Tuesday, January 20
NWS Alerts Active This Day
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 11:58AM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 5 below expected.
WHERE Bath, Elliott, Fleming, Menifee, Montgomery, Rowan, and Morgan Counties.
WHEN From 10 PM this evening to 10 AM EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 19 at 3:05PM EST by NWS Jackson KY
Clearing skies associated with a passing area of high pressure will allow temperatures to fall into the single digits for many locations late tonight into Tuesday morning. When combined with light winds, this will yield apparent temperatures near zero in a few spots overnight. If you must go outside be sure to bundle up. If possible, keep your pets indoors during this blast of cold air.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 3:24PM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero expected.
WHERE Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and central, south central, and southwest Ohio.
WHEN Until 10 AM EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 5 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 3:28PM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Louisville KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 3 to 6 below zero expected.
WHERE Portions of Indiana and east central and north central Kentucky.
WHEN From 10 PM this evening to 10 AM EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 19 at 5:15PM EST by NWS Charleston WV
Clearing skies will allow temperatures to fall into the single digits overnight into Tuesday morning. When combined with light winds, resulting wind chills will drop to near zero. If you must go outside be sure to bundle up and if possible, keep your pets indoors during this cold spell.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 6:31PM EST until January 20 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Charleston WV
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below expected.
WHERE Portions of northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, and central, northeast, northern, southeast, southern, and western West Virginia.
WHEN Until noon EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken. Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible. Additional information can be found at https://www.weather.gov/rlx as well as on our X and Facebook pages.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 8:01PM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero expected.
WHERE Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and central, south central, and southwest Ohio.
WHEN Until 10 AM EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 8:22PM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 5 below zero expected.
WHERE Bath, Elliott, Fleming, Menifee, Montgomery, Rowan, and Morgan Counties.
WHEN Until 10 AM EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 19 at 10:55PM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero expected.
WHERE Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and central, south central, and southwest Ohio.
WHEN Until 10 AM EST Tuesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 20 at 12:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
Apparent temperatures as low as near zero degrees are expected this morning in association with an arctic air mass settling over the area under clear skies. If you must go outside be sure to bundle up and dress in layers and exposed skin covered as much as possible. If possible, keep your pets indoors during this blast of cold air.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 20 at 12:59AM EST until January 20 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Charleston WV
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below.
WHERE Portions of northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, and central, northeast, northern, southeast, southern, and western West Virginia.
WHEN Until noon EST today.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 10 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 20 at 3:30AM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 5 below zero.
WHERE Bath, Elliott, Fleming, Menifee, Montgomery, Rowan, and Morgan Counties.
WHEN Until 10 AM EST this morning.
IMPACTS Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 20 at 3:35AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
Apparent temperatures as low as near zero degrees are occurring this morning in association with an arctic air mass settling over the area under clear skies. If you must go outside be sure to bundle up and dress in layers and keep exposed skin covered as much as possible. If practical, keep your pets indoors during this blast of cold air.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 20 at 9:50AM EST until January 20 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
Temperatures will slowly warm today, and the cold weather advisory will be allowed to expire. Wind chills in some locations may remain near zero degrees through the afternoon.
Winter Weather Advisory
Winter Weather Advisory issued January 20 at 3:20PM EST until January 21 at 11:00AM EST by NWS Louisville KY
WHAT Precipitation is expected to develop across the advisory area early Wednesday morning and will likely be in the form of freezing drizzle and freezing rain. Some snow may mix after sunrise. Additionally, road temperatures are expected to be well below freezing overnight and what precipiation falls will likely freeze on contact resulting in slick road conditions. Conditions will improve by mid-late morning as surface temperatures warm to above freezing.
WHERE Portions of south central Indiana and east central, north central, northwest, and south central Kentucky.
WHEN From 4 AM EST /3 AM CST/ to 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ Wednesday.
IMPACTS Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will likely impact the Wednesday morning commute.
Slow down and use caution while traveling. In Indiana, for Indiana Road Conditions please visit http://511in.org In Kentucky, for Kentucky Road Conditions please visit http://goky.ky.gov
How Did We Do?
Comparing our AI forecast to actual observations from Tuesday, January 20, 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
Frigid Arctic Air and Dangerous Morning Wind Chills
A powerful Arctic high-pressure system will anchor over the region, delivering the coldest air of the season. Expect clear skies but dangerously low wind chills in the morning across the entire Commonwealth.
Confidence Assessment
High agreement among all models on the absence of precipitation and the general placement of the Arctic high. The only variance is in the magnitude of the morning temperature floor.
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
Expect a bright but very cold day with plenty of sunshine. Temperatures will reach the low 30s, but a gusty afternoon wind will keep wind chills in the teens.
Northwest Pennyrile
A very cold day with some clouds moving in during the afternoon. Winds will be gusty, especially near the Ohio River, keeping wind chills in the single digits during the morning.
Southwest Pennyrile
A sunny day is in store, but it will stay cold. Highs will only reach the lower 30s with a light northwest breeze.
Barren River
Sunshine will be plentiful, but temperatures will barely reach the freezing mark. Morning lows will be in the mid-teens.
Louisville Metro
Louisville will remain below the freezing mark all day. Temperatures won't reach the 30s despite bright sunshine.
Lincoln Trail
Expect clear skies and very cold temperatures. Winds will pick up in the evening, making the air feel much colder than the thermometer suggests.
Lake Cumberland
A quiet but cold day for the Somerset area. Plenty of sun, but you'll need heavy layers all day as highs stay in the 20s.
Northern Kentucky
This is the coldest part of the state. Morning wind chills will be near zero or slightly below. Highs will barely reach 22 degrees.
Inner Bluegrass
It's a two-coat day in Lexington. Highs will only reach the mid-20s, and morning wind chills will stay in the single digits.
Bluegrass Foothills
Expect clear skies and very cold temperatures. Winds will be breezy at times, adding a significant chill to the air.
Northeast Kentucky
Deep cold will settle into the valleys. Even with full sun, temperatures will stay well below freezing throughout the day.
Southeast Kentucky
The mountains will be pretty and sunny, but very cold. Expect temperatures to stay in the 20s with morning wind chills near zero.
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 boundary layer fully decouples and GEM's sub-zero lows verify, morning temperatures could reach -5°F in some valleys, leading to localized extreme wind chill impacts.
The 'Bust' Scenario
If mid-level clouds arrive earlier than expected from the west, afternoon solar insolation will be truncated, keeping high temperatures in the mid-20s for the entire state.
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 Radiational Cooling Floor
A significant disagreement exists regarding morning low temperatures. The GEM is forecasting sub-zero lows for much of Central and Western KY, while the Euro and GFS keep lows in the 10-15°F range.
Why BLEND Wins
While the Arctic airmass is potent, a persistent pressure gradient between the building high and the departing trough should prevent total decoupling of the boundary layer, making GEM's sub-zero solutions unlikely outside of the deepest sinkholes.
Celestial Almanac
Waxing Crescent
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.