549  
FXUS63 KJKL 181810 AAA  
AFDJKL  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY  
110 PM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
 
- AREAS OF RAIN AND DRIZZLE WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW FROM  
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST STARTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND RUNNING  
INTO THE NIGHT.  
 
- ACCUMULATING SNOW IS FORECAST FROM TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT.  
 
- APPARENT TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST NEAR OR BELOW ZERO FOR MUCH  
OF THE AREA ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 1230 PM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
 
A MIX OF LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE WAS FALLING THROUGH THE AREA SO  
HAVE ADJUSTED THE WEATHER TYPE TO ADD IN THE DRIZZLE ALONG WITH  
SOME PATCHY FOG. DID ALSO INCLUDE THE LATEST OBS AND TRENDS FOR  
THE T/TD GRIDS. THESE ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE NDFD AND  
WEB SERVERS ALONG WITH A FRESHENING OF THE ZONES, HWO, WSWS, AND  
SAFS.  
 
UPDATE ISSUED AT 1030 AM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
 
15Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS LOW PRESSURE LIFTING INTO THE EASTERN GREAT  
LAKES WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT JUST ENTERING THE WESTERN PARTS  
OF THE STATE. ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT, AREAS OF, MAINLY  
LIGHT RAIN, ARE MOVING THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY. THIS RAIN HAS  
FALLEN ON COLD TO FROZEN GROUND, ESPECIALLY PLACES SHELTERED FROM  
THE SUNSHINE AND WARMTH OF YESTERDAY. THIS MADE FOR A FEW SLICK  
SPOTS IN THE VALLEYS AND HOLLOWS THAT LIKELY CONTINUE AT THIS  
HOUR. FOR THIS REASON HAVE CONTINUED THE SPS ADDRESSING THIS  
CONCERN INTO NOON WITH SOME ADDED COUNTIES BASED ON A REPORT  
OUTSIDE OF THE INITIAL SPS AREA. OTHERWISE, TEMPERATURES, OFF THE  
SFC, ARE RUNNING IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S VALLEYS WITH LOW TO MID  
40S ELSEWHERE. MEANWHILE, AMID SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 5 TO 10 MPH,  
DEWPOINTS ARE UP IN THE MID 30S TO LOWER 40S ACROSS EASTERN  
KENTUCKY. EVEN BLACK MOUNTAIN IS ABOVE FREEZING CURRENTLY WITH  
BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS, TOO. HAVE UPDATED THE FORECAST MAINLY TO  
FINE TUNE THE POPS PER THE LATEST RADAR IMAGES AND CAMS GUIDANCE  
INTO THE EARLY EVENING ALONG WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE LATEST OBS  
AND TRENDS FOR THE T/TD/SKY GRIDS. THESE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS HAVE  
BEEN SENT TO THE NDFD AND WEB SERVERS ALONG WITH A FRESHENING OF  
THE ZONES, HWO, AND SAFS.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 500 AM EST FRI JAN 17 2025  
 
AN INTRICATE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL EVENT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY  
LIKELY TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT TIMEFRAME. AFTER RAIN  
TRANSITIONS TO SNOW BEHIND THE ARCTIC FRONT TONIGHT, A BAROCLINIC  
LEAF (POSSIBLY WITH EMBEDDED FRONTOGENETIC BANDING RISING THROUGH  
A LOW EPV ENVIRONMENT ATOP FORCING ROOTED NEAR 700MB) WILL PASS  
OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY SUNDAY MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON WITH  
WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO POSSIBLY MODERATE SNOWFALL. THE SNOW WILL  
INITIALLY BE RELATIVELY WET AND DENSE BUT SHOULD QUICKLY BECOME  
LIGHT AND FLUFFY WITH RISING SLRS AS THE COLUMN COOLS AND SURFACE  
TEMPERATURES FALL INTO/THROUGH THE 20S. BELOW THE  
SYNOPTIC/MESOSCALE SNOW GENERATION MECHANISMS ALOFT, NORTHWESTERLY  
FLOW IN THE SHALLOW SURFACE-850 MB MOIST COLD LAYER BEHIND THE  
ARCTIC FRONT WILL FAVOR ENHANCED UPSLOPE LIFTING, ESPECIALLY ALONG  
AND NEAR PINE/BLACK/LOG/CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS.  
 
