All severe weather threats, from tornadoes to hail, are on the table for the Louisville area Sunday, though the forecast may be narrowed in scope as the weekend approaches.
The Storm Prediction Center placed all of Kentucky and parts of neighboring states under a “slight” risk for severe weather, which could arrive sometime Sunday afternoon or night, according to a briefing released by the National Weather Service in Louisville. Forecasters said they had a “medium” confidence in severe weather occurring within the slight risk area.
Brian Schoettmer, a meteorologist with NWS Louisville, said the weather service can’t rule anything out just yet, but it seems likely the city will not see tornadoes. damaging winds and hail in the same storm. Heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms are also possible Sunday.
“We’ll have mild temperatures Sunday until a cold front drags in,” Schoettmer said. “That’s the trigger (for the severe weather). There will be a strong low pressure system, which creates a lot of wind energy.”
Temperatures in the Louisville area are expected to drop around 25 degrees Sunday, from a high near 75 to a low of around 50, according to a National Weather Service forecast issued Wednesday.
As Sunday draws nearer, weather service meteorologists should be able to pinpoint the likelihood of each severe weather risk better, Schoettmer said. The timing of the storm is expected to be narrowed down.
Louisville residents could be in a for a wet weekend, with a 30% chance of rain Friday, a 60% change Saturday and a 70% chance Sunday. Rainfall totals of 1-2 inches are expected to widespread Sunday in Kentucky, and parts of northern Kentucky could see up to 3 inches, NWS officials stated in a rainfall forecast Wednesday afternoon.
“Heavy rainfall in thunderstorms will create flash flooding potential,” a statement from the weather service read.
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Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville weather: Slight severe risk of tornadoes, heavy rains, hail
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