120  
FXUS63 KJKL 160701  
AFDJKL  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY  
301 AM EDT THU APR 16 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
 
- TEMPERATURES WILL AVERAGE 15 OR MORE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL  
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
- SHOWERS/STORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT FROM A PASSING  
DISTURBANCE, WITH POTENTIALLY GREATER CHANCES THIS WEEKEND WITH  
A COLD FRONT.  
 
- MUCH COOLER WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK,  
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR PATCHY FROST IN THE COLDEST LOCATIONS  
MONDAY MORNING.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 252 AM EDT THU APR 16 2026  
 
THE PERSISTENT SOUTHEAST US RIDGE HAS STARTED TO GET SHUNTED EAST  
INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OVERNIGHT, AS A PAIR OF SHORTWAVE  
DISTURBANCES EJECT FROM A LARGE UPPER TROUGH EXTENDING FROM WESTERN  
NORTH AMERICA SOUTH INTO THE EASTERN SUBTROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN.  
THESE SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCES WILL IMPACT EASTERN KENTUCKY OVER THE  
NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO WITH INCREASED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM  
CHANCES.  
 
THE FIRST SHORTWAVE BEGINS TO IMPACT THE AREA FROM AROUND MIDDAY  
THROUGH EARLY EVENING. A FAIRLY NARROW CORRIDOR OF ENHANCED WIND  
SHEAR WILL BE COLLOCATED WITH WEAK INSTABILITY JUST AHEAD OF THE  
TROUGH AXIS, AND THIS WILL LIKELY BRING THE HIGHEST THREAT OF  
THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BRING WIND GUSTS PRODUCING  
ISOLATED WIND DAMAGE. THE SPC HAS MOVED THE MARGINAL RISK EASTWARD  
THIS MORNING, COVERING ALL BUT THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE CWA.  
 
THE SECOND DISTURBANCE ARRIVES TOWARD EVENING AND WILL BRING ANOTHER  
ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT,  
THOUGH INSTABILITY WILL LIKELY BE DIMINISHING AS THE EVENING  
PROGRESSES.  
 
THE POTENTIAL QPF WITH THIS EVENT IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN GIVEN POOR  
MODEL AGREEMENT ON DETAILS, BUT APPEARS AS THOUGH HIGHEST AMOUNTS  
POTENTIALLY PUSHING TOWARD 0.50" WOULD FAVOR AREAS MOST STRICKEN BY  
WORSENING DROUGHT CONDITIONS, GENERALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 64.  
 
SKIES AND PRECIPITATION GRADUALLY CLEAR LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY  
FRIDAY, WITH WARM ADVECTION INCREASING AGAIN AHEAD OF THE NEXT  
SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE AREA SATURDAY. HIGHS TODAY ARE EXPECTED IN THE  
UPPER 70S TO MID 80S, WARMEST IN THE BIG SANDY AND UPPER KENTUCKY  
BASINS WHERE PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF UNTIL LATE  
AFTERNOON. LOWS TONIGHT WILL FALL INTO THE 50S TO LOWER 60S, WITH  
VALLEY FOG LIKELY WHERE PRECIPITATION OCCURS. WITH WARM AND DRY  
CONDITIONS FRIDAY, HIGHS WILL AGAIN RETURN AREAWIDE TO THE 80S.  
   
LONG TERM
 
(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 300 AM EDT THU APR 16 2026  
 
THE PERIOD STARTS FRIDAY NIGHT WITH AN AMPLIFIED UPPER TROUGH AND  
ATTENDANT COLD FRONT TRAVERSING THE CENTRAL CONUS. INCREASING  
CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THIS SYSTEM PROGRESSING  
TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL INTO UPPER 50S TO  
LOW 60S. THE COLD FRONT WILL CUT THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY  
SATURDAY MORNING, PROGRESSING EAST THROUGH THE DAY. THE COLD  
FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO  
THE EARLY EVENING, WITH SHOWER AND STORM CHANCES INCREASING OVER  
EASTERN KENTUCKY FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON  
INTO THE OVERNIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES  
SATURDAY, AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT, WILL WARM INTO THE MID TO UPPER  
80S FOR MOST, UNDER SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AND STRONG WARM ADVECTION.  
SATURDAY NIGHT, WITH WINDS BECOMING WEST TO NORTHWESTERLY, COLD  
AIR ADVECTING IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WILL LOWER TEMPERATURES  
INTO THE MID TO UPPER 40S.  
 
SUNDAY, AS REMAINING SHOWERS TAPER OFF, THE COLD FRONT IS MODELED  
SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MUCH COOLER ACROSS THE  
AREA, SOME 20 TO 25 DEGREES COOLER IN FACT, RANGING FROM THE  
UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S FOR HIGHS. CLOUDS SHOULD DIMINISH THROUGH  
THE AFTERNOON AS THE TROUGH BEGINS TO DEPART THE AREA. HOWEVER,  
EASTERN KENTUCKY LOOKS TO BE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE TROUGH HEADING  
INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. WITH COLD AIR STILL ADVECTING IN UNDER LIGHT  
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS AND CLEARING SKIES, TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED  
TO DROP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 30S IN MOST AREAS. THIS COULD LEAD  
TO PATCHY AREAS OF FROST HEADING INTO MONDAY MORNING, ESPECIALLY  
IN THE VALLEYS WHERE DECOUPLING OF WINDS IS MOST PROBABLE.  
 
HEIGHT RISES LOOK TO OCCUR MONDAY, LEADING TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES,  
WITH HIGHS REACHING THE LOW TO MID 60S, UNDER NORTHWESTERLY  
WINDS. AT NIGHT, TEMPERATURES COOL INTO LOWER 40S. TUESDAY, A  
SHORTWAVE LOOKS TO SKIRT THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AND ITS  
MAIN EFFECTS SHOULD REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA. CONDITIONS WILL  
FEATURE A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS UNDER SOUTHERLY WINDS AND  
SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE MID 70S.  
 
A LOW PASSING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES WILL HAVE A TRAILING COLD  
FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY. THERE IS AN ISOLATED CHANCE  
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NEXT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS  
A RESULT. TEMPERATURES WILL STILL WARM INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 135 AM EDT THU APR 16 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE 06Z TAF ISSUANCE, WITH THE  
EXCEPTION OF KSME WHERE VIZ IS REDUCED TO MVFR AND AT TIMES IFR  
CONDITIONS DUE TO SMOKE FROM A NEARBY LARGE WILDFIRE. SOUTHWEST  
WIND SHEAR REMAINS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH AROUND 12Z-13Z AT MOST  
SITES AS A LOW-LEVEL JET REACHES PEAK STRENGTH BETWEEN 06Z-09Z  
THIS MORNING. WINDS THEN INCREASE AGAIN AFTER SUNRISE ON THURSDAY  
AS A WEATHER SYSTEM NEARS. THIS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN  
MOISTURE AND LOW TO MID LEVEL CLOUDS ARRIVING IN THE AFTERNOON  
WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE  
THROUGH THE EVENING.  
 

 
   
JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...CMC  
LONG TERM...GINNICK/CMC  
AVIATION...CMC  
 
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