Louisville will get a break from snow for a few days this week, but frigid temperatures are a concern for officials ahead of a possible return of snowflakes Friday.
Beginning Monday night, nighttime temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits through Friday, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service in Louisville. The daytime won’t provide much relief, as temperatures are expected to stay well below freezing through Friday.
A bitterly cold wind chill will also impact Louisville and much of Kentucky. During a news conference Monday, NWS Louisville Meteorologist-in-Charge John Gordon said the wind chill for the metro area Thursday may be between -5 and 5 degrees.
“Cold air temperatures will have significant impact on locations without power,” the weather service stated in a Monday update. “Exposed water pipes may need protection.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday utility crews from around the commonwealth are working to restore electricity to homes ahead of the anticipated drop in temperature. Thousands of customers remained without power Monday, but the number was down from a peak of more than 90,000 during the worst of the storm.
“We’re working with local officials to get the word out to those who have lost power and have medical devices that need to run. We need those folks to be moving toward a warming center,” he said. “If you don’t have power by midday (Monday), you need to be looking at finding a warming center or location that has power.”
In Louisville, a “white flag operation” is typically in place when temperatures are below 35 degrees. A number of Louisville-area organizations opened warming centers during Winter Storm Blair.
Another round of snow could arrive as soon as Friday, but Gordon did not expect much to fall.
“Is it going to snow? I think so,” Gordon said Monday. “Is it going to snow a lot? No. Right now we have minor accumulations of less than 2 inches in the forecast.”
The weather service’s forecast for Louisville estimated a 20% chance of snow after 1 p.m. Friday and a 40% chance of snow Friday night.
Louisville forecast
Monday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 30. Wind chill values as low as 10. Calm wind.
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 24. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 1.
Thursday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 23.
Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 7.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28.
Friday night: A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22.
More: JCPS cancels high school basketball games through Wednesday because of Winter Storm Blair
Reporters Keely Doll and Marina Johnson contributed.
Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville weather forecast: Arctic air to move in, force temps low