Western Kentucky is set to heat up some more later this week as we’re about halfway through what’s been a relatively mild summer.
Rick Shanklin with the National Weather Service in Paducah hosted his final weekly conference call prior to retirement Monday and said heat index values should be above 100 Thursday for one of a very few times this summer.
While the summer has brought extreme drought and wildfires to the western part of the country, Shanklin notes our area has been blessed with plenty of rain.
The extended outlook for next week calls for above normal temperatures and average precipitation.
Shanklin reiterated the conference calls will continue with Christine Wielgos, who will serve as warning coordination meteorologist on an interim basis until she or someone else is appointed to fill the post permanently later this year. Wielgos has been Shanklin’s deputy for many years and he believes she’s well-prepared and ready to take over the position.