AS TEMPERATURES GROW COLDER, THE CAMS/NAM12/RAP13 ARE PICKING UP  
ON THE POTENTIAL FOR LAKE-ENHANCED SNOW STREAMERS TO DEVELOP OFF  
OF LAKE MICHIGAN IN AN INITIALLY NORTHERLY FLOW BEFORE EFFECTIVELY  
COALESCING INTO AN INTENSIFYING SECONDARY ARCTIC COLD FRONT  
(EVIDENT IN THE SURFACE-925MB FRONTOGENESIS FIELDS) THAT SWEEPS  
EASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MODEL  
SOUNDINGS SHOW PEAK OMEGA VALUES BECOMING NEAR IDEALLY CENTERED  
WITHIN THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE AMIDST A STEEP LOW-LEVEL LAPSE  
RATE ENVIRONMENT EXTENDING TO -20C OR POSSIBLY A BIT HIGHER. THIS  
KIND OF PROFILE IS SUPPORTIVE OF INTENSE SNOWFALL RATES OVER A  
BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. IN FACT, A QUICK 1 TO 2+ INCHES OF SNOWFALL  
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR IS CONCEIVABLE, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE LAKE-  
ENHANCED BAND ENCOUNTERS UPSLOPE LIFTING NEAR/OVER THE ESCARPMENT  
AND PINE/BLACK/LOG/CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS. IF THIS LAKE-EFFECT  
SNOWBAND MATERIALIZES, ITS EASTWARD PROGRESS WILL BE RAPID, THUS  
LIMITING EXCESSIVE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AT A GIVEN LOCATION.  
 
IN ADDITION TO HIGH SNOWFALL RATES AND TEMPERATURES DROPPING  
QUICKLY IN THE THE TEENS OR COLDER BEHIND THE BAND, WINDS ALONG  
AND BEHIND THE BAND WILL BECOME GUSTY. BUFKIT MIXED-LAYER MOMENTUM  
TRANSFER IS SUPPORTIVE OF WIND GUSTS IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE  
WHICH COULD LEAD TO VERY LOW VISIBILITY, ESPECIALLY DURING THE  
PASSAGE OF THE POSSIBLE SECONDARY FRONT. THE HRRR DEPICTS  
VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS 0.1-MILE. THE QUICKLY DROPPING TEMPERATURES  
COULD CAUSE LINGERING LIQUID WATER TO FREEZE AS ROAD TREATMENTS  
LOOSE EFFICACY IN THE RAPIDLY COOLING AIR MASS. ADDITIONALLY, THE  
STRONG, GUSTY WINDS WILL HELP DRIFT THE DRY, FLUFFY SNOWFALL ONTO  
ROADWAYS IN OPEN AREAS AND OVER RIDGES.  
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE IN REACHING THE 4" THRESHOLD FOR A WINTER  
STORM WARNING OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA WAS TOO LOW FOR ISSUANCE  
DUE TO MESOSCALE EFFECTS AND MODEL VARIABILITY IN THE STRENGTH OF  
THE SYNOPTIC SNOWFALL. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED FOR  
THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WITH THIS MORNING'S FORECAST PACKAGE, BUT  
A TARGETED WINTER STORM WARNING MAY ALSO BE WARRANTED AS  
MESOSCALE EVOLUTION BECOMES MORE CERTAIN. IF A WINTER STORM  
WARNING IS ISSUED, NWS DIRECTIVE PROHIBITS THE ISSUANCE OF SNOW  
SQUALL WARNINGS IN THE SAME FORECAST ZONES THROUGH THE DURATION OF  
THE WINTER STORM WARNING.  
   
