Louisville’s first snow of the season could come before Thanksgiving this year, though eager snow watchers shouldn’t expect much from the system that could arrive in the city as early as Thursday morning, according to a National Weather Service forecast.
Light snow showers are possible as temperatures cool into the upper 30s Wednesday night into Thursday, following periods of gusty rain showers. Thursday could be quite breezy, with sustained gusts of 30-40 mph.
NWS meteorologist Adrian Lopez Lago said the metro area could see “light, wet snow” on elevated surfaces, but not much else.
“Let’s say we have some light snow showers Thursday during the day. It will likely melt after contact,” Lopez Lago said. “So the best chance to have something will be Thursday night. So Friday morning, maybe you wake up and see snow.”
Whatever manages to stick won’t last on the surface very long, as temperatures are expected to rise into the 40s Thursday and Friday afternoon.
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After a warmer than usual start to the week with highs around the 70s on Tuesday afternoon, Louisville will cool by 20-25 degrees Tuesday night, and typical fall temperatures will follow, according to the NWS forecast. Another cool down will sweep across the region Wednesday night, as wind and rain totals pick up, which is where the potential snowy system comes into play, Lopez Lago said.
With the Thanksgiving winter storm impact Louisville?
As of Monday, the National Weather Service’s forecast does not extend past the weekend, so exact conditions for the week of Thanksgiving are difficult to predict, Lopez Lago said. A long-term outlook from the Climate Prediction Center shows Kentucky and southern Indiana should have temperatures above normal through the rest of November. For Louisville, the average high temperature in November is around 50 degrees.
Louisville 5-day forecast
Monday night: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 7-10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Southwest wind 10-13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday night: A 20% chance of showers before 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. West wind of 3-6 mph.
Wednesday: A 20% chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. West wind of 6-15 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Wednesday night: A slight chance of rain showers between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., then a slight chance of snow showers after 4 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: A slight chance of snow showers before 1 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday night: A 30% chance of showers before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 45.
Friday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.
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 snow forecast for Thursday, Friday, Thanksgiving week
