Dry and Sunnier but Chilly

How do the 60s sound right about now? Rather warm, huh? You may be surprised to learn that our average highs for this time of year are in the mid 60s. We had bouts with these averages a few days ago, but thanks to the cold front which brought a cold, steady rain, the 50s have been the max. In a 24-hour period ending at 7 AM this morning, Bowling Green picked up a little over a half-inch of rain. Some locations in the far southeast of our DMA received over an inch, while portions of Muhlenberg County measured little to none. With the atmosphere recovering from this cold front, we reached a high of 56° today.

Measured rainfall during a 24-hour period ending at 7 AM this morning (NWS Louisville)

Though drier, clouds were numerous and the wind was relentless. Gusts over 30 mph were recorded in Warren County. A tight pressure gradient at the surface was the culprit of the blustery conditions. Strong high pressure is located over the Central Plains and a deepening low is racing up the Atlantic seaboard. Being sandwiched between the two put stress on the pressure fields, and thus, higher winds for us. All this should begin to subside tonight however, along with a gradual thinning of cloud cover. Drier air in the upper levels will be taking over.

Tonight and tomorrow, the low will be departing for far eastern Canada, and high pressure to our west will be free to roam. It should slide to the southeast and come closer to us consequently. The high will suppress most of the cloud activity, so look for mostly clear skies tomorrow. Will it be warmer than today? Not exactly. Even with the additional sunshine, temperatures should peak in the lower 50s tomorrow. Tonight's low will be in the 30s, and will be for the next few nights. Give or take a few degrees, these will be our temperatures for the next few days. This means that we're looking at a dry but chilly Homecoming at WKU. Some additional warmth may arrive for early next week.

Tonight: Low near 36° with partly cloudy skies. Northwest winds around 10 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High of 52° and winds from the northwest decreasing to about 5 mph.
Friday night: Partly cloudy with winds of 5 mph or less. Low around 34°.

Thanks for reading!
- Caleb Chevalier