Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Wakefield, VA

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922 FXUS61 KAKQ 131934 AFDAKQ AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wakefield VA 334 PM EDT Mon May 13 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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Another round of showers and storms returns to the region late tonight into Tuesday, with periods of rain continuing through Wednesday. Warmer with additional showers and storms late Friday into the weekend.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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As of 335 PM EDT Monday... -Key Messages: - Warmer and dry today. - Clouds increase gradually late this afternoon and thicken this evening with precip chances ramping up after midnight. Latest analysis reveals 1020+mb high pressure off the mid- Atlantic coast. To the west, an upper trough continues to slowly trundle east over the middle Missouri Valley. This system, is also dragging a warm front, which extends along and just inland of the Gulf coast this afternoon. Mid to high clouds continue to push into the southern half of the area this afternoon ahead of the approaching warm front. A weakening convective complex continues to slide just north of the front over S AL/GA, with a second area of showers and storms firing up over the western Gulf coast as of this writing. Overrunning moisture from this feature will lift quickly NNE this evening, reaching the local area overnight into the day on Tuesday. Locally, it will be dry to start tonight, albeit with increasing and lowering clouds as PWs slowly ratchet up and WAA aloft ensues. Rain chances increase rapidly across the SW half of the area after midnight as high pressure slides farther offshore and a deeper slug of overrunning moisture arrives. Early morning lows will be mild in the upper 50s to low 60s with increasing clouds and low-level moisture.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
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As of 335 PM EDT Monday... -Key Messages: - Rain develops Tuesday with showers and a few thunderstorms. Widespread severe weather is not expected, but locally heavy rain possible Tuesday night along the coast. - Showers and a few thunderstorms linger on Wednesday before moving offshore overnight. - Drying out on Thursday, though clouds and a few spotty showers persist. Rain chances ramp up through the morning Tuesday, reaching the coast by mid to late afternoon. Still looks as if we remain on the cool side of the system for much of the day, as weak WAA aloft keeps clouds in place through the day. Those resulting weak kinematics and meager instability are still progged by CAMs and have accordingly removed thunder wording for all but the far SW corner of the area through tomorrow afternoon. However, will maintain a thunder chance Tuesday evening, extending east to southside Hampton Roads and NE NC Tuesday evening. Highs likely don`t get out of the 60s across portions of the Piedmont, while areas to the east see temps in the low to mid 70s. QPF through Tue night between 3/4" and 1" of additional rainfall, with locally higher totals possible. Secondary low pressure looks to develop across the western Carolinas Tuesday morning, with that low lifting a warm front across the region Tuesday evening. While IVT/PW fields continue to show the heaviest rainfall remaining just offshore, higher PW air does lift along the coast. CAMs continue to highlight the best chances for periods of locally heavy rainfall will be across this same coastal area Tue evening across the SE, into later Tue night/early Wed over the eastern shore. Rain briefly tapers off Wednesday morning, especially across the S/SE, as mid-levels briefly dry out. However, model soundings continue to show saturated low-levels persist through the morning hours on Wed. Thus, expect light rain or drizzle Wed morning hangs on under continued overcast/substantial cloud cover, as the closed low to the west opens up and crosses just south of the region. Precipitation character remains a bit more stratiform through the day for most, with the 12z/13 CAMs keeping a majority of convection to our south. However, chances for storms do increase a little bit over E and NE NC, perhaps extending NE into Hampton Roads by afternoon as the weakening upper low approaches. This allows for a period of increased deep- layer shear (25-35 kt) along with some decent instability. For that reason, will keep thunder wording in place for Wed afternoon for now. A bit of a transition day weatherwise for Thursday. Drier conditions overall in subsidence behind the departing trough. Will likely see some lingering clouds in NW flow aloft, and an isolated shower or two cannot be completely ruled out by afternoon, hence the lingering 20% PoP inland. Highs Thu once again in the mid/upper 70s well inland to lower/mid 70s along the coast. Lows Thu night range through the 50s to around 60 degrees.
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&& .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
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As of 335 PM Monday... -Key Messages: -Continued warm late this week with increasing chances for showers and storms later Friday into the weekend. Shortwave ridging briefly rests over the area Friday morning. Another system approaches late on Friday with another chance for scattered showers and storms. 12z guidance remains rather mixed with guidance still having trouble resolving the next southern stream wave lifting out of the plains. Have maintained slight to chance PoPs each day, highest during typical diurnal (late aftn/Evening) timing. Certainly doesn`t look like a washout for any of these days by any stretch. As guidance gets into better agreement, expect this will become a bit clearer in the coming day or two. Remaining near climo late week, with temps at or above climo through the weekend into early next week. Highs generally in the 70s to low 80s. Lows range through the 50s to low 60s coastal sections.
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&& .AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 1205 PM EDT Monday... VFR conditions prevail for 18z TAF period. Winds ~10 kt out of the SSE near the coast and generally S 5-10 kt inland. Mostly sunny/SKC this afternoon, with increasing high clouds through the evening. Showers will also return late tonight/early Tuesday but should remain west of the main terminals through 12z Tuesday. Outlook: Low pressure returns Tuesday into Wednesday bringing showers, periodic flight restrictions, and possibly a few tstms. Conditions gradually improve Thursday into Friday. && .MARINE... As of 310 AM EDT Monday... Key messages: -SCAs have been issued for the Chesapeake Bay from this evening through early Tuesday morning for a brief period of elevated S to SE winds. -Additional SCAs are likely ahead of a low pressure system Monday Tuesday into Wednesday morning High pressure is centered near the waters early this morning with light E winds and ~3ft. The high gradually shifts offshore today, and winds then increase out of the S-SE (to ~15kt by late aftn) as the pressure gradient tightens on the back side of the high. Confidence in seeing a brief period of low-end SCA conditions on the bay has increased this evening-early Tue AM, and local wind probs now show a 70-90% chc of sustained 18kt winds between 6 PM today-2 AM Tue. Went ahead and issued SCAs for the bay that is in effect from 6 PM through 1-4 AM. S winds briefly diminish to 10-15kt Tuesday AM. However, a low pressure system will approach the area on Tuesday before crossing the area from west to east late Tuesday night/early Wednesday. The pressure gradient will increase ahead of the system by Tue aftn/evening, allowing S winds to increase to around 20kt (and remain elevated through most of Tue night). Local wind probs continue to show an 80-100% chc of 18kt winds on the bay Tue night. Wind gusts are expected to be right around the 25kt threshold on the ocean (and local wind probs for 25kt gusts are only 30-60% for a few hrs Tue night), but seas should build to 5ft by Tue night. Therefore, SCAs appear likely for the bay and ocean (and perhaps the Lower James/Currituck Sound) with this system. Sub-SCA conditions are expected behind the system Wed night-Thursday (w/ N-NE winds near 15kt and seas subsiding to ~4ft). Waves on the bay will be 1- 3ft through most of the period (although 4ft waves are possible Tue night). && .AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 4 AM EDT Tuesday for ANZ630-631. Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 1 AM EDT Tuesday for ANZ632-634. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MAM NEAR TERM...MAM SHORT TERM...MAM/RHR LONG TERM...MAM/RHR AVIATION...MAM/RHR MARINE...AM/ERI