Storms coming this week

A dramatic temperature shift this week is expected to drive unseasonably warm weather back to typical conditions for late January.

The national weather service predicts today’s high temperature to reach the high 60s and Wednesday’s high to be in the low 60s before plummeting to the mid 20s Wednesday night.

The swift change is the result of a strong cold front coming through. It is expected to bring a surge of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico on the front end of a low-pressure system, and bring cold air on the back end, said Mark Adams, lead forecaster for the Fort Knox weather station.

Those conditions are more common in March or April and could create severe weather associated with those months, such as high winds late today and early Wednesday, thunderstorms and light snow.

“It may be a wake up call because severe weather season is around the corner,” he said.

Residents should take typical precautions for thunderstorms and light snow. They might also want to make sure weather radios are turned on and to watch the weather before going to bed tonight because severe weather is expected to hit overnight, Adams said.

“Just be aware,” he said.

The drop will put the temperature back in line with weather more common for January in Kentucky, Adams said.

Good news for those longing for the return of spring is average weather data shows Jan. 19 tends to be the turning point for temperatures to begin to climb, Adams said.

That means days are getting longer and expected to get warmer, despite the plunging readout on thermometers later this week, he said.

Amber Coulter can be reached at (270) 505-1746 or acoulter@thenewsenterprise.com.