEVEL VORT MAX WILL CONTINUE TO  
CAUSE AN UPTICK IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. MOST OF THE 0Z  
CAMS FOCUS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL  
MORE SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY THAT IS CURRENTLY NOT UNDER A  
FLOOD WATCH. GIVEN THAT ANY FLASH FLOODING ISSUES ARE LIKELY TO  
REMAIN FAIRLY LOCALIZED AT MOST WITH RAINFALL RATES BETWEEN 0.5 TO  
1.0 INCH PER HOUR, HAVE DECIDED TO NOT EXPAND THE WATCH. 1 HOUR FFG  
IS ALSO QUITE HIGH IN THE 1.75-3.00 INCH RANGE WITH STORMS THAT WILL  
BE FAIRLY PROGRESSIVE. GIVEN WSR-88D TRENDS, THE HRRR/ARW SEEM  
REASONABLE AS CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH  
THIS MORNING.  
 
AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTHEAST OF THE KENTUCKY PENNYRILE THIS  
AFTERNOON, SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FOR MOST OF  
THE FA BY THIS EVENING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BE UNSEASONABLY  
COOL RANGING FROM THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S FROM NORTHWEST TO  
SOUTHEAST. HIGHS IN THE 70S ARE THEN PROGGED THROUGH THE END OF THE  
WEEK. MEANWHILE, A 1030 MB SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL ADVECT IN MUCH  
DRIER AIR FOR THURSDAY WITH A 30-40% CHANCE OF A RETURNING  
THUNDERSHOWER CONFINED TO MAINLY THE SOUTHERN MOST COUNTIES. THE  
BREAK IN THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS A WARM  
FRONT LIFTS NORTH FRIDAY MORNING INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH A 80-90%  
CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE POTENTIAL FOR  
SEVERE WEATHER DOES NOT LOOK CONCERNING AS INSTABILITY WILL BE  
LIMITED WITH POOR LAPSE RATES.  
 
SPLIT FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP THE WEATHER PATTERN UNSETTLED FOR THE  
HOLIDAY WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH DAILY CHANCES OF SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT IN  
MOISTURE EACH DAY WITH THE LREF SUPPORTING A 50-70% CHANCE OF  
EXCEEDING 3 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY  
ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE FA. TEMPERATURES DO TREND WARMER  
BACK INTO THE 80S AS A CLOSED LOW ENTERS THE WESTERN CONUS ON  
TUESDAY AND HELPS TO AMPLIFY A RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHEAST CONUS. HIGHS  
EVENTUALLY RETURN TO THE MID 80S BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1110 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2026  
 
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY WIND DOWN FROM WEST TO EAST  
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, WITH ANY LINGERING ACTIVITY AFTER 00Z  
SOUTHEAST OF THE TERMINALS. LIMITED THUNDER POTENTIAL THIS  
AFTERNOON AND THAT SHOULD LIKELY REMAIN SOUTH AND EAST OF EVEN  
KPAH/KOWB. IFR AND LOW MVFR CIGS WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO MOVE  
OUT, BUT SOME IMPROVEMENT THIS EVENING IS ANTICIPATED AT LEAST  
AT WESTERN TERMINALS. LIKELY REMAIN MVFR FOR SOUTHEAST HALF TO  
TWO THIRDS OF THE REGION THOUGH. CONDITIONS LIKELY DECLINE AGAIN  
BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH A RETURN OF IFR CIGS. AFTER THE  
-SHRA EXITS WE MAY STILL HAVE SOME MVFR VSBY RESTRICTIONS TO  
DEAL WITH ACROSS WEST KY OVERNIGHT, BUT FAIRLY LOW CONFIDENCE  
ON THAT IMPACTING THE TERMINALS.  
 

 
   
PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
IL...NONE.  
MO...NONE.  
IN...NONE.  
KY...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...SP  
DISCUSSION...DW  
AVIATION...SP  
 
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