Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
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789 FXUS62 KRAH 081812 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 112 PM EST Mon Dec 8 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A vigorous mid and upper-level disturbance will move across VA and NC through this evening, then offshore. Arctic high pressure will follow and build across the region through Tuesday. The high will settle across the Southeast ahead of a strong, clipper low pressure system that swing across the Great Lakes Tuesday night and Wednesday. A moisture-starved cold front trailing the clipper low will move across NC Wednesday night. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 230 AM Monday... * No changes are planned to current headlines. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 7am Monday through 12pm Tuesday for portions of the northern Piedmont and northern Coastal Plain of central NC. * Up to an inch of snow accumulation expected, with as much 2 inches possible near the VA border. * Very cold overnight lows in the teens to lower/mid 20s will allow leftover moisture on roadways and sidewalks to freeze, resulting in slippery and hazardous travel tonight through late morning/mid day Tuesday. Visibilities have lifted to 1 mile or better due to the increase in moisture and cloud cover across the area. Thus, have cancelled the Dense Fog Advisory early. While most of the radar returns will be virga, weak ascent from PVA and jet-induced lift may produce non-measurable sprinkles or very light precipitation across the far northern Piedmont through daybreak. With near freezing sfc temperatures, a brief period/fleeting light freezing rain is possible, though impacts should be minimal. An arctic cold front--currently over central TN-- will sweep SE through the area this morning, followed by a trailing shortwave trough through the evening. Enhanced by a weak 850 wave, WAA and frontogenesis will support a swath of light precip spreading into the western Piedmont after daybreak, exiting the coastal plain this evening. QPF will range from a few hundredths across the south to ~0.20" across the northeast. Along and north of HWY 64, precip should begin as a rain or a rain- snow mix, before rapid column cooling supports a change-over to all snow before ending. Snowfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are expected across the advisory area, highest across the northeastern Piedmont and northern coastal plain where guidance indicates the best potential for banding, and where snow ratios of 12:1 are possible. South of 64, precip will fall as mostly rain with, briefly mixing with or changing over to snow before ending. Little to no accumulation is expected there. Light snow/flurries will taper off across the northern/central coastal plain between 00 to 03z. Continued strong CAA and decreasing cloud cover will result in very cold temperatures Tuesday morning with lows ranging from mid/upper teens north(snow ground cover) to lower/mid 20s south. Any remaining snow or moisture on area roads and sidewalks will freeze, producing hazardous travel overnight and into Tuesday morning. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT/... As of 230 AM Monday. . . * Areas of black ice possible Tuesday morning Arctic high pressure over the region will make for a cold start to our Tue. Lingering wet/snowy roads from the Mon system will likely mean areas of patchy black ice will be possible into the mid/late morning hours. Mostly sunny skies should prevail for much of the day under light winds. Highs will be well below normal in the upper 30s over the far north, to lower 40s elsewhere. High pressure will shift east Tue night and winds may shift slightly from the southwest, but remain light. Lows will be cold again in the middle 20s to around 30 degrees. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 230 AM Monday... * Gusty winds Wed with winds up to 30 mph possible * Precipitation chances somewhat limited with a few moisture starved frontal systems. * Well below normal temperatures favored for the late weekend High pressure will shift offshore Wed. A fast-moving low pressure system tracking across the Lower Great Lakes will create a tightened pressure gradient across the region. Southwest winds could gust up to 30 mph or so at times during the afternoon hours as guidance depicts a strong low-level jet upwards of 50-kts. The pressure gradient relaxes Wed night as a moisture starved cold front advances through by early Thu. Precipitation chances appear very limited with this front. Temperatures should moderate closer to average with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. Cool high pressure settles over the region Thu, with highs below normal generally in the mid 40s to near 50. Our next system looks to arrive sometime Fri/Fri night when a warm front lifts north across the Carolinas. This will be ahead of another potentially strong Arctic cold front that tracks through sometime Sat-Sun, ushering in much below normal temperatures with highs possibly in the upper 30s to low 40s and lows in the teens to low 20s. For the warm front Fri, ensemble guidance is largely dry, with moisture and lift somewhat lacking. However, if it were to trend wetter, we could not rule out a rain/snow mix. Confidence in that scenario, however, is not high at the moment. The Arctic front Sat into Sun appears right now as a dry passage, with impacts mainly centered around very cold temperatures as wind chills could be in the lower teens Sun morning. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 110 PM Monday... A precipitation shield now blossoming across cntl and ern NC will include ongoing snow at INT/GSO and a transition to snow at RDU and RWI in the next couple of hours. While the predominant precipitation type at FAY will be a cold rain, a mix with snow will be possible for a few hours around and shortly after sunset. Otherwise, a mix of IFR-MVFR restrictions in both ceilings and visibility restrictions will lower a category on average through late this afternoon-early this evening, lowest and longest at RWI, then gradually lift through MVFR overnight and scatter to VFR Tue morning. Nely surface winds will also be at least occasionally gusty, as the MSL pressure gradient tightens between deepening low pressure off the coast of the Carolinas and Arctic high pressure that will build south across the region tonight. Outlook: VFR. Low-level wind shear will be possible, especially over the Piedmont, Wed morning, followed by the development of a strong and gusty swly surface wind with daytime heating/mixing through Wed afternoon. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 7 AM Monday to noon EST Tuesday for NCZ007>011-021>028-041>043. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MWS NEAR TERM...CBL SHORT TERM...Kren LONG TERM...Kren AVIATION...MWS