FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY: Showers, storms and windy conditions to wrap up March, start April

HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - It’s going to be an interesting weather ride for the next 48 hours. Strap in and get ready.

Short Term Forecast (Today and Saturday)

We are starting this last day of March with rain chances moving in ahead of a big-time cold front that could cause us some issues later today and tonight.

Scattered showers will be around early as temperatures hover in the upper 40s to around 50 for most. Those will pick up during the daytime hours and could be heavy at times. Keep an eye out for ponding water and some localized high water issues in areas that see heavier bands of rain. Temperatures will be clawing their way up all day long, eventually topping out in the upper 60s just before midnight.

I don’t expect this to be an all-day washout rain, but you will likely need your umbrellas more often than not. The winds will start to pick up, especially later this morning and this afternoon and could gust as high as 25 mph during the day.

That’s only part one of this system. Tonight, storm chances will move in and some of them could be on the strong to severe side. The latest outlook from the Storm Prediction Center keeps most of the region under some sort of severe risk, with the higher risk in the western counties. While we will all likely see storms tonight and early Saturday, the counties along the I-75 and Lake Cumberland corridor have the best chance to see the worst of them.

In the counties under the level 2 risk, while the chance is still really low, I can’t rule out the chance for an isolated brief spin-up tornado. I am still convinced our main threat is damaging winds and I will explain why I think that in just a minute.

The good thing about this complex of storms is that it will move in after dark and that should keep our atmosphere a little more stabilized without the heat of the day to help fuel them. You will still need a way to get alerts quickly tonight, in case any are issued.

That brings us to part 3 of this system: The wind. We are going to have plenty of that. Wind gusts will increase to up to 40 mph tonight as the front continues to work its way toward us. Power outages could be possible, so make sure your devices are charged and ready to go. Lows tonight will eventually drop into the upper 50s by Saturday morning behind the rain.

Even though the rain moves out early Saturday, the wind will not. Gusts will increase to up to 50 mph at times, even as the sunshine makes a return. It will be Saturday night or even early Sunday before the wind starts to calm down. Make sure you secure any loose objects for the next couple of days. Highs will spike in the upper 60s early Saturday before the front rolls through and will drop as it passes. Lows by Sunday morning will be in the low to mid-30s.

You will need to stay weather aware the next couple of days for sure.

Extended Forecast

The second half of the weekend looks very nice, but cooler. Sunday will bring sunny skies but highs will only climb to right around 60 degrees. Lows will drop into the low 40s as we add a few more clouds into the mix Sunday night.

Most of Monday looks dry and temperatures will soar back into the low to mid-70s. Some stray chances are possible late.

Starting Tuesday, we bring back daily chances for rain, including the chance for some more strong storms on Wednesday. It was originally looking like that system would arrive Tuesday, but the models have pushed it back a day. Highs will stay in the upper 70s for Tuesday and Wednesday and then drop into the low to mid-60s for Thursday as that system rolls through.

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