Regional Outbreaks of Severe Weather Through Early Next Week; Early Season Heat Wave across the South

Active spring pattern across the center of our nation with several episodes of severe weather and heavy rainfall expected into next week. The potential for very large hail, long track tornadoes, severe wind gusts, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes and flash flooding are in the outlook. Furthermore, dangerous early season heat wave continues for the Gulf Coast states into early next week. Read More >

Last week, NWS Louisville held an operations meeting to prepare our staff for the upcoming winter season. WLKY Louisville's chief meteorologist Jay Cardosi sat in this time to give his station's perspective on how they work winter weather and how they interact with our station. All aspects of the weather enterprise...broadcast meteorologists, NWS forecasters, academics, private meteorologists...have to work together as a team to make sure messaging about impending hazardous weather gets to the final decision makers, be it private citizens to those planning events. We enjoy a great partnership with our TV meteorologists in Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green.

Virtual panel for our Winter Operations Meeting...including WLKY chief meteorologist Jay Cardosi in the bottom left.

Topics discussed at this meeting included:

* How we plan to message impending hazardous weather on the long-range level (i.e., Days 5-7), mid-range (Days 3-5), short-range, as the event is unfolding, and after the event.

* New tools coming to help us diagnose winter potential

* Proper ways to take snow measurements and plans for our collaboration with the official observers at Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green

* A study to document fog on the Clays Ferry Bridge

* Strategy for dealing with the relatively new flood forecast point on the Cumberland River in Burkesville, KY