Damaging winds, heavy rains: Flood warning issued for Louisville & Kentucky

Buckle up: A large-scale, multi-hazard storm will make life wet and miserable for the central, southern and eastern U.S. Wednesday through Friday morning, and Louisville along with parts of Kentucky could get hit with the nastier weather.

Heavy snow, a wintry mix, drenching rain with possible flooding and severe thunderstorms with possible tornadoes are all on tap, the National Weather Service said.

Louisville will be under a flood warning until 9 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

But the city should avoid any snow, as of now.

On the cold side of the storm, snow is likely Wednesday and into Thursday all the way from northern Texas to northern New England, AccuWeather said. The Weather Service said the greatest chance for disruptive snow extends from south-central Kansas through central Missouri, northern Illinois and into central Michigan.

Slippery, potentially dangerous travel and school delays or cancellations are possible in cities such as Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago, where up to half a foot of snow is possible.

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On the northwestern flank of the storm, heavy snowfall rates could combine with coincide with strong wind gusts creating limited visibility and possibly localized whiteout or even blizzard conditions, AccuWeather said.

The weather system has been named Winter Storm Miles by The Weather Channel.

Flood warning issued Thursday for Louisville

Louisville will be under a flood warning from 5:11 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

What is the forecast for Louisville and other parts of Kentucky?

Hold on to your hats, and have an umbrella at the ready.

The National Weather Service office in Louisville said wind gusts over 40 mph are possible Wednesday before Thursday sees a possibility of 45-50+ mph gusts.

Outside of Louisville, isolated gusts that exceed 60 mph could cause damage in other parts of the commonwealth, such as the Lexington area, according to the weather service.

Most of the state could see 1 to 2 inches of rain Thursday into Friday morning, with most of it falling Thursday as the weather service currently says the risk for flooding is "low."

The greatest risk of severe weather will likely take place Thursday between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., NWS said in a Thursday morning email, especially in southern Kentucky, where damaging winds and tornadoes are possible.

A flood watch is in effect for Southern Indiana and far north central Kentucky until 9 p.m. Thursday, the weather service said.

The rain will contribute to rising river levels into next week, which could lead to "minor" flooding, the National Weather Service's Louisville office added.

As for temperatures, Louisville is getting balmy conditions this week, with highs reaching the 60s, though the wind may make things not so nice outside.

Here's the current detailed forecast for Louisville through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 67. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph.

Wednesday night: Showers likely, mainly after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind 13 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 67. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Thursday night: A chance of drizzle before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 40. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Friday night: Clear, with a low around 29.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 45.

Saturday night: Clear, with a low around 29.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 60.

Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

11 states under a severe storm threat

Nationally, the storm's warmer side will bring the risk of severe storms and tornadoes in the south-central U.S. from Wednesday evening through Thursday, and 11 states are in a risk area for severe weather from Texas to Virginia are at risk for severe weather.

A number of Violent storms are possible after dark on Wednesday, AccuWeather meteorologists warned, and all forms of severe weather are possible, including damaging wind gusts, large hail and isolated tornadoes.

The threat of severe weather is expected to shift eastward and into parts of the mid-South and Southeast into Thursday night, the weather service said.

Heavy rain also could lead to dangerous flash flooding from the southern Plains to the southern Appalachians Wednesday night into Thursday night, the weather service warned.

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The severe weather will set up in part of the storm's warm sector, which will send temperatures rising to springlike levels in the 50s, 60s and 70s in the East and the 60s, 70s and 80s in the south-central states, according to AccuWeather.

The storm should be exiting the Eastern Seaboard by Friday, Weather.com said. Mainly rain is expected all the way up the Northeast coastline to Maine, given the milder air ahead of the system, according to Weather.com.

USA TODAY reporter Doyle Rice contributed to this story which has been updated.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville, Kentucky weather: Winter Storm Miles to hit 11 states