Columbia, KY 42728 Weather

Key Messages

* Locally dense river valley fog is possible early this morning.

* Patchy frost will be possible early Friday and Saturday mornings, mainly in sheltered rural areas.

* Dry weather and consistent temperatures are expected through next Wednesday.

Discussion

Issued at 329 AM EDT Thu Oct 22 2026

Another calm, clear night is producing optimal conditions for radiational cooling. Temperatures are in the 40s in most areas and will continue to settle into the upper 30s and lower 40s through daybreak. Our coolest rural, sheltered low spots in the Bluegrass and Lake Cumberland regions could see mid 30s and patchy frost early this morning.

Recent satellite imagery shows the development of river valley fog across eastern KY, a trend that will expand into central KY through the pre-dawn hours. The fog may become locally dense between 5-9 AM EDT, mainly along the river valleys. Fog should largely dissipate by mid-morning, and another round of valley fog looks likely early Friday.

Our stretch of spectacular weather continues today. An upper level ridge is positioned over the central CONUS, with upper troughing over each coast. Broad high pressure at the surface, centered off to our N and NW, is contributing to a dry airmass and persistent NE low- level flow. In the short term, the upper level ridge is forecast to drift slowly eastward toward the MS Valley while sfc high pressure strengthens as it shifts southeast across the eastern US and Canada. Ridging, both at the surface and aloft, will then build over our region through the weekend and into early next week.

Stubborn high pressure and a notably dry airmass give us high confidence in dry weather through next Wednesday. In short, largely dry weather is likely through the last several days of October. Temperatures will be fairly steady over the next week as well, with afternoon highs ranging from the upper 60s and lower 70s in the Bluegrass to the low/mid 70s elsewhere. Overnight temps will dip into the upper 30s to mid 40s. Friday and Saturday mornings both have patchy frost potential, especially in rural, low-lying areas.

It is unclear when our next chance for appreciable rainfall will be. A frontal system could bring a brief shot for light rain by late next week or over Halloween weekend, but confidence in this is very low at this time. Again, mainly dry weather is expected through the end of the month.

Aviation

Issued at 731 AM EDT Thu Oct 22 2026

VFR conditions expected throughout the TAF period, outside of isolate morning fog that should burn off quickly after sunrise. Winds are light, mainly out of the NNE, and are expected to veer slightly NE this afternoon. Large-scale ridging across the central US and expansive surface high pressure will result in another day of mostly clear skies.

Lmk Watches

KY...None. IN...None.