Derek Kinkade
Chief Meteorologist
:no_upscale()/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/raycom/0d9a2809-0efc-4ce4-add0-3d8dba7e6c41.png)
Derek Kinkade joined Storm Team 9 in July 2006 and became Chief Meteorologist in 2011. His hometown is Rainbow City, AL, in the northeast part of the state.
He is a summa cum laude graduate from Mississippi State University with a degree in Geosciences with a concentration in Broadcast Meteorology and minor in Communications. Derek holds the American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval, and the National Weather Association Seal of Approval. He is the only meteorologist in the Columbus television market with both.
During his senior year in college, he worked the weekend weather shift at WTOK, the ABC affiliate in Meridian, MS. His first day on television involved wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Ivan's landfall – a heck of a way to be broken into the business!
After that, he spent a year at WMGT in Macon, GA working the morning show weather duties before joining Storm Team 9.
Derek has had a passion for weather ever since he was four years old and has experienced several severe weather events in his life that have kept up his interest in the weather, including the Blizzard of 1993 and more tornado outbreaks than he can count.
Derek also has a passion for visiting schools and teaching kids the importance of severe weather safety. He has crisscrossed the WTVM coverage area many times speaking to kids through the years, and always enjoys a stop at a local restaurant along the way! He says this is one of the best parts of the job!
When not keeping an eye to the sky, Derek enjoys watching college football (Roll Tide!), hanging out with friends and family, and traveling. He is married to Taylor Kinkade, a former reporter at WTVM. They welcomed a little boy into the world, Jackson, in January 2015. Jackson joins Johnny and June, a dachshund and chi-weenie, in the Kinkade house!
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/G3MGWNRX6VHZHEC7V77ULJRE6M.png)
We will see the first full day of fall on Saturday, and the forecast looks fantastic - a cool morning with temperatures in the 50s and lower 60s, and afternoon highs approaching the upper 80s and lower 90s with plenty of sunshine and dry weather in place.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/KA5OY4FF3NAPXD2M5ECNDBPM4I.png)
Quiet weather is in store for us as we end the week with breezy conditions, plenty of sunshine, and dry weather for Friday. Look for highs in the mid 80s. Just in time for the weekend, a warm-up is on the way - highs will climb to the mid and upper 80s, and there will be the chance that some spots may get up to the 90 degree mark Saturday or Sunday. Both days will feature some sun and clouds with rain chances at zero.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6Y35G6G455GBDF7WRGHR742AG4.png)
Don’t expect any major changes heading through the rest of the week with lows in the low to mid 60s for many and mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies in the afternoon with highs in the mid 80s.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/IT4CDVI2DJFDBHUMJBZ4R4QSR4.png)
For the weekend, rain chances will be sticking around in the forecast, especially on Saturday. Keep the umbrella with you if you have any plans that take you out and about, and we’ll also notice the mugginess too.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VFEUNRZY3RFQTCKL7I4UXHXJ7A.png)
The overall weather pattern will remain wet at times into Friday and Saturday with chances of showers and storms sticking around. The coverage of rain will begin on Friday in our Georgia counties, with showers progressing west through the day.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5UJSDW25SRG7NH35RT5BTCC2CA.png)
The weekend forecast will feature pleasant weather in the mornings with lows well into the 60s both mornings, but highs approaching the 90 degree mark for the afternoons. Humidity will stay low, especially Saturday, although the mugginess may increase a bit heading into Sunday. We will have to mention the chance at a shower or thunderstorm for both weekend days, but they will be widely space and many folks won’t get any at all.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/TDIQT5QANFCFNJF3G7QQR3I6MQ.png)
The cold front that brought some showers and storms into the area on Thursday will usher in drier air for Friday and the weekend meaning lower humidity. We can’t rule out a few showers or storms, but the coverage looks very low and we would expect most folks to stay dry in the great scheme of things.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PPZQP2QKBFG3PFMR7NWUVTCMRA.jpg)
A look at rainfall totals from the WTVM studios and the Columbus airport during the month of August, 2023.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HZKQOW6OI5AXPOCAAI2BRDZ6TU.png)
In the short-term, quiet weather is on the way with another hot day on Wednesday with plenty of sunshine and rain-free conditions. An approaching cold front will drift into the area on Thursday, helping to set off showers and storms with around a 40% coverage for the area. Not everyone will get wet, and it looks like much drier air will move in after the front pushes through.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/S7SG67UDJJER5NCGJE63EO5HNE.png)
