Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Wakefield, VA
Issued by NWS Wakefield, VA
Versions:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
035 FXUS61 KAKQ 241036 AFDAKQ AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wakefield VA 536 AM EST Mon Nov 24 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure builds back into the area today, leading to dry conditions. Another system impacts the area Tuesday into the middle of next week, with much cooler and drier conditions to then follow from Thanksgiving Day into the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 200 AM EST Monday... Key Message: - Seasonable and dry conditions expected again today. Latest analysis shows ~1024 mb high pressure centered just to our NW with weak CAA ongoing as a secondary cold front crosses the area. Temperatures are in the mid 30s-40s in most areas. Dry, sunny, and a bit cooler today with light winds as the high settles over the area. Forecast highs are in the mid 50s-lower 60s. The high moves offshore tonight as weak low pressure currently over the Plains tracks ENE toward the area. Cool with lows in the mid 30s- lower 40s. There will be an increase in high cloudiness by early Tue AM as a warm front approaches the area from the south. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 200 AM EST Monday... Key Messages: - Another storm system approaches Tuesday, with showers likely Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night. - Additional rounds of showers will be possible on Wednesday as a cold front moves through. The weak southern stream system will cross the area Tuesday into Wednesday while a much stronger surface low occludes over the upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Weak overrunning moisture brings a gradual thickening and lowering of cloud cover during the day on Tuesday, with light rain overspreading the NW 1/3 to 1/2 of the FA Tuesday afternoon. Despite increasing cloud cover, southerly flow will allows temps to moderate into the 60s Tuesday (with upper 60s-70F readings expected across SE VA/NE NC). Temperatures will be slower to warm up across the Piedmont (especially from Louisa to Farmville), where rain moves in earliest. Temps likely don`t get out of the 50s here. Showers overspread much of the area Tuesday night into early Wednesday AM as that southern stream system crosses the area. Temps remain in the upper 50s-60F Tue night. In fact, some weak elevated instability moves across the SE 2/3 of the area by late Tue night. While thunder chances are low, can`t rule out a tstm or two. PoPs increase to 50-80% area-wide Tuesday night. The stronger system over the Great Lakes is progged to track NE into Ontario/Quebec from Wednesday-Wednesday night. This system will drag a fairly strong cold front through the FA Wed evening-early Wed night. Showers (with perhaps a rumble of thunder) are possible along and ahead of the front on Wednesday, with the highest precip chances shifting to SE VA/NE NC. Rain chances end from WNW-ESE late Wed aftn- Wed evening with clearing skies expected behind the front Wed night- early Thu AM. Mild on Wed with highs in the lower 70s in most areas, but lows fall into the mid 30s-40F Wed night as CAA arrives from the WNW. Areal average QPF appears to be meager with this event, with a few a few tenths of an inch of rain expected from Tue-Wed night. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 200 AM EST Monday... Key Message: - Drier and much cooler weather returns from Thanksgiving Day into the weekend. In the wake of the front, an expansive upper level trough digs down across the eastern United States, bringing a much cooler, drier airmass to the area for Thanksgiving Day into next weekend. 850 mb temps are expected to fall to around -10C by Friday AM. High temperatures on Thursday will range from the upper 40s to lower 50s, while temperatures Friday will likely max out only in the mid to upper 40s. Breezy W-NW winds with gusts up to 25 mph are expected on both days. Lows Thu night will be in the mid 20s-lower 30s. Fri night will likely be the coldest night of the season so far as ~1033 mb high pressure settles over the area. Forecast lows are in the lower-mid 20s in most areas, and upper teens are certainly possible in the Piedmont. Mostly sunny, dry conditions, and cooler temperatures then linger through the weekend (with a slight moderating trend expected by Sunday). && .AVIATION /12Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 535 AM EST Monday... VFR conditions continue through the 12z/24 TAF period outside of patchy ground fog between now-13z at SBY and ECG. The sky will generally be clear through the aftn before cloud cover builds in from the north in the evening/tonight. Light/variable winds become N-NNW at 5-10 kt behind a weak cold front later this morning. Outlook: VFR conditions will prevail through Tuesday. Another system will approach the area on Tuesday evening, bringing a chance for rain and periods of degraded flight conditions late Tuesday and again Wednesday. Conditions clear for Wed night through late week, though gusty W-NW winds to ~15-20 kt will be possible on Thanksgiving Day through Friday afternoon. && .MARINE... As of 200 AM EST Monday... Key Messages: - Elevated winds continue across the local waters this morning, though confidence in SCA conditions is decreasing. - A stronger cold front brings a round of more solid SCAs from Wednesday night through the end of the work week. High pressure has settled across the area this morning. A reinforcing front moved through the local waters last night, with ongoing CAA elevating marine winds. As of now, the surge has underperformed, which may be due to the lagging drier air behind the front. A few gusts in the Bay and coastal waters have reach 20-25 kts, though those area few and far between with most gusts reaching 10-15 kts. Seas range from 1-3 ft, with waves in the Bay being measured between 1-2 ft. With winds and seas both lower than expected, will likely cancel the SCA early. Have decided to let the SCA ride out for a few more hours since the main push of drier air has finally moved down the Bay, but not expecting much more of an increase in winds. With high pressure over the region, winds will quickly trend down today. Winds will remain generally sub-SCA through Wednesday afternoon, but ahead of the next front guidance is suggesting a brief period of low-end SCA conditions Tuesday night with gusts of around 20 kt in the bay and 25 kt in the coastal waters. A front will pass through the local waters on Wednesday night, with strong CAA expected in its wake. Though water temperatures have dropped into the 50s, this front will bring a very cold airmass to the area and solid SCA conditions are expected starting Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Winds will remain elevated through the end of the week, with the strongest winds looking most likely on Thursday night. A few gale force wind gusts are not out of the possibility, mainly in the northern coastal waters, so we will continue to monitor any trends in regards to these stronger winds and adjust the forecast as necessary. Seas are forecast to build to 4-5 ft and waves to 3-4 ft during this prolonged period of higher winds. High pressure will build across the region by the weekend and winds and seas/waves will finally start to trend downward on Saturday. && .AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...ERI/MAM NEAR TERM...ERI SHORT TERM...ERI/MAM LONG TERM...ERI/MAM AVIATION...ERI MARINE...KMC/NB