Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA

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000 FXUS61 KLWX 200731 AFDLWX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 331 AM EDT MON MAY 20 2013 .SYNOPSIS...
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A WARM FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA TODAY WHILE AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ATLANTIC WILL PROVIDE A SOUTHERLY FLOW FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...BRINGING WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK AND COOLER CONDITIONS WILL RETURN FOR NEXT WEEKEND.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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CURRENT ANALYSIS SHOWS A STATIONARY BOUNDARY OVER THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING WHILE UPPER-LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SLOWLY MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM WEST VIRGINIA. THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY SEPARATES WARM AND MOIST AIR TO THE SOUTH AND WEST FROM COOLER MARINE AIR TO THE NORTH AND EAST. WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUDS ALONG WITH FOG/DRIZZLE ARE EXPECTED TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND. HOWEVER...PLENTY OF MOISTURE IS TRAPPED UNDERNEATH THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION SO AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND FOG/DRIZZLE ARE ALSO EXPECTED SOUTH AND WEST OF THE BOUNDARY. A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW ACROSS CENTRAL VIRGINIA. THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY WILL MOVE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SOUTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE BOUNDARY WILL USHER IN WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS. THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW WILL SLOWLY MOVE INTO THE REGION DURING THIS TIME. THE COMBINATION OF WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS ALONG WITH COOLER AIR ALOFT WILL CAUSE AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND T-STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THIS TIME. A LIGHT WIND FIELD AND INSTABILITY REMAINING SOMEWHAT LIMITED DUE TO CLOUD COVER SHOULD KEEP THE SEVERE THREAT LOW. SCATTERED SHOWERS/T-STORMS MAY CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING...BUT DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT DUE TO THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT WITH MIN TEMPS HOLDING IN THE 60S FOR MOST AREAS. PLENTY OF MOISTURE UNDERNEATH THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS/FOG.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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MID-ATLANTIC WILL RESIDE IN A WARM SECTOR DURING THE MID-WEEK. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A WARM UP TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH MAXIMA IN THE MID 80S. IF THERE IS MORE SUNSHINE...THEN MAXIMA COULD EVEN REACH UPPER 80S IN SOME LOCATIONS. TUESDAY MORNING MAY START OFF WITH SOME FOG/STRATUS...BUT CLOUDS SHOULD BREAK FOR SOME SUNSHINE DURING THE AFTERNOON. MODELS SHOW MOISTURE IN PLACE...AND SOME INSTABILITY AS WELL HOWEVER AM HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ANY GOOD FORCING/FOCUSING MECHANISMS FOR CONVECTION THEREFORE CONTINUE TO FAVOR A DRY FORECAST FOR TUESDAY WITH ONLY ISOLATED CONVECTION ACROSS THE NORTHWEST. AIR MASS REMAINS THE SAME ON WEDNESDAY. MODELS HINT AT A BETTER CHANCE OF DIURNAL CONVECTION SO HAVE INCLUDED CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE CWA.
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&& .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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SLIGHT HEIGHT FALLS ARE FORECAST TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK AS AN UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES...IN TANDEM WITH A COLD FRONT. THERE IS SOME QUESTION REGARDING TIMING OF THE FROPA...LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTING LATE THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY HAVE CHANCE POPS IN THE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TIME FRAME...AND WE CAN FINE TUNE THE TIMING AS WE GET CLOSER. THERE IS GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE FRONT WILL HAVE MOVED THROUGH THE AREA BY THE WEEKEND...FAVORING A COOLER/DRIER AIR MASS. FORECAST REFLECTS MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND TEMPERATURES NEAR CLIMATOLOGY.
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&& .AVIATION /07Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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PLENTY OF MOISTURE REMAINS TRAPPED UNDERNEATH THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION. LOW CLOUDS AND AREAS OF FOG WILL CAUSE IFR/SUB IFR CIGS/VSBYS EARLY THIS MORNING. A WARM FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE TERMINALS LATER THIS MORNING AND CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS/FOG ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN TONIGHT. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME FOG/STRATUS EARLY TUESDAY...PARTICULARLY IF SOME OVERNIGHT CLEARING TAKES PLACE AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS. BUT CONFIDENCE REMAINS ONLY LOW-MODERATE ON OCCURRENCE ATTM. VFR EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THE BALANCE OF TUESDAY. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...AND SHRA/TSRA REMAIN POSSIBLE UNTIL A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATE THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY.
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&& .MARINE...
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A STATIONARY BOUNDARY OVER THE WATERS WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TODAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY. HOWEVER...WIND SPEEDS WILL REMAIN BELOW SCA CRITERIA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE MID WEEK UNTIL A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK SWITCHING WINDS TO THE NORTHWEST. SOUTHERLY FLOW CHANNELLING UP THE BAY COULD BRING MARGINAL SCA CONDITIONS UP THE BAY PARTICULARLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EVENINGS.
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&& .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
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TIDAL ANOMALIES REMAIN NEAR NORMAL EARLY THIS MORNING. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WATERS TODAY AND ANOMALIES ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE. HOWEVER...THE HIGH TIDE THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE THE LOWER OF THE TWO. WILL HAVE TO WATCH SOUTHERLY FLOW DURING THE MID-WEEK AS IT MAY SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN DEPARTURES AGAIN. BUT CBOFS KEEPS WATER LEVELS BELOW MINOR THRESHOLDS THROUGH HIGH TIDES TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
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&& .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BJL/BPP NEAR TERM...BJL SHORT TERM...BPP LONG TERM...BPP AVIATION...BJL/BPP MARINE...BJL/BPP TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...BJL/BPP

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