Idalia and all of the impacts from the system continue to move away from the Chattahoochee Valley, and it is eventually heading back out into the open Atlantic and won’t be a threat to the USA after that. Around here, we’ll still have to mention rain chances both Thursday and Friday - perhaps with Friday being the wetter of the two days. There are still some uncertainties about rain coverage by then, so we’ll be watching things carefully.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/WYHZNFWKB5HZHF4IS7AIXRTVRE.jpg)
A change in the weather pattern has arrived in the Valley, going from hot and dry, to rainier and slightly cooler.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/XUWMDBUXHBBGDKEDVTW55IZZ3E.png)
For Friday and the weekend, the very hot weather will build back in again with widespread highs in the upper 90s and low 100s for most of the area. Get ready for the feels like temperatures to be 105 plus in many spots during the hottest parts of the day.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ZO74LYP7JZDFJLJKDVHQ4CFYGA.png)
Moving into the weekend, our forecast remains dry with the mugginess coming back a bit and temperatures in the mid and upper 90s. Get ready for the feels like temperatures to approach or exceed 100 degrees for the weekend, and that will be a common theme heading into next week.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PFYTJPGSHBAOHDEBP2YWZSTPMI.png)
We will enjoy another very pleasant start early Friday morning with lows in the 60s in many spots, and we might see that weather carry over into Saturday morning in a few spots too.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/MQRFCHAQU5CARAN5Y7GHMRJQ5U.png)
Rain and storms will diminish Friday night, but we will see another round of rain and storms on Saturday with the coverage around 30% or so. Those that don’t pick up much in the way of rain on Saturday will see some hot temperatures with mid 90s in many spots, and the potential for some upper 90s in a few places. It will all depend on the coverage of rain and storms, but feels like temperatures on Saturday may be in the 105-110 mark in some places.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/DZIMB6ZLCJE4JLPQTXV6WECOLA.png)
Coverage of rain and storms will be highest Friday morning with yet another system moving down from the north and west and impacting the Chattahoochee Valley. We will see rain chances dropping into the afternoon and evening hours, with highs holding in the lower 90s thanks to the early morning coverage of clouds and storms.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/GSXECUKDINGWHCPGI7FH6WECZE.jpg)
A look at rainfall data from the WTVM studios and the Columbus airport during the month of July, 2023.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/CUBDOBP4KNCBXKEOSGEWJWPH3U.png)
Rain chances on Wednesday still look fairly low in the great scheme of things, but we still can’t rule out a few showers or storms in the afternoon or evening. Humidity will be on the way back up, and look for that to be the case into the weekend and all the way through next week too.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/KVIAKEBTDRCHHASI3EIWLOJFL4.png)
The weather for the next few days will remain quite hot with highs in the mid 90s through the middle of the week and not much in the way of any chance of showers or storms to cool us off. The air is fairly dry, so the ‘feels like’ temperature won’t be a big factor either.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5BF3VL6Y7NHDTJ2WIDVMWKFP7Y.png)
A tropical disturbance that is pushing in well to our east is helping to set off showers and storms on Friday, and it will continue to be a focus for rain and storms as we take you into Saturday. In fact, that looks like the day with the best rain coverage of the weekend, so keep the umbrella with you if you have any plans that might take you out and about.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/UYWMMMTTHRDEHHP4MQT3RZUSX4.png)
Going into Friday, don’t expect any major changes to the forecast other than perhaps a better chance of a few showers or storms in the afternoon and evening - a better way of saying it would be a better ‘coverage’ of rain and storms.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/66AGHRKAUJB7TGWGH3WV4LOWEU.png)
Temperatures were well into the 90s on Wednesday, and we expect the mid to upper 90s to continue through the end of the week. A shower or storm can’t be ruled out, and those that get one - or happen to be nearby a shower or storm - will get some much needed heat relief.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JUILA6AKKJDYLEHRFPCKZ5JYKU.png)
Heading into the next few days, our temperatures will remain in the mid 90s with only a 10-20% coverage of rain and storms during the afternoon and evening. Humidity values will still stay fairly low, making for comfortable mornings, but the mugginess will be increasing through the weekend and into early next week.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/F4A5PFGVLBFWPABJA34OIURDOY.png)
Drier air has settled in across the Chattahoochee Valley as we’ve started the work week, and that made for a pleasant start early this morning. Temperatures quickly warmed up on Monday, however, and we’ll see similar conditions going through the rest of the week with mid 90s for highs.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/BI7JPRWLSBE4VH2UP5APXUGB2E.png)
Ending the week, we should see the hot temperatures continuing with mid and upper 90s on Thursday and Friday with the ‘feels like’ temperatures 100-108 in most spots during the peak heating of the day.
