Cumberland, KY Weather

Key Messages

- Dry weather persists into next week, with clear skies, mild days, and chilly nights expected.

- Light, patchy frost may develop late tonight and again on Saturday and Sunday nights in sheltered valleys away from lakes, rivers, and larger creeks. Fog is more likely near those bodies of water.

Update

Issued at 723 PM EDT FRI OCT 23 2026

With afternoon dew points dipping lower than was expected over the southwest portion of the forecast area, and models supporting continued somewhat drier low levels there overnight, have lowered tonight's forecast min temps there slightly.

Long Term

(Sunday through Friday) Issued at 157 PM EDT FRI OCT 23 2026

Amplified upper ridging over the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys Sunday and Monday will gradually weaken and get shunted south and east of the area, opening eastern Kentucky to more westerly and/or west- southwesterly flow aloft mid to late next week. At the surface, high pressure will remain in control through much if not all of the period. A cold front may move into the Midwest and Great Lakes region by Wednesday and Thursday of next week, allowing for surface winds to increase out of the south to southwesterly, though wind speeds would remain light.

Sunny/clear skies and dry weather is expected through the period with mild days and cool, if not chilly, nights, with valley fog through the river valleys and patchy frost (at least for Sunday night and perhaps Monday night) in some sheltered valley locations removed from larger bodies of water. The one potential exception is around the middle of next week (i.e., Tuesday night through Wednesday) when most models depict a weakening shortwave crossing the area, bringing an increase in clouds. Such a scenario would likely bring warmer overnight lows and reduce ridge/valley splits in temperatures.

Aviation

(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Saturday night) ISSUED AT 158 AM EDT SAT OCT 24 2026

VFR conditions are currently in place at all TAF sites, but recent satellite imagery reveals radiation fog developing in the valleys of Eastern Kentucky. This fog should deepen in the coming hours, especially in places closer to the area's lakes, rivers, and streams. KSYM and KSME are the TAF sites most likely to see vsby reductions from this fog. The former has experienced fog- driven MVFR reductions around dawn for the past few days, and the same weather pattern remains in place across the area. Persistence forecasting suggests that a TEMPO group around dawn will sufficiently capture these potential vsby reductions. KSME's proximity to Lake Cumberland could bolster the fog potential there, so a TEMPO group has also been introduced there with the 06z TAF package. Once the fog mixes out by mid-morning, all terminals are forecast to return to and/or remain in VFR conditions through the end of the forecast period. A passing disturbance aloft could introduce a few high clouds in the latter half of the period, but these will not be enough to produce meaningful ceilings. Expect light and variable surface winds to persist through the end of the period.