Area Forecast Discussion
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Issued by NWS
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513 FXUS62 KTAE 040531 AFDTAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tallahassee FL 1231 AM EST Thu Dec 4 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 1223 AM EST Thu Dec 4 2025 - High rain chances beginning Thursday night and lasting into Sunday. Widespread rainfall totals of 1" to 4" are possible through the weekend, with higher amounts forecast along and north of a line from near Panama City, FL to Fitzgerald, GA. && .SHORT TERM... (This Evening through Thursday) Issued at 106 PM EST Wed Dec 3 2025 The beginning of a fairly wet pattern, especially considering the widespread drought conditions we`ve seen over the last 2 months, will begin late Thursday as next system approaches the region. Before the wet pattern commences, surface high pressure will fill into the region this afternoon following yesterday`s cold front. With some clearing and relatively light winds, we`ll cool off a few degrees more than this morning and by Thursday morning most areas should be in the low 40s and mid to upper 30s. For Thursday, surface high pressure will continues its eastward trek as a belt of stronger upper level southwesterlies develops into the evening. Increasing upper level cloud cover and sustained low- level warm advection east of a developing surface low will mean increasing cloudiness and rain chances from west to east by the afternoon and evening. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday night through next Tuesday) Issued at 106 PM EST Wed Dec 3 2025 For the long term period beginning Thursday night, a much wetter pattern will take shape across the region. The wet pattern will largely be driven by multiple waves traversing the elevated southwesterly flow aloft from Thursday night into Sunday. The first wave arrives Thursday night into Friday. In addition to widespread rainfall across southwest Georgia, Panhandle, and southeast Alabama, some limited thunderstorm potential will exist across our marine zones and Florida counties where elevated instability will exist. After this wave moves through the front should stall across the northern Gulf. As the next wave moves in, widespread isentropic ascent should lead to a broad area of steady stratiform rain Saturday into Sunday. Some heavy rain can`t be ruled out on Sunday as another weak surface low develops along the boundary as the final wave in the upper levels moves through. While there is some uncertainty in the arrival of the waves and the exact timing of the heavier amounts, there is at least high probabilities that nearly the entire forecast area will see beneficial rainfall of at least an inch, with a majority of the forecast area most likely seeing around 2 inches. When accounting for some of the higher end possibilities, widespread rainfall amounts could reach 3 to 4 inches in some of the heavier hit areas by the time the weekend ends. As for temperatures, we`ll generally see near normal to slightly- below normal temperatures from Friday into next week as the cloudy and rainy conditions keep temperatures down in the afternoons. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1223 AM EST Thu Dec 4 2025 VFR conditions continue the rest of the night with a light northeasterly breeze. Conditions deteriorate as rain moves in from the west Thursday morning. Confidence is highest for KDHN and KABY for steady light to moderate rain much of the day with IFR ceilings developing as soon as the rain begins. The PROB30 groups were maintained for KTLH and KVLD, as confidence wasn`t quite there to go prevailing rain and low ceilings quite yet, but MVFR to IFR ceilings cannot be entirely ruled out at this time and may be introduced in future TAF packages. There does appear to be a bit of a lull in the rain later Thursday afternoon into Thursday night, but left drizzle in the TAFs for KABY and KDHN along with lower ceilings as a hedge in case the rain currently forecast for central AL/GA is a bit more south than expected. Elsewhere, VFR conditions are expected, but, admittedly, confidence isn`t the highest this far out. && .MARINE... Issued at 106 PM EST Wed Dec 3 2025 Favorable marine conditions are expected through tonight. A tightening pressure gradient brings easterly to northeasterly winds to near cautionary levels west of Apalachicola Thursday. Southerly winds are forecast Friday as an area of low pressure meanders along the northern Gulf Coast with the potential for advisory level winds Friday into Saturday. Rounds of scattered rain and possibly a few thunderstorms is then likely into the weekend until the main front pushes through on Monday bringing an end to the rain. Some advisory or cautionary level winds are possible behind the front. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 106 PM EST Wed Dec 3 2025 High pressure combined with ample low-level moisture and an inversion will keep dispersions low today and again Thursday. As our next weather system moves in, rain chances increase from west to east during the day Thursday with a couple rounds of rain anticipated again Friday and Saturday. Aside from low dispersions into the weekend, this will keep fire concerns low as the chances for wetting rains increase significantly. On the low end rainfall amounts range around 0.5 to 1.0 inches across the region, but if the right conditions align, some localized rainfall amounts by the end of the weekend could near 3 to 5 inches. While these amounts will not bring an end to the drought they would be sufficient enough to bring a much longer pause in fire weather && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 106 PM EST Wed Dec 3 2025 Several rounds of rain are forecast Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. By the time a cold front swings through later this weekend, widespread rainfall totals of 1" to 4" are forecast, with the higher totals anticipated along and north of a line near Panama City, FL to Fitzgerald, GA. The lower end of the rainfall amounts are currently forecast across the Florida Big Bend and into south- central Georgia. Fortunately, the riverine flood threat is rather low at this time as much of the rain falling across Alabama and Georgia should be more stratiform in nature and very beneficial. Meanwhile, a few convective downpours are forecast across Florida, mainly along and south of I-10, and could lead to localized flash flooding should they train over our more urban areas. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Tallahassee 50 71 53 63 / 60 90 60 80 Panama City 50 71 53 63 / 50 90 70 80 Dothan 45 57 48 56 / 60 90 80 80 Albany 45 57 48 56 / 60 100 80 80 Valdosta 48 70 51 62 / 40 90 70 80 Cross City 52 77 58 72 / 10 50 50 60 Apalachicola 54 73 57 66 / 40 80 60 70 && .TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. GA...None. AL...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Dobbs LONG TERM....Dobbs AVIATION...Reese MARINE...Dobbs FIRE WEATHER...Dobbs HYDROLOGY...Dobbs