The smoke and haze that’s been hanging around for the last day or so continues to move out, and temperatures responded on Tuesday with those numbers getting back up to the mid 90s in many spots.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5HQXUDD34REEZKLY33OWEXQW7A.png)
Smoke and haze from the Canadian wildfires is causing some hazy conditions in the sky across the Chattahoochee Valley, and this could linger into parts of our Tuesday. It’s filtering the sunshine just enough to make temperatures a little cooler than expected on Monday, but as the smoke and haze exit the area Tuesday, the heat building in will still become the big story. Look for highs in the mid and upper 90s for Tuesday through Friday, and very little in the way of a chance of rain.
Heading into next week, high pressure will continue to increase across our area with some of the hottest temperatures of the year building in. Look for numbers consistently in the mid to upper 90s through Thursday with Tuesday and Wednesday likely featuring the hottest weather and the chance for a few places to make it to the 100 degree mark.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/346B5GSNBRBLJKJTH2ACLP5V6U.png)
Moving into the weekend, the chances for rain and storms will be back with us - around 50% on Saturday and around 30% on Sunday. Lower 90s are in the forecast, but the mugginess will make it feel even warmer out there when you’re not having to deal with a shower or storm.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/WSHJCMPM6BCQTAEKRKH7CINOZI.png)
As we end the week and get into the weekend, our weather forecast won’t change very much with a 40-50% coverage of rain and storms each afternoon and evening and highs back in the lower 90s. As always, the coverage of rain and storms will determine how hot temperatures can get into the afternoon. The mugginess won’t be going away, and it will make it feel much hotter out there!
Rain and storm chances will be very similar to Wednesday as we head into your Thursday. Look for a 30-40% coverage in the afternoon and evening hours with highs back in the lower 90s. If you stay completely dry, there’s a chance you’ll make the mid 90s, and the feels like temperatures will easily be 100+. Friday may feature more clouds and a better chance of rain and storms, so we’ll knock a few degrees off of those temperatures as we end the week.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/SUS76JMXXVE5VBEV4JOCVH5B5A.JPG)
A look at rainfall totals from the WTVM studios and the Columbus airport during the month of June, 2023.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/FTFDYDALUNDU5MM2WGGBIQTK5M.jpg)
We don’t expect a lot of changes with the weather as we head into Wednesday & Thursday - more rain, more storms, and more humidity around with the best coverage coming during the afternoon and evening hours. It won’t be a washout, and it won’t rain everywhere, but you’ll want to be prepared for those pop up summer storms with the rain gear and our WTVM weather app.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Q7JR5Z7HBRE7RCIA2ZUDPKPIEA.png)
The big Independence Day holiday is coming up, and our overall weather forecast won’t change very much for your Tuesday, or for Wednesday and Thursday for that matter. We will mention the daily chance of rain and storms, especially in the afternoon and evening. The overall coverage will be around 30-40% in the afternoon and evening hours, but I would expect by the time they are shooting fireworks off on Tuesday, the overall rain coverage will be pretty low.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HHP7PICGUFHXXD3G4ONICXDXII.png)
Saturday looks to be the hottest day of the year so far based on the latest data coming into us with highs into the mid and upper 90s and a chance that some of the hottest spots may touch 100 degrees. Regardless of whether the actual temperatures get there or not, the feels like temperatures tomorrow will hover around 105 during the hottest part of the day.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/L3QIEJELTVH2BM4LZJ2CUHAPL4.png)
The heat will still be the main story here in the short-term with highs in the upper 90s for Friday and the weekend. The increasing humidity in the next few days will make it feel like 100-110 in spots across the Chattahoochee Valley.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/MN4OM4RGE5BSVGDPMOFG7O4L6I.png)
The big story as we take you through the next few days will be the heat building in. We expect upper 90s for Thursday through Saturday with the chance that some folks reach the triple digits at some point along the way. When it comes to how it will ‘feel’, when you combine our temperatures and humidity, we will be looking at those values between 103-110 through the first part of the weekend.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PK5GDLSR3JH2JCLHMPYSBU744Q.png)
It seems as the storm system that has been bringing us the daily storm chances this week is finally moving on as we head into the weekend with highs back in the lower 90s on Saturday and Sunday and the rain coverage less than 20% in the great scheme of things.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4WNKPJ3BDJHU3LFNLDSE4FKZAQ.png)
As expected on Thursday, the rain coverage was a lot less than we had seen the previous days this week. Heading into Friday, we once again expect a lower coverage of showers and storms into the afternoon and evening, and because of that, we should see highs climbing closer to the 90 degree mark.
