Paducah, Kentucky – Drivers across western Kentucky and southeast Missouri should prepare for freezing overnight temperatures that could create slick spots on bridges and overpasses along I-24 before sunrise Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, a colder-than-normal air mass will settle over the Quad State region through the weekend and into early next week. Overnight lows will drop into the mid-20s to lower 30s from Paducah to Cape Girardeau and Evansville, allowing untreated pavement to refreeze each morning. While widespread precipitation is not expected, even patchy moisture could freeze on elevated roadways.
Saturday and Sunday will stay mainly dry, though a slight 20 percent chance of a rain shower exists Saturday, primarily across southeast Missouri and far western Kentucky. Highs will struggle through the 30s and lower 40s this weekend, with brisk north winds adding to the chill along US-60 and the Purchase Parkway.
Temperatures begin a steady climb early next week. Highs are forecast to rebound into the 40s Monday and Tuesday before reaching the 50s by midweek across much of western Kentucky, including Hopkinsville and Madisonville. A better opportunity for measurable rainfall may arrive Wednesday night into Thursday, with some areas showing a 40 to 60 percent chance of more than a quarter inch of rain.
Motorists should remain alert for black ice during the early morning commute and monitor updated forecasts as the midweek rain chance approaches. Additional advisories could be issued if colder temperatures linger longer than expected.
