Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC

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819 FXUS62 KCHS 280736 AFDCHS Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 336 AM EDT Tue May 28 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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A cold front will stall near the coast today. High pressure will return for the second half of the week.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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Through Daybreak: Warm/moist conditions remain in place early this morning. Regional radars show isolated showers/tstms developing over Southeast South Carolina and Southeast Georgia within the pre-frontal warm sector. This activity is developing within an enhanced 850 hPa theta-e ridge axis that stretches from Dublin and Metter, GA east to the Charleston Metro Area. Despite the onset of nocturnal cooling, RAP soundings show quite a bit of elevated CAPE (1500-2000 J/kg) in place above the shallow noctural inversion. If isolated convection can begin to tap into this instability, then a greater uptick in showers/tstms could occur over the next few hours. This is implied by both the H3R and RAP which shows additional convection developing through daybreak and gradually shifting east to the lower South Carolina coast. With meaningful DCAPE still in place and freezing levels below 14 kft, there is still a risk for an isolated strong to severe tstm. This is certainly something that will have to be watched over the next few hours. Today: The cold front will push through area in two pieces this morning. The first will comprise of a wind shift co-located with a sharp 850 hPa theta-e and mixed-layer instability gradient which will push offshore after daybreak. The second will be delineated with a wind shift to the west/northwest and the arrival of lower dewpoints. The second piece of the front looks to hang up near the coast which will become intermingled with what appears to be a weak sea breeze circulation pinned to the coast later this afternoon. There may just enough convergence and lingering moisture near/behind the sea breeze itself to support isolated showers/tstms for a few hours this afternoon, mainly in the upper parts of Charleston County and far eastern Berkeley County where near term guidance shows a small pocket of marginal 850 hPa theta-e, K-indices rising 30-35C and dewpoints pooling back into the lower 70s. Slight chance were highlighted in this area mid-late afternoon. Elsewhere conditions will become increasingly unfavorable for deep convection as considerably drier air advects in from the west and northwest. Even though low-level thicknesses drop a bit behind the front, a modest downslope flow developing downwind of the Southern Appalachians will tend to counteract and cooling influences. Highs look to peak in the lower 90s almost all the way to the beaches, but lower dewpoints will make it feel a bit less sticky and humid compared to the past few days. Tonight: High pressure will build in from the west overnight as a stalled front begins to push farther offshore. The gradient between these two features will likely keep a bit of wind going through the night, but clear skies and low dewpoints will promote at least some degree of modest radiational cooling. Lows will range from the lower 60s well inland to the lower 70s at the beaches. A northwest wind across Lake Moultrie will likely keep areas immediately downwind of the lake (i.e. Bonneau and Moncks Corner) a bit warmer given water temperatures are in the upper 70s/lower 80s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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Surface trough develops over the region on Wednesday, before high pressure builds Wednesday night and pushes a secondary front offshore. High pressure remains the dominant surface feature through late week. Aloft, broad troughing persists over the eastern U.S., until a shortwave dives across the mid- Atlantic and eventually shifts offshore. Not much in the way of forcing or moisture for convection, so rain chances remain pretty low through the period. Highs near 90 on Wednesday return to the mid 80s for Thursday and Friday. Lows span the 60s.
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&& .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
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Surface high pressure initially centered over the mid-Atlantic will transition offshore and persist into early next week. Aloft, ridging will shift across the Southeast on Saturday before a series of weak disturbances possibly pass through. No stand-out day for precip at this point, with rain chances just in the 20-30% range. Temperatures will be within a few degrees of climo through the period.
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&& .AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... 28/06z TAF Discussion: KCHS/KJZI/KSAV: VFR through 29/06z. There is a risk for some isolated tstms forming near KCHS and KJZI as daybreak approaches. May need to include VCTS overnight as confidence increases in this activity passing by both terminals. Extended Aviation Outlook: VFR. && .MARINE...
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Through Tonight: Winds will back more southerly this afternoon as a cold front stalls near the coast and a weak sea breeze develops near the beaches. Winds will remain less than 15 kt with seas 2-3 ft. Winds will finally turn west and eventually northwest tonight as the front finally begins to push farther offshore. Again, speeds will remain less than 15 kt with seas 2-3 ft. Wednesday through Sunday: No marine concerns anticipated midweek through the weekend. Secondary front passes through Wednesday night with high pressure the main feature for Thursday and beyond. Wind speeds average less than 15 knots. Seas 1-2 feet initially build to 2-4 feet over the weekend.
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&& .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && $$