Louisville, KY – A warm and wetter-than-normal pattern is setting up across Kentucky from Nov. 29th through Dec. 5th, bringing multiple rounds of rain statewide as early December begins.
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, temperatures are expected to run above normal statewide, including Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Paducah, and the Appalachian foothills. With warmer air in place across the Ohio Valley, all precipitation is expected to fall as rain, with only a very slight chance of brief mixing on the highest Appalachian peaks in far eastern Kentucky.
NOAA’s precipitation outlook also shows a strong above-normal precipitation signal, suggesting several disturbances may sweep through the region. Louisville and central Kentucky — including Elizabethtown, Frankfort, and Georgetown — may see frequent rainfall, with heavier downpours possible during peak system passages.
Eastern Kentucky — including Hazard, Pikeville, Prestonsburg, and Harlan County — may experience some of the highest rainfall totals, especially along the higher terrain where moisture tends to linger.
Western Kentucky — including Owensboro, Murray, and Hopkinsville — will also see several rounds of rain as Gulf moisture lifts northward.
Forecasters emphasize that this setup does not indicate a single large storm but a multi-system wet pattern, producing slick roads, reduced visibility, and ponding on major highways such as I-64, I-65, I-75, and the Western Kentucky Parkway.
With December approaching, Kentucky residents should prepare for a mild but very rainy week with widespread impacts to travel.
