Even colder Arctic air arrives Sunday with negative wind chills possible

Warming temperatures and rain through Friday night will only accentuate the dramatic change over the weekend when another Arctic cold front brings in the coldest air this winter behind it.

The National Weather Service office in Paducah is watching for multiple days of potential exceptional cold with highs in the upper teens and 20s, along with lows in the single digits to start the new work week. Paducah's historical normals for this week are 44 and 27.

The frigid temperatures will be compounded with wind chills as low as 5 below zero in northern counties early Monday morning. Much of western Kentucky will approach a zero wind chill.

One silver lining in the weekend scenario is that the late week warmth and rain should melt off snow that remains in northern portions of the Quad State. A snow cover still in place would only increase the potential for even colder lows.

That said, highs 15-24 and single-digit lows with negative wind chills is still extremely cold and it warrants an effort to be careful outdoors, to care for animals exposed to the cold and to check on your neighbors.

Temperatures start lifting Wednesday as a southerly flow returns. 


MAP: Predicted area of extreme cold Sunday through Tueday (National Weather Service)