Sunshine and Warmth on the Way

 (originally written by Caleb Chevalier for use by WNKY-TV)

We're winding down a wet and dreary day across south-central Kentucky. Most of the rain had fallen by this morning, but a few showers remain this evening. These will work southeast and should all be gone in the next few hours. Plenty of rain has already fallen though. Two-day rainfall throughout the region was about an 1-1.5" in most areas. A few locations came close to two inches. Flood Warnings continue for the Green River in the counties of Warren, Butler, Ohio and Muhlenberg.

via NWS Louisville

Drier air is approaching, and clouds will gradually break up throughout the night. It will be cooler than the past few nights too. Lows will be around 40°. Winds at the surface will be light from the north, and this may encourage the development of some patchy fog tonight. We're not expecting anything widespread or dense though. Cloud cover will really have thinned out by sunrise, and we will wake up to mostly sunny skies. This will remain the case throughout the day tomorrow, which is shaping up to be a very nice day. A gentle breeze will blow from the north and temperatures should reach 66° for a high. Not too bad at all! Average highs around the ides of March are in the upper-50s, so our treat of above-average temperatures will continue.

But wait, there's more! And no, this is not part of an infomercial. I just want to tell you how great Monday will be. High pressure will begin to build in from the west tomorrow, and by Monday it will solidify itself down along the Gulf states. Surface winds will be out of the southwest, shooting very warm air our way. The lack of any meaningful moisture in the upper levels means skies should be generally sunny, and temperatures will rise into the lower-70s. This will be the second day this year to break the 70° mark (the first was just this past Thursday).

After that, we descend the staircase into cooler temperatures. Tuesday will still be pleasant and dry, but model guidance has shifted the next rain chances a little earlier. Timing for showers looks to be during the day on Wednesday, and temperatures may struggle to reach the 50s. But the models are also indicating that the rain won't stick around very long, leaving us with a dry end to the week.

The GFS suggests some of us may see some rain on Wednesday (via Weatherbell Analytics)

Thanks for reading!
- Caleb Chevalier