LONG TERM
 
(MONDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 430 AM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
 
BY MONDAY MORNING NEXT WEEK, MODELS ARE IN GOOD CONSENSUS OVER A  
LONG WAVE TROUGH COVERING MUCH OF CONUS WITH A SHOT OF ARCTIC  
AIR. FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY, THESE EFFECTS WILL BE FELT AS EARLY AS  
MONDAY MORNING, WHERE MORNING TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE SINGLE  
DIGITS ACROSS THE AREA. HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THE DAY AREN'T  
EXPECTED TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE TEENS. THIS IS 25 TO 30 DEGREES  
BELOW CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WINDS WILL BE  
OUT OF THE WEST TO NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 15 MPH,  
OTHERWISE DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED. DURING THE DAY MONDAY, A 500-DM  
EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE WILL DIG SOUTH OUT OF MANITOBA. THIS WILL HELP  
IN PATTERN PROGRESSION. MONDAY NIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE SINGLE  
DIGITS FOR THE 2ND NIGHT IN A ROW. CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMAL LOWS FOR  
THIS TIME OF YEAR ARE IN THE UPPER 20S.  
 
TUESDAY, A TROUGH AXIS FROM THE EMBEDDED MANITOBA SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE  
THROUGH THE STATE, WITH SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY PASSING SOUTH AND EAST  
OF THE AREA. SOME FLURRIES MAY BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING. 500-MB HEIGHT RISES ALONG WITH SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL AID  
IN HIGH TEMPERATURES REACHING INTO THE LOW TO MID 20S. HOWEVER,  
WINDS VEER TO NORTHWESTERLY AND EVENTUALLY NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION  
OVERNIGHT, BRINGING COLDER AIR BACK INTO THE AREA. LOWS TUESDAY  
NIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS FOR A 3RD NIGHT IN  
A ROW, WITH AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-64 CORRIDOR BEING AT OR  
BELOW ZERO.  
 
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY 500-MB HEIGHTS WILL RISE IN LIEU OF THE  
EXITING SYSTEM FROM TUESDAY. QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED EACH DAY,  
WITH HIGHS WEDNESDAY IN THE LOW TO MID 20S, RISING INTO THE MID TO  
UPPER 30S THURSDAY. LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT FINALLY WARM OUT OF THE  
SINGLE DIGITS, AND TEENS WILL BE WELCOMED. THURSDAY NIGHT IS  
EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY WARMER. WHILE THIS QUIET WEATHER IS  
OCCURRING ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY ON WEDNESDAY, ANOTHER UPPER-  
LEVEL LOW SPILLS OVER THE HIGH-AMPLITUDE RIDGE OUT OVER WESTERN  
CANADA AND CONUS, ENTERING THE MONTANA AREA IN THE MORNING. THIS  
MAY LEAD TO SPRINKLES AND FLURRIES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON)  
ISSUED AT 110 PM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
 
A MIX OF MVFR AND IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS WILL BOUNCE DOWN TO VLIFR  
AT TIMES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT AS AN  
ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVES SLOWLY BUT STEADILY SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS  
THE FORECAST AREA INTO THIS EVENING. THE RAIN AND DRIZZLE WILL  
BEGIN TRANSITIONING OVER TO SNOW IN THE I-64 CORRIDOR AFTER  
SUNSET, WITH THE CHANGEOVER MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE NIGHT.  
AFTER A PERIOD OF FAIRLY STEADY SNOW INTO THE FIRST PART OF SUNDAY  
MORNING, MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP. OCCASIONALLY, GUSTY  
SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL  
BECOME NORTHWESTERLY AND THEN NORTH NORTHWESTERLY AFTER THE FRONTAL  
PASSAGE, GENERALLY AT 5 TO 10 KTS - CONTINUING THAT WAY INTO THE  
DAY ON SUNDAY.  
 

 
   
JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT EST  
SUNDAY NIGHT FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-080-085>087-104-  
111-114-116.  
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 PM EST SUNDAY  
FOR KYZ079-083-084.  
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 3 AM EST MONDAY  
FOR KYZ088-106>110-112-113-115-117>120.  
 

 
 

 
 
UPDATE...GREIF  
SHORT TERM...GEERTSON/CMC  
LONG TERM...GINNICK  
AVIATION...CMC/GREIF  
 
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