Chances for rain and storms will diminish somewhat on Thursday, but you’ll still want to keep the umbrella with you if you’re heading out and about. Our temperatures will be a little warmer than Wednesday, but we will still see plenty of clouds around. As we transition to Friday and the weekend, the chances of rain will drop off in a big way.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PFWYD63I6NE5LCPVE4B4NDSIZI.png)
Wednesday is the first official day of summer, and while it will be muggy, that’s about the only summer-like feel to the weather that we will have. We will have plenty of showers and storms at times during the day and highs that will hold in the lower 80s in most spots thanks to a good coverage of clouds and rain.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JZ7SOAZQOBCPDAUHGE32JQRRKM.png)
Rain and storms were scattered around the area today, and we have more rain and storms in our forecast through the end of the week. The coverage will be closer to 50-60% on Tuesday, but mainly during the evening and nighttime hours. It looks like a lot of the daytime hours will be fairly dry, even though we can’t rule out some rain around the area. The highest coverage, by far, appears to be later.
Our Father’s Day weekend weather will feature some sun and some storms, so don’t expect things to stay completely dry as you go about those plans that may take you outdoors. Be sure to have a backup plan to move things inside if you need to, as we will have a chance at more rain and storms especially in the afternoons and evenings. Highs will be in the upper 80s in most spots.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/V6KBSAZNHJC4FEXHL2URSOZYO4.jpg)
Wednesday will carry a pretty significant threat of severe weather to the area. Multiple rounds of rain and storms will be possible through the day, including the morning, evening, and night.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Q4ZYLEGE5VFANG77JWBUXJYQRM.png)
The risk for intense rain and wind will continue across parts of the Chattahoochee Valley into tonight and overnight. We will keep our eye on things for you, but it appears the greatest risk would be along and south of US Highway 82. We all could see additional rain and storms overnight, so stay weather alert with our WTVM app.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/LH7S7QEGNBBITGCSD46ZWBCGNQ.png)
By summer standards, Wednesday is shaping up to carry a pretty significant threat of severe weather to the area. Multiple rounds of rain and storms will be possible through the day, including the morning, evening, and night. The main concerns will be damaging winds, very large hail, and flooding rains to go along with plenty of lightning. The tornado risk is higher than we typically see for summer, but it would still be considered low.
Our forecast through Thursday will feature a good chance of rain and storms at times, but not a washout on any given day for most. Some of the storms the next few days may be on the strong side, and we can’t rule out some severe thunderstorm warnings at times - heavy rain, lightning, and gusty winds will be possible with any of the storms, so be prepared for this if you’re out and about.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6JDPGDZGJ5FXFDFH4R4UYAGUGA.png)
Heading into the weekend, our weather should still remain nice as we head into Saturday with mostly dry conditions and highs reaching back up to the upper 80s and lower 90s. The chance at a passing shower or storm will only be around 10% in the afternoon or evening, so most won’t have to worry about getting wet. Sunday, however, will be a different story.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Q5O4OKYJAZFEBD6OIQU5DWWWEA.png)
Heading into Friday, drier air will be in place across the Valley with very low rain coverage on what should be a warm day with low humidity. Lows heading into early Saturday morning will be in the low to mid 60s with the potential for some of the cooler spots to see some upper 50s.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/CAV6JXV4J5AMVMCGAQNHBLQHVM.png)
Rain chances have been back with us today, and we’re in store for some more showers and storms as we head into Thursday. It appears that the best chances for rain tomorrow will likely come south and east of the city of Columbus, so many folks across the area may stay dry.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/L3COLBUKB5ATDKCXOG5R4GZEEA.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JPQRH5M4M5DYVEOZO7SGQKGDCY.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ZZOZANSCFZCYNBIQEKAAP54IAY.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6R3IU3S2MNF67KOC5BBJU5H3TI.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HZY3N3H3TZG3BEBVON3XPOP7KI.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6WQVXD3ZURD4DFEUENLMXKL5KQ.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ZASQCAUSKVH6XI2GO24MR4OEMM.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/IKPRCBZ3FJHRVBIPLWCWQARCEY.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/MGVKVI3YHFCWZEBOWY2A6ZEHJQ.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/NHUIXQPHF5CELCSUHK5XFVUGUM.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/AN4TSZ7QYREATE22AKIRR42T2Q.jpg)