Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC
283 FXUS62 KCAE 220001 AFDCAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 701 PM EST Fri Nov 21 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Scattered showers possible late this evening into Saturday as a cold front passes. Near record temperatures again Saturday before high pressure and dry conditions return for the start of Thanksgiving week. Rain chances then move back in during the middle of next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 7 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... Key message(s): - Scattered light rain showers tonight. Zonal flow aloft in place over the area with a weak shortwave moving through tonight. Scattered showers associated with this shortwave are west of the area and will move in over the next several hours. Rain rates are mostly light with amounts through tonight generally expected to be less than a tenth of an inch. HREF muCAPE values are low so have removed the mention of thunder tonight. Lows tonight expected to be around 60 with widespread clouds. && .SHORT TERM /7 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Key message(s): - Near record temperatures Saturday before cooling down Sunday. - Isolated to scattered showers and possibly a couple storms Saturday. Saturday and Saturday Night: Developing surface low pressure is currently seen across northern OK/KS as a shortwave impinges here as well. Both of these features will move into the Mid Atlantic through the day Saturday along with a surface cold front. During the morning, a wave of showers and possibly an embedded storm should be pushing through as PWAT`s surge to 1.50-1.60" with a strong southwesterly LLJ bringing appreciable moisture advection to the FA. As the plume of higher PWAT`s shifts east, a break in activity is expected where modest WAA should bring near record afternoon temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. The surface front should be passing through the FA during the late afternoon and into the evening where the mean HREF solution and recent CAM`s show isolated convective development could be possible as MUCAPE on the order of 500-1000 J/kg develops. The main limiting factor in initiation is the plume of moisture should be pivoting off the coast before the front enters the FA and thus drier air may limit coverage of convection. Severe weather is not anticipated with any storms at this time. Drier conditions then filter in behind the front overnight with lows in the lower 50s. Sunday and Sunday Night: Surface high pressure and shortwave ridging build into the FA behind the front Sunday, bringing cooler and drier conditions. PWAT`s likely drop under 0.75" and low level flow turns more northerly to northeasterly, bringing afternoon high temperatures toward the low to mid 70s. Continuing weak CAA overnight should aid in bringing low temperatures near normal, in the low to mid 40s. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Key message(s): - Cooler Monday before warming back above normal into the Midweek with increasing rain chances. - Much cooler air expected to end the week. Significant dry air moves into the region Monday with surface high pressure remaining in the area, lowering PWAT`s to under 0.50". Dry conditions and temperatures closer to normal are expected before low level flow turns out of the southwest ahead of troughing in the central US, increasing temperatures and moisture quickly Tuesday. A shortwave will be approaching the FA Tuesday, bringing slight chance PoP`s but the main forcing from the shortwave and greatest moisture (PWAT`s between 1.50-1.75") push in Wednesday, bringing increased rain chances through the day. Some timing differences still exist between global models so expect some shifting still in when the greatest chance of rain will move in between Tuesday and Wednesday. After Wednesday, there is decent agreement in a strong cold front pushing through into Thursday, bringing temperatures close to normal or even below normal with drier conditions to round out the week. && .AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... VFR conditions expected tonight with some cig restrictions early Saturday. Increasing moisture ahead of an approaching frontal boundary will bring scattered showers through the area tonight into Saturday morning but confidence is low in direct impacts to terminals. Relatively light winds overnight from the southwest should pick up to around 10 knots by 14z-15z with gusts to 20 knots through the afternoon. Guidance is suggesting some MVFR cigs in stratus from around 11z-16z with highest confidence at AGS/DNL so including as a prevailing group there and tempo elsewhere. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...No significant aviation concerns expected through early next week. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. GA...None. && $$