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This forecast update covers far southern Illinois, far southeast Missouri, and far western Kentucky. See the coverage map on the right side of the blog.
Tuesday – A mix of sun and clouds. Cold with below normal temperatures. Highs will be in the upper 20’s and lower 30’s. Southwest winds becoming northwest at 10-20 mph. Wind chill values will be in the teens.
Tuesday night – Cloudy and cold. Bitterly cold wind chills below zero. A chance for snow showers or snow squalls. Some light accumulation possible. Low temperatures in the lower to middle teens. Northwest winds at 10-25 mph. Gusty at times.
Wednesday – TEMPERATURES FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. Partly cloudy with a chance for snow showers. Falling temperatures through the day. Bitterly cold wind chills. Cold. Well below normal temperatures. High temperatures will be in the teens. Wind chills of 0 to 10 below zero. Dangerous wind chill values for those working outdoors, elderly, and children.
Wednesday night – Clearing with pipe busting cold. Low temperatures will be -4 to 6 above across the region. North winds at 10-15 mph and gusty at times. Winds becoming north at 5 mph late. Wind chills below zero.
Thursday – Partly cloudy and cold. Not as cold as Wednesday. High temperatures will be in the 20’s. Southwest winds at 10 mph.
Thursday night – Partly cloudy and cold. Low temperatures in the teens. Southwest winds at 10 mph.
Current Temperatures Around The Local Area
An explanation of what is happening in the atmosphere over the coming days.
Weather Headlines
- Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills this week
- Snow showers or snow squall possible Tuesday night into Wednesday morning
- Falling temperatures through the day on Wednesday
- Watching a precipitation maker for later this weekend
Not a lot of changes from the last update.
A strong cold front will push into the region tonight. This front will usher in true arctic air that will last through Thursday afternoon. We will see temperatures begin to moderate as soon as Thursday afternoon into Friday.
There might be enough forcing and moisture available along the front for some gusty snow showers or a snow squall.
Right now it appears that the risk for accumulating snow is small. With that said, sometimes these systems can produce a quick burst of snow. If so then there might be some light accumulation.
Temperatures will fall from tonight into Thursday morning. Highs on Wednesday will not get out of the teens. Cold for January.
Overnight lows appear on track to fall into the single digits on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Below zero readings are likely over parts of southern Illinois. Bitterly cold air.
Winds will be gusty tonight into Wednesday evening. That means that wind chills will dip well below zero. Use care and caution if you have to be outdoors. Children should wear layers and protect their fingers and ears – esp if they have to wait outside for the buses.
I will re-post the previous message from Monday’s blog.
This message is most pertinent to those with poorly protected water pipes
Historically in our region an event like this causes…
1. Deaths
2. An increase in home and business fires
4. Risk of frostbite to children, elderly, and those working outdoors
5. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to water pipes/water damage/fire damage
6. Those of you who had damage from the cold over the last couple of years will likely want to make sure you are prepared for this cold weather event.
Tips…
— Check on elderly residents during this upcoming cold weather event
— Make sure you have followed advice on protecting your home and businesses from busted pipe and water damage
— Bring in pets and protect outdoor animals
— Use common sense when it comes to utilizing heating sources for your home and businesses.
Pipe busting cold temperatures are forecast by Thursday morning. Area residents are encouraged to double check their precautionary measures to prevent damage to homes and businesses.
Let’s remember the elderly, as well during this time. Historically events like this claim lives and cause pipe damage.
Leading up to the coldest night we will experience temperatures in the teens on Tuesday night and high temperatures only in the teens on Wednesday. This will set the stage for the extreme cold on Wednesday night.
Assuming the current forecast numbers are correct, I am forecasting -2 to 6 above temperature readings over southern Illinois and western Kentucky. The below zero readings are most likely from Carbondale, Illinois to Shawneetown, Illinois northward.
The low single digits readings are likely from there southward and over western Kentucky.
Here is some advice to help protect your homes and businesses. I grabbed some of these tips from online sources.
Bring in those pets who are not used to extreme temperatures and check on people who are susceptible to the extreme cold.
Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working.
Don’t use stoves, ovens or grills as sources of heat. Use extreme caution with space heaters, and fireplaces.
