


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
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600 FXUS61 KRLX 021752 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 152 PM EDT Tue Sep 2 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure prevails for the most part of today. A shortwave enhances afternoon convection across the extreme south through this evening. Better chances for precipitation arrives with cold fronts crossing Thursday and Friday night. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 145 PM Tuesday... Introduced isolated showers and storms across the extreme southern WV, NE KY and extreme SW VA this afternoon. Radar imagery shows popcorn-like convection firing across eastern KY at the moment of writing. Expect some of this activity to move over our area into this evening. Weather charts show a surface high pressure across the eastern two thirds of the nation, while an upper-level trough/low pressure system extends from the Great Lakes south into the OH Valley and WV. While the dry high pressure acts as a suppressing factor for precipitation, a weak H500 shortwave may combine with afternoon heating to destabilize the atmosphere, allowing for weak isolated convection through this afternoon. Models show an H500 vorticity maxima moving across southern WV, SW VA and NE KY this evening. This feature may bring clouds and low chances for precipitation this evening over these places into the overnight hours. Yet, a stronger H500 shortwave moves in Wednesday afternoon. Limited moisture, as seen with PWATs around 1.3 inches, may not be enough to sustain widespread precipitation. Therefore, allowed chance PoPs for showers and storms developing Wednesday afternoon. Any convection will not survive sunset. Near normal temperatures are expected through the period, generally in the mid to upper 50s across the lowlands, ranging into the mid 40s northeast mountains. Highs on Wednesday will range from the lower 80s lowlands, ranging into the lower 60s northeast mountains. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... As of 145 PM Tuesday... By Wednesday night, H850 flow increases from the southwest at 25-30 knots. This flow will inject adequate moisture to sustain widespread precipitation ahead of an approaching cold front. The environment ahead of the cold front will be characterized by SBCAPE exceeding 2200 J/kg, deep layered shear 40-50 knots, helicities exceeding 100 m2/s2, and PWATs around 1.5 inches. Although moisture does not look impressive, strong and organized convection may develop Thursday afternoon and evening. Guidance suggests very little in expected beneficial rainfall for Wednesday. However, widespread 0.5 to 0.75 inches of rain can be expected with the cold front on Thursday. This should be easily managed hydrologically given the antecedent rather dry conditions although a localized/isolated water issue is not out of the question. WPC has the area highlighted with a Marginal Risk for Excessive rainfall. Dense fog and low stratus is expected to develop in the wake of rainfall Thursday night into Friday morning. The cold front exits east by Friday morning, allowing a brief high pressure to build providing a mostly dry day. A reinforcing but relatively dry cold front crosses Friday night and Saturday taking temperatures down again to slightly below normal. Temperatures should stay slightly below normal for this time of the year on Thursday given widespread cloud cover and shower and thunderstorm coverage associated with the cold front. For Friday, strong southwest flow at H850 increases to near 40 knots pumping warm and moisture advection to the area. This will warm up highs closer to normal, generally in the lower to mid 80s across the lowlands, ranging into the upper 60s northeast mountains. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 145 PM Tuesday... A broad surface high pressure builds in behind the second front to provide dry weather conditions for the end of the weekend and the beginning of next week. Therefore, expect dry and cool weather to finish out the weekend, followed by temperatures beginning to moderate during the early portion of the following work week, amid continued dry, benign weather, as the surface high begins to move out. && .AVIATION /17Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 145 PM Tuesday... Widespread VFR conditions are anticipated under high pressure. The exception will be IFR/LIFR conditions under dense fog at EKN and nearby river valleys overnight tonight. Any fog lingering along the Tygart and Elk Rivers will dissipate by 1230Z, with little if any impact on EKN and CRW, respectively. A weak shortwave may enhance diurnal driven showers or thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening. Brief periods of MVFR/IFR conditions can be expected along the heavier showers on Wednesday. Winds will remain light to calm through tonight, becoming light from the south on Wednesday. Light, mainly southeast flow aloft today, will become light west to southwest tonight. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: High. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing and intensity of fog at EKN overnight tonight may vary, and fluctuate more widely than indicated. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. UTC 1HRLY 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 EDT 1HRLY 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 18Z WEDNESDAY... IFR conditions possible in heavier showers and storms within an encroaching cold front Thursday. IFR possible in fog and stratus early Friday morning. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...ARJ NEAR TERM...ARJ SHORT TERM...ARJ LONG TERM...ARJ AVIATION...ARJ