973 FXUS63 KJKL 170545 AAA AFDJKLAREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED National Weather Service Jackson KY 145 AM EDT Wed Sep 17 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Mainly dry weather will persist through the weekend.
- Temperatures will continue to be above normal through this weekend and into next week.
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.UPDATE... Issued at 130 AM EDT WED SEP 17 2025
No significant changes were made to the forecast with mainly just 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 and SAFs.
UPDATE Issued at 1204 AM EDT WED SEP 17 2025
Late evening obs are blended into the forecast without substantive changes.
UPDATE Issued at 930 PM EDT TUE SEP 16 2025
Clouds are holding on locally in the circulation around the low on the Mid-Atlantic coast, and adjustments were made for this evening. Have also adjusted for greater mid level sky cover on Wednesday in southeast KY based on latest model runs.
UPDATE Issued at 504 PM EDT TUE SEP 16 2025
Showers/thunderstorms have dwindled quickly in KY and shifted mainly into TN. Have reduced the POP a bit more quickly for this evening.
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.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 355 PM EDT TUE SEP 16 2025
A large cut-off mid-level low over with surface low near the southeastern Virginia coastline will move northeast and weaken with time through the short-term period. Mid-level heights will begin to rise tonight and gradually continue as upper ridging moves over the area from the west.
Best chance of precipitation will be this afternoon until around or shortly after sunset to the south of the KY Highway 80 corridor, and more favorably, south into northeastern Tennessee. Activity should be mostly just showers, but an isolated thunderstorm or two is possible along the Tennessee border if a warm layer between about 10 kft and 15 kft can be overcome.
Otherwise, a drier and more stable air mass moves over the area within northerly mid-level flow for tonight through Wednesday night. This will allow for highs to remain near to above normal in the 80s for Wednesday, while lows will continue to be near normal in the 50s to lower 60s.
.LONG TERM...(Thursday through Tuesday) Issued at 355 PM EDT TUE SEP 16 2025
BLUF: warm and dry conditions expected to persist into early next week.
Ridging aloft continues to build eastward through the end of the work week, keeping conditions relatively benign. Models remain in good agreement that ridging continues over the area through Saturday, as a dominant high sweeps eastward across southern Canada. A deepening low downstream of the high will enhance flow along the eastern periphery of the high, sending a colder air mass surging through the northeast. The primary source of uncertainty for the extended forecast period revolves around whether or not that cold front makes it this far south before a warm front tied to a stalled shortwave in the northern Plains lifts through the greater Appalachians.
Global ensemble guidance continues to push back increases in PoPs to later and later, which has been happening with each model run over the last three days. NBM PoPs are in the 10-15% range for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday afternoons. No adjustments made to these PoPs because run-to-run consistency in timing is poor, and these low-end PoPs reflect the variability and wishy-washy nature of recent guidance in the day 5 and beyond timeframe.
Temps under the building ridge will continue warming through the end of the week, reaching the low 90s on Friday and Saturday (the two warmest days of the week) across eastern Kentucky. This is 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year. NBM temperature spreads are very small (3-4 degrees at most) indicating high confidence in these temperatures occurring. Temperatures will, as always, be 5-10 degrees cooler near the ridgetops. Overnight lows in the 50s and 60s into the weekend, and clear skies would provide a boost to radiational cooling that would keep nighttime temperatures on the lower end of that range.
Ensemble guidance begins to deviate on temperatures after Monday and Tuesday, but overall guidance suggests that even if there is a cooldown early next week, that temperatures will still be above average for this time of year. Climate Prediction Center highlights roughly 60% chances of above normal temperatures in their 6-10 and 8-14 day forecasts.
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.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night) ISSUED AT 145 AM EDT WED SEP 17 2025
Aside from localized IFR or worse conditions in valley early this morning, VFR conditions can be expected during the period. The fog could grow enough in breadth to affect KSME and KLOZ for a brief time. Meanwhile, winds will be light and variable through the period.
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.JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None.
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UPDATE...GREIF SHORT TERM...CMC LONG TERM...CAMDEN AVIATION...HAL/GREIF
NWS JKL Office Area Forecast Discussion