Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC
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443 FXUS62 KCHS 170611 AFDCHS Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 111 AM EST Mon Nov 17 2025 .SYNOPSIS... As high pressure builds into the region early this week, the forecast is expected to remain rain-free throughout the work week. A warm front should lift north of the region by Wednesday, and allow for unseasonable warm conditions to persist afterwards. Another cold front could pass through the region this weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Through Sunrise: Radar and surface observations indicate a dry cold front is quickly moving south through our area. It`ll be located to our south by daybreak. Today and Tonight: The mid-levels will consist of weak ridging building towards our area. This will cause WNW flow overhead with heights slightly rising. At the surface, High pressure will build in from the northwest this morning, passing to our north this afternoon and evening, then becoming located to our northeast tonight. The High will bring our area dry conditions with some passing clouds. There will be a large range in high temperatures, peaking from the mid 60s across the Charleston Tri-County, to the mid 70s near the Altamaha River and vicinity. Mostly clear skies and light to calm winds will cause plenty of radiational cooling tonight. There will also be a large range in low temperatures. They should bottom out in the upper 30s very far inland, the 40s across most of our area, and the lower to middle 50s at/near the beaches. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A shortwave trough situated over the Great Plains will slowly weaken as it moves across the Appalachian Mtns., before re- organizing off of the Mid-Atlantic coastline on Wednesday afternoon. Simultaneously, an associated front will approach the region, but it is expected to weaken and stall out across the Mid-Atlantic before washing out. There is no precipitation expected with this system as the majority of forcing remains to the north of the region. This pattern yield weak return flow across the region with increasing low- lvl thicknesses. Temperatures will progressively warm-up throughout the period as WAA and mostly sunny skies promote unseasonable warm conditions. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... A strong upper-lvl ridge with nearly 590 DM will be present over the Gulf on Thursday night and the majority of Friday. Expect temperatures to remain generally 10 to 12 degrees above normal with a rain-free forecast. High temperatures Thursday and Friday will reach near record highs (see Climate section), with low 80s across the SC Lowcountry to the low to mid 80s across SE GA. The next chance for precipitation will be Saturday as a surface low develops across the central CONUS and throws an associated cold front towards the region. With a fairly complex synoptic pattern, there is quite a bit uncertainty as model guidance widely differs with the timing of this front. It really depends on how much of an impact the H5 ridge located along the Atlantic coast will have on the system. A stronger ridge results (seen in the 12Z ECMWF) in a slower progression of the cold front, while a weaker ridge (seen in the 00Z GFS) results in a faster moving progression. It is possible the forecast may trend cooler and wetter if the 12Z ECMWF guidance holds true. && .AVIATION /06Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... 06Z TAFs: VFR. Extended Aviation Outlook: Prevailing VFR. It is possible that periods of ground fog may develop during the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday. && .MARINE... Through Sunrise: A dry cold front is quickly moving south through our coastal waters. It`ll be located south of our waters by daybreak. Winds and seas may become slightly higher behind the front, but no Small Craft Advisories are expected. Today and Tonight: High pressure will build in from the northwest this morning, passing to our north this afternoon and evening, then becoming located to our northeast tonight. The High will bring our coastal waters tranquil conditions. Tuesday through Saturday: As surface high pressure continues to build across the local marine zones, west-southwesterly winds will remain light and variable. Ahead of the developing surface low across the central CONUS, winds could increase to 10 to 15 kts with gusts up to 20 kts on Friday night into the weekend. Seas will generally range from 1 to 3 ft. && .FIRE WEATHER... High pressure building in from the north today will bring dry conditions. RH values are expected to be critically low this afternoon. Inland RH values should drop into the teens, while closer to the coast RH values should fall into the 20s. Winds should be fairly light today, which should limit fire weather concerns. && .CLIMATE... Record High Temperatures: November 20: KCHS: 82/1942 KCXM: 78/1900 KSAV: 83/1942 November 21: KSAV: 82/2011 November 22: KSAV: 82/1997 && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && $$ NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION... MARINE...