A Little Warmer, Slight Rain Chances Coming

Seeing that this month will likely qualify as the 6th-coolest July on record in Bowling Green, today was a very fitting way to close it out. The high at the airport was 85°, measured at 1 PM. Just like the past few days, the dewpoints didn't even come close to registering on the humidity meter. A dewpoint of 65° or greater indicates a humid feel outside, but they haven't encroached much beyond the low 50s here. Below-average temperatures and no sticky weather? Sounds like the perfect week to be outside and enjoy some recreation.

We are nestled inside a broad trough in the jet stream, with high pressure located to our southwest. As the jet dives out of Canada, runs through Dixie Alley and back up the East Coast, it blocks the sultry air from the south from invading and allows cooler air from the north to filter in. This is rather atypical for July; usually the jet stream lifts northward as the season goes on, putting the contiguous United States in a pressure cooker. The forecast does not contain much variation in this upper-air pattern for the next couple of days. A stubborn low over Hudson Bay in Canada means the jet will continue to race around it.

Annotation of the jet stream this evening and the associated blocking low over Canada

Despite this stagnant pattern, small rain chances will be introduced in the coming days. Surface disturbances may sprout some spotty showers and thundershowers tomorrow, especially points south and east of Bowling Green. These chances return late Saturday as a low churns to our south, but again, isolated activity seems to be the story. Our daily highs and nightly lows will be gradually increasing during this period, reflecting a gradual breakdown of the trough. The good news is that humidity should stay away for the next few days, though dewpoints might reach 65° on Saturday.

Tonight: A low of 61° with partly cloudy skies. Winds will be light from the east.
Friday: Mostly sunny skies early with clouds increasing through the day. A high near 88° with a 20% chance of isolated showers and perhaps a thundershower. Northeast winds at 5 mph.
Friday night: Precipitation chances diminishing with mostly cloudy skies. Winds becoming calm with a low around 64°.

Enjoy your evening!
- Caleb Chevalier