445 FXUS63 KPAH 171910 AFDPAHArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 210 PM CDT Wed Sep 17 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Above normal temperatures continue through Friday with highs in the low to mid 90s. Slightly cooler temperatures arrive this weekend.
- Isolated to widely scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible from late Friday through the weekend. Amounts will likely remain below 0.25" and some areas may stay dry.
- Early next week is trending wetter with prospects for rain increasing in the Sunday night through Tuesday time period. Higher uncertainty exists beyond that, but there is a potential for an unsettled week with near daily rain chances.
- Drought conditions will continue to worsen through the weekend, and there remains a good amount of uncertainty on whether we actually get enough rainfall next week to help significantly.
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 209 PM CDT Wed Sep 17 2025
Upper ridging maintains control of our weather through tomorrow keeping us toasty with highs in the 90s. Meanwhile, troughing across the Northern/Central Plains will migrate eastward into the Midwest through Friday. The main energy with this system will then lift into the Upper Midwest through the weekend. Thus, while the tail end of the trough may result in some isolated to widely scattered showers and storms in our cwa, amounts will likely be quite light (< 0.25") with some areas remaining dry through Sunday. The first of this activity arrives in southeast Missouri Friday and then further east Friday night into Saturday.
There is a growing signal for higher rain chances early next week, particularly Sunday night into Monday, possibly into Tuesday. Ensembles are latching onto a second disturbance that shifts east from the Plains that appears to result in higher QPF (potentially 0.50" or greater). Models differ on how to handle this system mid to late next week though. A decent amount of guidance is suggesting a cut-off upper level low forms somewhere across the central CONUS. If this were to occur, then it would likely lead to several days of showers and storms. GEFS continues to be driest, but even it suggests 0.75" to 1" through next Friday. Meanwhile the ECMWF and its ensemble are suggesting widespread 1-2", which would be welcome relief from the ongoing severe drought.
Temperatures next week will be heavily dependent on cloud cover and coverage of any rain. The drier solution would likely keep us in the 80s, while the wetter solution may keep highs in the 70s several days.
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.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1230 PM CDT Wed Sep 17 2025
FEW-SCT cu this afternoon will give way to SKC tonight. Winds remain light, generally out of the N/NE today. Some patchy fog can`t be ruled out again tonight, especially around KCGI, but crossover temperatures may be lower tonight due to deeper mixing of dry air aloft today so chances appear lower.
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.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...Air Quality Alert until midnight CDT /1 AM EDT/ Thursday night for INZ081-082-085>088. KY...None.
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DISCUSSION...SP AVIATION...SP
NWS PAH Office Area Forecast Discussion