textproduct: Jackson

KEY MESSAGES

- Gusty winds and widespread rain showers are on track to move into the area today and tonight ahead of an approaching strong cold front. A stray thunderstorm cannot be ruled out.

- Friday will be colder than normal in the wake of that cold front. There may be some light snow showers or flurries across northern portions of the area as precipitation tapers off. - Multiple weather systems are on track to bring periodic rain chances to the area late in the period, when temperatures are likely to be warmer than normal.

LONG TERM

(Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 348 AM EST THU DEC 18 2025

In the wake of the departing Thursday-Friday system, skies clear under light backing winds from southwesterly to southerly, Friday night. Valleys are expected to decouple, leading to fairly large ridge valley splits as dew points drop into the upper teens to low 20s. In sheltered valleys and hollows, temperatures are expected to drop into the upper teens to low 20s. Elsewhere along ridge-tops, temperatures cool into the mid to upper 20s.

Saturday, an upper-level low out of Western Ontario, passes through the Great Lakes, while an area of high pressure remains just east of the region. Southerly winds will advect warm air into Eastern Kentucky through the day driving temperatures into the mid to upper 50s. Winds could gust to 20 mph, with an isolated gust to 25 mph possible through the afternoon. A passing weak cold front Saturday evening may lead to scattered shower chances, and POPs remain in the 20-30 percent range Saturday evening into Sunday morning.

The next chance for precipitation appears to be Monday evening into Tuesday and again Wednesday. A ridge of high pressure looks to build over the Central US next week, however, moisture creeping poleward from the Gulf as well as clipper type systems will create a series

AVIATION

(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) ISSUED AT 1223 AM EST THU DEC 18 2025

Patchy mid-level clouds and even a few light showers/sprinkles are noted across the forecast area at TAF issuance. Those patchy VFR clouds are expected to propagate northward across the region into the early morning hours. Toward dawn, a low-level jet kicks in aloft and yields a period of LLWS. As the inversion mixes out diurnally tomorrow morning, gusty southerly winds will increase at the surface and LLWS will end. Expect increasing and lowering cloud cover through the daylight hours Thursday with mentionable rain chances arriving at the terminals after 17z. A strong cold front arrives between 00z and 06z Friday, bringing a sharp westerly wind shift and the potential for gusts briefly approaching/exceeding 40kts.

JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.