330
FXUS63 KJKL 192013
AFDJKL
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
413 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- MAINLY DRY WEATHER THROUGH THIS EVENING, THOUGH LOCALLY DENSE
RIVER VALLEY FOG IS EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING.
- A COLD FRONT BRINGS SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY, WITH A FEW STRONG WIND GUSTS AND
LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING POSSIBLE.
- NOTICEABLY COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR ARRIVES THIS WEEKEND AND
CONTINUES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
SHORT TERM
(TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 413 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2026
THERE IS A MESSY WX MAP LATE THIS AFTERNOON, WITH ONE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY STALLED ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH, AND ANOTHER ONE TO OUR
NORTH OVER THE MIDWEST. THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY IS RELATIVELY QUIET
AT THIS POINT, WHILE THE NORTHERN ONE HAS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
NEAR IT. MESOSCALE MODELS ARE SUGGESTING AN MCS WILL DEVELOP OVER
SOUTHERN MO THIS EVENING AS WARM/MOIST AIR OVERRIDES THE SOUTHERN
BOUNDARY. IT THEN PROPAGATES EASTWARD DURING THE NIGHT, WITH ITS
REMNANTS REACHING US OVERNIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY AS IT WEAKENS.
THE NORTHERN CONVECTION MAY ALSO SLOWLY DROP SOUTH TONIGHT. AS HAS
BEEN THE CASE IN RECENT WEEKS, THERE IS NOT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE
IN EXACTLY HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT. A BLEND OF THE LATEST MODEL RUNS
STILL SUGGESTS LIKELY POPS MAKING IT INTO OUR AREA FROM THE WEST
EARLY THURSDAY, BUT THIS IS A DROP FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST
CYCLE. CLOUDS LINGERING DURING THE DAY THURSDAY WILL CUT INTO
DESTABILIZATION AND PROBABLY LIMIT THE POP, EVEN THOUGH THE
NORTHERN BOUNDARY SHOULD SLOWLY SINK SOUTH INTO THE AREA AS A COLD
FRONT. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH SHOULD APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST
THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT GETS READY TO DROP SOUTH OF THE AREA.
MODELS GENERATE CONVECTION WITH THIS, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SOUTHERN
COUNTIES. WITHOUT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE, THE POP IS HELD BELOW THE
LIKELY THRESHOLD AT THIS POINT, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE IF THERE IS
CONTINUITY IN THE MODELS IN FUTURE RUNS.
LONG TERM
(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 228 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2026
SOME SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE START OF THE
EXTENDED PERIOD AHEAD OF A SAGGING COLD FRONT. THE PRIMARY
CORRIDOR FOR PRE-FRONTAL CONVECTION WILL INITIALLY RESIDE ALONG
AND SOUTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY/KY-80 CORRIDOR TOWARD THE
TENNESSEE BORDER. ALOFT, THE BROAD PATTERN FEATURES A RIDGE OVER
THE WESTERN CONUS AND A TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN CONUS. WITH BROAD
TROUGHING MODELED OVER THE GREAT LAKES/NORTHEAST AND A DISTINCT
SHORTWAVE AXIS EXTENDING SOUTH- SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH OH/IN/KY,
MID-LEVEL FORCING WILL LAG BEHIND THE SURFACE BOUNDARY. THIS
LINGERING PVA COMBINED WITH STEEPENING MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES MAY
SUPPORT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POST-FRONTAL CONVECTION FRIDAY
AFTERNOON, WITH THE GREATEST CHANCES REMAINING EAST OF THE
POTTSVILLE ESCARPMENT. GIVEN WEAK AMBIENT SHEAR, ANY ACTIVITY THAT
DEVELOPS SHOULD REMAIN PULSE-LIKE. WHILE PWATS REMAIN ELEVATED
BETWEEN 1.3 AND 1.6 INCHES (50TH TO 75TH PERCENTILE) INTO FRIDAY
EVENING, SIGNIFICANT MID-LEVEL DRYING WILL FILTER IN FROM THE
NORTHWEST, AS REFLECTED BY MODELED 700 MB RH DROPPING INTO THE
TEENS. CLEARING SKIES, CALM WINDS, AND STRONG SUBSIDENCE/CAPPING
UNDER HIGH PRESSURE WILL FAVOR AREAS OF FOG OVERNIGHT FRIDAY,
PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE RIVER VALLEYS.
AN EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE WITHIN THE LONGWAVE TROUGH IS MODELED TO
DIG OUT OF NORTHWESTERN CANADA INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO
VALLEY OVER THE WEEKEND. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL CROSS
KENTUCKY, THOUGH TIMING DISCREPANCIES MAINTAIN UNCERTAINTY IN
POPS. REGARDLESS, PRECIPITATION CHANCES SHOULD REMAIN ISOLATED,
WITH THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL STAYING NORTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA.
HIGH PRESSURE BRIEFLY BUILDS ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY EARLY NEXT
WEEK, USHERING IN A COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS. DEW POINTS LOWERING
INTO THE UPPER 50S AND LOWER 60S WILL BE A WELCOME RELIEF FROM
RECENT VALUES IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. DRY WEATHER PERSISTS
THROUGH TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE PROPAGATES OUT OF THE
UPPER MIDWEST INTO THE REGION MID-WEEK, BRINGING ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES BACK TO THE FORECAST.
AVIATION
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 215 PM EDT WED AUG 19 2026
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT TAF ISSUANCE AND WILL LAST WELL INTO
TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING,
AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CAN'T BE RULED OUT. VALLEY FOG MAY ALSO
DEVELOP DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME IF CLOUDS AREN'T TOO EXTENSIVE.
THE PRECIP OR FOG WOULD BRING SUB-FVR CONDITIONS. DURING THE MID-
LATE MORNING TIMEFRAME, AN MVFR CEILING IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY.
JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SHORT TERM...HAL
LONG TERM...GINNICK
AVIATION...HAL
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