It sounds like the name of a buddy cop or an action flick. Instead it's the who, where, and when of a forecast. Storm chances will be on the rise as the remnants of Hurricane Barry turn towards the Ohio Valley mid-week, just as the Barbasol Championship gets underway in Jessamine County.
To recap Barry made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph mid-day Saturday near Intercoastal City along the central Louisiana coast. The loop-sided tropical system drenched parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with half a foot of rain. There is even more rain moving in off of the Gulf today as Barry crawls farther inland. The effects of the storm will be felt for days to come across the Lower Mississippi Valley. There is an ongoing dangerous storm surge, heavy rain continues to fall, and moderate to major inland flooding is occurring, or will occur. Flash Flood Watches are in place from the Mississippi Delta to where the mighty Mississippi meets the Ohio River in western Kentucky and southeastern Missouri. Once all is said and done ten to fifteen inches of rain are possible for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi with isolated amounts up to two feet. Six plus inches are expected through Tuesday night near the Arkansas and Tennessee border.
Barry is on track to become a remnant low as it moves through Arkansas. It will eventually get caught up in a west-to-east flow, which will send it into the Ohio Valley mid-week. We will see scattered storms from the system as early as Tuesday afternoon. The low will be "directly" over us on Wednesday, bringing the best chance for heavy rain and storms. At this point one to three inches of rain will be possible around central and eastern Kentucky through Thursday. No watches have been issued at this time. It's still a little early to post any bulletins for potential flooding issues.
The arrival of Barry in the Bluegrass doesn't have the best timing. The Pro-Am of the Barbasol Championship will be held on Wednesday. The course will be soggy and soft for the start of the tournament, but will start drying out for later rounds as storm chances back off. We will trade in thunderstorms for heat, some intense heat at that. Next weekend is expected to feature the hottest temperatures of the summer. Stock up on cases on water now!
