Friday, January 9
NWS Alerts Active This Day
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 8 at 6:12PM CST by NWS Paducah KY
Gusty southerly winds of 35 to 40 mph are possible through this evening. Locally higher gusts are possible at times as well. Use extra caution if driving high profile vehicles...especially on east-west highways. Loose outdoor furniture may be blown around as well.
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued January 8 at 7:15PM CST until January 9 at 3:00AM CST by NWS Paducah KY
WHAT South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 to 45 mph.
WHERE Portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri.
WHEN Until 3 AM CST /4 AM EST/ Friday.
IMPACTS Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds will be from the south, so drivers on east-west highways should be prepared for strong crosswinds.
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. Secure outdoor objects.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 8 at 10:12PM EST by NWS Louisville KY
Occasional strong wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are expected later tonight into early Friday morning. Strong wind gusts will be most likely in heavier rain showers or storms which develop, though strong gusts will also be possible outside of storms. Be sure to secure any loose outdoor items, and take extra precautions if operating a high-profile vehicle on east-west oriented roads. Wind gusts should decrease across the area late Friday morning.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 8 at 11:13PM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
Southerly winds have begun to increase in strength late this evening. Some gusts of 35-45 mph will be possible tonight through the early morning hours. Be cautious if driving, especially on east-to-west oriented roads.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 8 at 10:40PM CST by NWS Paducah KY
At 1040 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking gusty showers over Golconda, or 18 miles northeast of Metropolis, moving northeast at 40 mph.
HAZARD Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE Radar indicated.
IMPACT Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Rosiclare, Golconda, Cave-in-Rock, Elizabethtown, Carrsville, and Gross.
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 8 at 10:41PM CST by NWS Paducah KY
At 1041 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking gusty showers along a line extending from Darmstadt to near Cairo. Movement was northeast at 55 mph.
HAZARD Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE Radar indicated.
IMPACT Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Evansville, Henderson, Mount Vernon, Metropolis, Charleston, Newburgh, Morganfield, Cairo, Fort Branch, Sturgis, Shawneetown, La Center, Wickliffe, Breckinridge Center, Melody Hill, Haubstadt, Darmstadt, Rosiclare, Uniontown, and Ridgway.
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 9 at 3:26AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
Occasional wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph are expected today. Winds will mainly be out of the south early this morning, before switching to the west during the late morning and early afternoon. Secure loose objects, and use caution if driving a high-profile vehicle.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 9 at 4:51AM EST by NWS Charleston WV
Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph are expected this morning along and west of the Ohio River, ahead of a passing cold front. These gusty winds will be out of the south, veering from the west northwest while subsiding some this afternoon. Travel in high profile vehicles may be challenging. In addition, gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 9 at 10:56AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
At 1056 AM EST, Doppler radar was tracking gusty showers over Witt, or over Irvine, moving east at 40 mph.
HAZARD Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE Radar indicated.
IMPACT Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Irvine, Beattyville, Fincastle, Ravenna, Pilot, Torrent, Leeco, Rice Station, Pinnacle, Kings Station, Pine Ridge, Calloway Crossing, Wiseman Crossing Station, Winston, Patsey, Wisemantown, Hardwick, Weedon, Drip Rock, and Knowlton. THIS INCLUDES Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway between mile markers 31 and 40.
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 9 at 10:57AM EST by NWS Charleston WV
Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph are expected today as a cold front passes by. These gusty winds will be out of the south through the early afternoon, then becoming west-northwesterly by the late afternoon behind the cold front. Gusty winds will eventually diminish by sunset. Travel in high profile vehicles may be challenging. In addition, gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.
How Did We Do?
Comparing our AI forecast to actual observations from Friday, January 9, 2026.
Regional Assessments
Purchase Area
Northwest Pennyrile
Southwest Pennyrile
Barren River
Louisville Metro
Lincoln Trail
Lake Cumberland
Northern Kentucky
Inner Bluegrass
Bluegrass Foothills
Northeast Kentucky
Southeast Kentucky
Powerful Cold Front to Bring High Winds and Soaking Rain
A potent cold front will sweep across Kentucky on Friday, bringing widespread rain and significant wind gusts. Temperatures will peak early in the day before falling sharply behind the front, creating a non-diurnal temperature trend for most of the Commonwealth.
