Friday, Nov. 17, 2017

Strong storm system will move through the area tomorrow.

A  storm system will form tonight over MO/AR and develop rapidly as it races across Illinois and Indiana into Ohio by late tomorrow.  Two active fronts will move across our area by tomorrow evening.

First, a warm front will push northward through the area tonight.  This should produce widespread showers over KY and so.IN after midnight.  A few scattered elevated thunderstorms will be possible along the front.  If you hear thunder in your neighborhood, there’s a good chance you’ll get some small hail mixed in with the rain.  Rain connected with the warm front should be out of the Louisville area by 8 A.M.

Then we’ll have a period of 4-7 hours of mostly dry weather as the winds increase dramatically.  By late morning into the evening, winds will become quite strong thanks to that strong storm passing to our north.  Southerly winds should gust into the 30-40 mph range during that time.

Second, the cold front associated with the storm system.  That should arrive between 2 P.M. and 5 P.M.  It will sweep rapidly through the area from northwest to southeast.  Ahead of the front will be a narrow line of gusty showers and possible thunderstorms.  Winds could briefly gust to 40-50 mph during this time.  Rain should last only a short while, probably less than one hour.  During this time, temperatures will tumble quickly from the sixties before the rain down to near 50 as the rain ends.

Then back to colder weather by Sunday.

I realize the scenario looks bad for UL’s game with Syracuse.  Lamar Jackson’s possible (probable?) last game in Louisville will be played with a wet field (which has very good drainage, by the way) but it looks to me as though most (maybe all) of the game will be played in dry weather.  It all depends on the cold front’s ability to create thunderstorms.  When the front arrives, if thunder is in the area the game will be delayed.  When the thunder leaves the area, the game will start or resume with dry weather the rest of way.  But, they’ll still have to contend with those strong winds.