Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC

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758 FXUS62 KCHS 240306 AFDCHS Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 1106 PM EDT Thu May 23 2024 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure will persist through tonight. Diurnal convection and hot temperatures are expected during the holiday weekend. A cold front might bring impacts to our area on Tuesday. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
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Tonight: Sfc high pressure will persist across the local area while a mid-upper ridge axis remains nearby over the western Atlantic. The pattern will generally result in quiet/dry conditions for much of the area during the night while a light south/southwest wind maintains mild lows in the upper 60s inland to low-mid 70s near the beaches. However, a light shower can not be ruled out along/near a seabreeze pushing west across far interior locations for the next few hours. Late tonight, upstream convection associated with h5 shortwave energy rippling east from the lower and middle Mississippi River Valley could make a run towards extreme northern areas of Berkeley County a few hours prior to daybreak. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms have been included to northern Berkeley to account for latest trends upstream.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/... Friday: Interesting setup across the forecast area by Friday afternoon. Using a blend of MOS, high temperatures are forecast to favor values in the low 90s across SE GA/SC. Forecast soundings indicate by Friday afternoon, SBCAPE values along and ahead of sea breeze will pool between 2500-3000 J/kg with little to no CIN. Guidance indicates that a MCV, sourced from the Deep South, is expected to pass over the forecast area Friday afternoon. The combination of the mid-level disturbance and sea breeze should concentrate thunderstorm coverage over the CHS Tri-county. PW values around 1.7 inches with SRH 0-3 km around 100 m2/s2. These thunderstorms should develop into loosely organized clusters. In addition, DCAPE values are forecast to range between 900-1000 J/kg, likely supporting long lasting cool pools of outflow air, serving as areas for thunderstorm development. These thunderstorms should produce swaths of torrential downpours, yielding pockets of 1.5 to 2 inches with a general area of .5-1 inch of rainfall. In addition, one or two storms may produce damaging wind gusts. These hazards will be added to the Hazardous Weather Outlook. Saturday: The broad mid-level trough will ripple over the Atlantic during the morning, with heights beginning to rise during the afternoon. Surface conditions should once again feature high temperatures in the low 90s with dewpoints in the low 70s. Model guidance indicates that a field of CAPE of 1500-2000 J/kg with shallow CIN should develop by the heat of the afternoon. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms should develop along a sea breeze, but less coverage that expected on Friday. Sunday: GFS indicates that a broad H5 ridge will build across the region. Conditions should become hot and humid during the afternoon. High temperatures are expected to range in the mid 90s with dewpoints in the low 70s along the coast. Heat index values may exceed 100 degrees across the coastal counties, especially across SE GA. Given poor mid-level lapse rates, convection will be limited to a SCHC. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... The H5 ridge axis will shift east on Memorial Day, with heights slowly falling from west to east during the afternoon. Temperatures should peak within a degree or two from values reached on Sunday. Tuesday appears to be an active day, with the approach and passage of a cold front. The forecast will feature solid CHC PoPs at this time. However, if upstream MCS activity arrives over the CWA from upstream, PoPs will need to be increased. High temperatures are forecast to range around 90 degrees. Drier air should spread across the forecast area on Wednesday and Thursday. High temperatures should favor values in the upper 80s. && .AVIATION /03Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VFR conditions are expected at the CHS/JZI/SAV terminals through at at least 18Z Friday. However, showers and/or thunderstorms could eventually impact the terminals mid-late afternoon for a few hours and produce flight restrictions. At this time, VCSH has been introduced at CHS/JZI terminals starting between 19-20Z Friday and lasting to around 00Z Saturday. Future TAF issuances could eventually include thunderstorms at all terminals once confidence and timing is more clear. Extended Aviation Outlook: Brief flight restrictions are possible due to showers/thunderstorms each afternoon/evening. && .MARINE... Tonight: The local waters will remain positioned along the western edge of sfc high pressure centered further offshore and under a mid- lvl ridge axis. This will lead to a fairly relaxed pressure gradient across the area through the night with south winds up to 10-15 kt generally veering overnight to south-southwest, then remaining around 10 kt or less. Seas will range between 1-2 ft. Extended Marine: The forecast area will remain between high pressure across the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and a series of low pressure tracking over the Mid West. This pattern should result in a sea breeze to develop each afternoon. A cold front should sweep across the coastal waters on Tuesday. Wind and sea conditions should remain below Small Craft Advisory conditions. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...DPB SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...DPB MARINE...DPB