Confidence Assessment
High confidence in precipitation type (all rain) and timing of the frontal passage. Moderate confidence in the exact magnitude of wind gusts and rainfall totals due to significant model spread between the global and mesoscale suites.
Get Personalized Forecasts
Choose which region in Kentucky you're interested in and we'll always show you that one first. You can change your selected region by clicking the "Star" icon on any regional forecast.
Purchase Area
Rain will move through early in the morning, followed by a very windy but drying afternoon. Wind gusts could reach 48 mph.
Northwest Pennyrile
A soggy morning with heavy rain at times. Winds will be the primary concern, with gusts near 48 mph possible through midday.
Southwest Pennyrile
Rain will be heavy during the morning hours. Gusty winds will continue even after the rain tapers off in the afternoon.
Barren River
Prepare for over an inch of rain and wind gusts approaching 50 mph. The worst conditions will occur during the midday hours.
Louisville Metro
Steady rain and high winds for the morning commute. Temperatures will fall from the low 60s into the 40s by evening.
Lincoln Trail
A very windy day with gusts exceeding 50 mph possible along the ridges. Rain will be steady through the morning.
Lake Cumberland
Expect heavy rain to last for most of the day. Over an inch of accumulation is likely with gusty winds near 45 mph.
Northern Kentucky
Morning rain and strong winds will give way to a much colder afternoon. Wind gusts to 48 mph likely.
Inner Bluegrass
Steady rain and wind gusts near 50 mph through the morning. Temps will drop into the 40s by late afternoon.
Bluegrass Foothills
Rain will become steady by midday with gusty winds. Over an inch of rain is possible in some locations.
Northeast Kentucky
Rain arrives later in the day compared to western areas. Winds will be gusty throughout the afternoon.
Southeast Kentucky
Rain will move in by late morning and continue through the evening. Wind gusts up to 45 mph are possible.
Possible Outcomes
Weather forecasting involves uncertainty. Below are two scenarios representing the range of possible outcomes: the "Boom" scenario shows the worst-case/highest-impact result if conditions align unfavorably, while the "Bust" scenario shows the best-case/lowest-impact result if the forecast doesn't materialize as expected.
The 'Boom' Scenario
If the moisture transport from the Euro verifies alongside the NAM's kinematic strength, localized rainfall could exceed 2 inches in the south, while wind gusts reach 55 mph, leading to scattered power outages and minor flooding.
The 'Bust' Scenario
If the GFS's drier and faster solution wins, rainfall totals will remain under 0.5 inches for most, and the wind gusts will stay below 40 mph as the dry slot limits momentum transfer from the jet.
Model Disagreements
When models disagree, a call must be made to determine the most likely outcome. This decision is based on a combination of factors including model performance, historical data, and the models general accounting of each climatic region of Kentucky.
The Momentum Transfer Conflict
A sharp disagreement exists regarding surface wind gusts. The NAM and GFS resolve a 60-70kt LLJ that mixes down aggressively, while the Euro is much more conservative with surface gusts.
Why NAM Wins
Inside 24-36 hours, the NAM's higher resolution typically captures the momentum transfer in high-shear, low-CAPE environments more accurately than global models.
The Rainfall Magnitude Tug-of-War
The Euro forecasts a heavy, moisture-rich system with 1.5"+ totals across the south, whereas the GFS shows a much more progressive, drier frontal passage with totals under 0.5".
Why BLEND Wins
The Euro likely over-estimates moisture efficiency in a fast-moving trough, while the GFS 'smear' effect is likely under-forecasting localized terrain-enhanced totals.
Celestial Almanac
Waning Gibbous
Purchase Area
Northwest Pennyrile
Southwest Pennyrile
Barren River
Louisville Metro
Lincoln Trail
Lake Cumberland
Northern Kentucky
Inner Bluegrass
Bluegrass Foothills
Northeast Kentucky
Southeast Kentucky
Dive Deeper Into the Models
This forecast is a synthesis of raw data from the NAM, GFS, ECMWF, and GEM models. These models provide detailed atmospheric analyses including 500mb vorticity, precipitation rates, and more. You can take a look at the raw model data by clicking the links below.