Protect your pipes and let faucets drip, even at a trickle, in order to prevent them from freezing. You can also keep cabinet doors open near pipes to allow warm air to circulate around them.
The main story will be the cold weather.
Dangerous wind chill values are possible on Wednesday/Wednesday evening. These readings can cause frostbite to exposed skin in a very short time span.
These numbers are WIND CHILLS (not temperatures)
Click for large view
Mentioned snow showers tonight and Wednesday morning. Iffy on coverage, but definitely a possibility.
Bitterly cold air over the coming 48-72 hours. A snow shower on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.
Dangerous wind chills on Wednesday into Thursday morning could cause frost bite to exposed skin. Children at bus stops would be vulnerable to frost bite.
The wild card tells you where the most uncertainty is in the current forecast.
Wild card in this forecast – perhaps a snow shower on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Some spotty accumulation can’t be ruled out.
Will I need to take action?
Start thinking about protecting your water pips on Wednesday night. I know some of you have had problems the last few years.
Care should be used if children have to be outdoors on Wednesday into Thursday morning. Bus stops/other.
Sensitive outdoor animals may have problems with this cold snap. This is especially true on Tuesday into Thursday morning.
How much rain should this system produce over our region?
A snow shower possible Tuesday night and Wednesday morning
Perhaps a snow shower on Tuesday night along the front. These may linger into Wednesday morning. Gusty winds with the snow showers.
I continue to watch for the possibility of precipitation later this weekend and into early next week. Data is all over the place with this event. So, for now – will leave it as it is. Just a mention of the possibility.
Cold weather through next weekend.
I am watching for a possible overrunning precipitation event for Saturday through Monday. Details are still vaugue. It appears a system moving out of the southwest United States will push into our region. The exact track of this system will determine what happens in our local counties.
This system is still 5-6 days away. I have little confidence in the eventual outcome. Keep checking back.
WEATHER RADAR PAGE – Click here —
NOTE: Occasionally you will see ground clutter on the radar (these are false echoes). Normally they show up close to the radar sites – including Paducah.
Regional Radar – Click on radar to take you our full radar page.
Regional Radar
Current WARNINGS (a warning means take action now). Click on your county to drill down to the latest warning information. Keep in mind that there can be a 2-3 minute delay in the updated warning information.
I strongly encourage you to use a NOAA Weather Radio or warning cell phone app for the most up to date warning information. Nothing is faster than a NOAA weather radio.
Color shaded counties are under some type of watch, warning, advisory, or special weather statement. Click your county to view the latest information.
Missouri Warnings
Illinois Warnings
Kentucky Warnings
Please visit your local National Weather Service Office by clicking here. The National Weather Service Office, for our region, is located in Paducah, Kentucky.
Here is the official 6-10 day and 8-14 day temperature and precipitation outlook. Check the date stamp at the top of each image (so you understand the time frame).
The forecast maps below are issued by the Weather Prediction Center (NOAA).
The latest 8-14 day temperature and precipitation outlook. Note the dates are at the top of the image. These maps DO NOT tell you how high or low temperatures or precipitation will be. They simply give you the probability as to whether temperatures or precipitation will be above or below normal.
Many of my graphics are from www.weatherbell.com – a great resource for weather data, model data, and more
This blog was inspired by ABC 33/40’s Alabama Weather Blog – view their blog
Current tower cam view from the Weather Observatory- Click here for all cameras.
Southern Illinois Weather Observatory
The Weather Observatory
Southern Illinois Weather Observatory
WSIL TV 3 has a number of tower cameras. Click here for their tower camera page & Illinois Road Conditions
Marion, Illinois
WPSD TV 6 has a number of tower cameras. Click here for their tower camera page & Kentucky Road Conditions & Kentucky Highway and Interstate Cameras
Downtown Paducah, Kentucky
Benton, Kentucky Tower Camera – Click here for full view
Benton, Kentucky
I24 Paducah, Kentucky
I24 Mile Point 9 – Paducah, KY
I24 – Mile Point 3 Paducah, Kentucky
You can sign up for my AWARE email by clicking here I typically send out AWARE emails before severe weather, winter storms, or other active weather situations. I do not email watches or warnings. The emails are a basic “heads up” concerning incoming weather conditions.
