textproduct: Jackson

KEY MESSAGES

- Drier weather with modestly lower humidity will prevail through the end of the work week.

UPDATE

Issued at 1013 AM EDT WED JUL 29 2026

Fog has mixed out across the area, and the SAFs have been updated to remove fog wording. Today, mostly sunny skies are expected with some hazy skies due to wildfire smoke from out west. The forecast has been updated to incorporate the latest observational and model data. No major changes were made.

LONG TERM

(Thursday night through Tuesday) Issued at 335 AM EDT WED JUL 29 2026

The main change to the grids for the first part of the extended forecast this morning was primarily to include more in the way of terrain distinctions into temperatures for Thursday night and the first part of Friday night along with drier afternoon dewpoints through the rest of the work week. The westward retreat of the strong 5h ridge to the west looks to allow shortwaves in northwest flow to start cutting to the west of eastern Kentucky and likely setting up lower heights for the region with a trough axis through western Kentucky by the end of the weekend. Accordingly, sfc high pressure in place for the end of the work week looks to keep the weather quiet, dry, and rather pleasant. Then return flow moisture and the upper level dynamics return storm chances to the forecast starting Saturday along with a potential for excessive rainfall.

The previous long term discussion follows:

The long-term period opens Thursday morning with a deep trough axis extending from Quebec southward to along the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast US coast. Meanwhile, an ~596 dam high is in place over the Southern Rockies with broader ridging across much of the Central and Western CONUS. This leaves the Ohio Valley in a zone of subsidence on the eastern side of the ridging, corresponding to an area of surface high pressure. There is also a shortwave trough riding over the top of the ridging across the Dakotas at the start of the period.

Aside from some nighttime and morning fog in the typically favored river valley locales, fair weather will be found across eastern Kentucky through Friday as surface high pressure crests over and just northeast of the JKL CWA. This will keep relatively cool temperatures in place for both Thursday and Friday with highs in the lower to mid 80s and lows in the mid 50s to near 60F. Dew points falling into the upper 50s to lower 60s will make it feel quite comfortable.

Looking ahead to the weekend and early next week, the shortwave trough over the Northern Plains will dig southeastward and close off into a low over the Mid-Mississippi Valley. A weak area of surface low pressure will develop ahead of this feature over the Central Plains on Thursday night into Friday, then occlude and decay near or over the Commonwealth early next week. This system will wrap higher humidity levels back into eastern Kentucky while also bringing rounds of convection. As a result, daily high temperatures will remain on the cool side, generally in the lower to middle 80s, while nighttime lows moderate to between 65 and 70F.

AVIATION

(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Thursday morning) ISSUED AT 800 AM EDT WED JUL 29 2026

VFR conditions were noted at the TAF sites at forecast issuance. Fog is present in the deeper valleys but should lift/burn off with little or no impact on the TAF terminals. Once the fog dissipates, VFR conditions under a scattered cu field will persist area-wide through the remainder of the day with weak northerly winds.

JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.