Wednesday, January 28
NWS Alerts Active This Day
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 27 at 10:22AM EST until January 28 at 11:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 10 below expected.
WHERE Bath, Fleming, Montgomery, and Rowan Counties.
WHEN From 10 PM this evening to 11 AM EST Wednesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 10 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 or are traveling. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 27 at 12:49PM EST until January 28 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 15 below zero expected.
WHERE Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and central, south central, and southwest Ohio.
WHEN From 7 PM this evening to noon EST Wednesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 15 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. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 27 at 3:53PM EST until January 28 at 11:00AM EST by NWS Louisville KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 13 below expected.
WHERE Portions of south central Indiana and east central and north central Kentucky.
WHEN From 10 PM EST /9 PM CST/ this evening to 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ Wednesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 15 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 27 at 4:58PM EST until January 28 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 15 below zero expected.
WHERE Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and central, south central, and southwest Ohio.
WHEN Until noon EST Wednesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 15 below zero could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken. Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure. Very cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 27 at 8:16PM EST until January 28 at 11:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
WHAT For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills as low as 15 below this morning. For the Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills as low as 5 to 10 below expected.
WHERE Bath, Fleming, Montgomery, and Rowan Counties.
WHEN Until 11 AM EST Wednesday.
IMPACTS The cold wind chill values could result in hypothermia or frostbite if precautions are not taken.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside or are traveling. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 27 at 11:07PM EST by NWS Charleston WV
Bands of snow moving through the area tonight may quickly reduce visibilities and create slick spots as snow begins to coat roadways. Please use extra caution if traveling. Be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions. Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued January 27 at 11:30PM EST by NWS Jackson KY
Scattered to numerous snow showers with fluffy dendritic snowflakes will create reduced visibility, as well as minor accumulations through the early morning hours. A few locations may see light snow accumulations of around one-half inch. Snow showers will diminish to flurries towards dawn as skies begin to partially clear. Those traveling overnight should exercise caution, slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 28 at 1:00AM EST until January 28 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
WHAT Very cold wind chills as low as 15 below zero.
WHERE Portions of southeast Indiana, northeast and northern Kentucky, and south central and southwest Ohio.
WHEN Until noon EST today.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 15 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. Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Cold Weather Advisory
Cold Weather Advisory issued January 28 at 4:00AM EST until January 28 at 11:00AM EST by NWS Jackson KY
WHAT Wind chills as low as 5 to 10 below zero this morning.
WHERE Bath, Fleming, Montgomery, and Rowan Counties.
WHEN Until 11 AM EST this morning.
IMPACTS The cold wind chill values could result in hypothermia or frostbite 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 28 at 4:07AM EST until January 28 at 11:00AM EST by NWS Louisville KY
WHAT Very cold wind chills of 5 to 13 below zero.
WHERE Portions of south central Indiana and east central and north central Kentucky.
WHEN Until 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ this morning.
IMPACTS The cold wind chills as low as 15 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 28 at 11:38AM EST until January 28 at 12:00PM EST by NWS Wilmington OH
The wind chill is not as low as earlier and will continue to improve.
How Did We Do?
Comparing our AI forecast to actual observations from Wednesday, January 28, 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
Arctic Grip: Dangerous Wind Chills and Deep Freeze
An intense Arctic high-pressure system will dominate Kentucky, bringing the coldest air of the season. Sub-zero wind chills are expected for many Wednesday morning under mostly clear skies, with light flurries possible in the eastern mountains.
Confidence Assessment
High agreement on the overall synoptic setup and the presence of extreme cold; however, minor differences in morning minimums and the existence of light mountain flurries introduce some volatility.
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 very cold day with plenty of sunshine. Temperatures will start in the single digits, making for a bone-chilling morning commute. Afternoon highs will struggle to reach the 30-degree mark despite clear skies.
Northwest Pennyrile
A brutal morning is in store with wind chills dropping to 8 degrees below zero. Skies will be mostly sunny, but it will offer little warmth. High temperatures will remain in the mid-20s throughout the afternoon.
Southwest Pennyrile
Sunny skies will prevail, but temperatures will stay well below freezing all day. Morning lows will dip into the single digits. Expect a biting wind that will make it feel much colder than the actual temperature.
Barren River
Clear skies and light winds will allow cold air to pool in the lower elevations. Highs will only reach 27 degrees. Expect single-digit temperatures for the morning commute with wind chills near zero.
Louisville Metro
Louisville will experience some of its coldest air this year. Morning wind chills will hit 10 below zero. Highs will struggle to reach 22 degrees even with full sunshine.
Lincoln Trail
A frigid day is ahead with morning temperatures near 5 degrees. Wind chills will be well below zero through midday. Sunshine will be abundant but ineffective at warming the air past the low 20s.
Lake Cumberland
Breezy conditions will make the 26-degree high feel much colder. Morning temperatures will drop to around 10 degrees. Winds will gust up to 25 mph at times during the afternoon.
Northern Kentucky
This is the coldest region in the state. Morning wind chills will dip to 12 below zero with actual temperatures near zero. Highs will not even reach 20 degrees under mostly sunny skies.
Inner Bluegrass
Bitter cold will be joined by gusty winds today. Morning wind chills will dip to 14 below zero. High temperatures will only reach 20 degrees, making for a dangerously cold day.
Bluegrass Foothills
Expect a bright but very cold day. Morning wind chills will drop to 6 below zero with temperatures in the single digits. Highs will reach the lower 20s with stubborn winds continuing through the evening.
Northeast Kentucky
Expect some morning flurries and light snow showers. Accumulations will be minimal, around a dusting to 0.1 inch. The afternoon will turn sunny but will remain very cold with a high of 22.
Southeast Kentucky
Light snow showers and flurries are likely this morning. Expect accumulations of around 0.1 inch, mainly on grassy surfaces. Clouds will break in the afternoon, but temperatures will stay below freezing with a high of 26.
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 morning winds decouple completely, sheltered valleys could see actual temperatures drop to -5°F, and if the shallow moisture in the East is deeper, localized dustings of 0.5" could occur in the Coalfields.
The 'Bust' Scenario
If the mid-level cloud deck arrives earlier and thicker than expected, it may provide enough insulation to keep morning lows in the low teens rather than single digits, though daytime highs would suffer further.
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 Eastern Flurry Feud
The GEM shows persistent low-level saturation below 850mb in the eastern mountains, suggesting light snow showers/flurries, while the GFS and NAM maintain a bone-dry column.
Why GEM Wins
The GEM typically resolves shallow arctic moisture and orographic lift in the eastern KY terrain more accurately than global GFS or coarser NAM runs in this specific regime.
The Arctic Floor War
Disagreement exists on the magnitude of the morning low. GEM and GFS are aggressive with sub-zero temperatures in the Metro corridors, while NAM/Euro favor low single digits.
Why NAM Wins
Inside 48 hours, the NAM's high-resolution boundary layer physics generally captures the balance between CAA and the urban heat island effect more effectively.
Celestial Almanac
Waxing 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.