Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA

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000 FXUS61 KLWX 180134 AFDLWX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 934 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS AND SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC WILL REMAIN STALLED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS AN ONSHORE FLOW DEVELOPS WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OFF THE NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC COAST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE EASTERN STATES THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
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HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EASTWARD OVER NEW ENGLAND AND EVENTUALLY ANCHOR ITSELF OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST SATURDAY. A STATIONARY FRONT THAT HAS BEEN THE ZONE OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE PAST FEW DAYS HAS POSITIONED ITSELF ALONG THE APPALACHIANS AND IN SOUTHERN VIRGINIA TONIGHT. TO THE EAST OF THIS BOUNDARY MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS HAVE INCREASED AS A STABLE AIR MASS HAS MOVED INTO THIS REGION TODAY. ALONG THE BOUNDARY... SHOWERS ARE PRESENT ACROSS THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AND CENTRAL VA ZONES. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE AND SLOWLY FILL IN AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THE MID ATLANTIC FROM THE SOUTHWEST. ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL INCREASE IN THE SW OVERNIGHT AND BY SAT MORNING SHOWERS AND CLOUDS WILL HAVE INCREASED OVER THE ENTIRE REGION. BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS WILL BE IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD STAY SOUTH OF OUR REGION CLOSER TO THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY BUT AN ISO THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE IN CENTRAL VA AND THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS IN THE AFTERNOON. MINIMAL INSTABILITY AND A STABLE AIR MASS WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR UPDRAFTS TO FORM. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL MOVE NORTH AND OVERSPREAD NOVA AND WASHDC METRO BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. EASTERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND LEADING TO LOW CEILINGS INTO SATURDAY EVENING. DUE TO THE CLOUD COVER AND SHOWER ACTIVITY TEMPS WILL NOT HAVE AS BIG OF A DIURNAL CURVE AS FRIDAY. UPPER 60S AND POSSIBLY 70 ARE EXPECTED SAT.
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&& .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AN UPR TROUGH EJECTING FROM THE NORTHERN INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TO THE GREAT PLAINS AND AN AMPLIFYING TROUGH OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES WILL AMPLIFY A LONG-WAVE RIDGE OVER THE MIDWEST THIS WEEKEND. AT THE SFC...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OFF THE NRN MID-ATLANTIC COAST WITH THE STALLED BOUNDARY PERSISTING OVER THE SRN MID-ATLANTIC. AS A RESULT...AN ONSHORE FLOW IS EXPECTED SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. EXPECT WIDESPREAD SHOWERS TO SPREAD NORTHEAST TO THE BALT-WASH METRO SATURDAY NIGHT AS MOIST SLY LLVL FLOW EXPANDS ACROSS THE CWA. CLOUDS AND ONSHORE FLOW MAKE FOR A MILD SATURDAY NIGHT WITH MIN TEMPS MID TO UPR 50S...LOW 60S URBAN/NEAR SHORE. WAA OVERRIDES THE CLOUDS MAKING FOR MAX TEMPS ONLY ABOUT 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL (LOW 70S). && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... A LONG WAVE (WARM) RIDGE WILL PERSIST OVER THE ERN STATES MONDAY THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK WITH A SLY FLOW AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. GENERALLY 80S MAX TEMPS THROUGH THE WEEK WITH MID TO UPR 60 FOR MINS IN THE HUMID AIR. AT LEAST DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION IS EXPECTED WITH ANY DISTURBANCE MAKING FOR ALL-DAY THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. && .AVIATION /01Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND FOR MOST OF THE OVERNIGHT. INCREASED COVERAGE IN SHOWERS AND CLOUDS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT WITH CIGS DROPPING TO MVFR AT CHO BY THE MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE SATURDAY AS EASTERLY FLOW CONTINUES AT THE SFC AT ALL TERMINALS. MVFR/IFR CIGS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AS AN ONSHORE FLOW BRINGS AMPLE MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION. PASSING SHOWERS THROUGH THIS TIME COULD CAUSE IFR VSBYS DURING THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL. UNSTABLE PATTERN CONTINUES THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
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&& .MARINE...
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SCA IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER TIDAL POTOMAC AND PORTIONS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. EASTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE FOR THE MOST OF THE WEEKEND. A PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN OVER THE WATERS SATURDAY AND GUSTS AROUND 20 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN TEH LOWER TIDAL POTOMAC AND CHESAPEAKE BAY. VSBYS OVER THE WATERS WILL BE REDUCED AT TIMES IN RAIN/SHOWERS. ONSHORE FLOW 10 TO 15 KT SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...BECOMING SLY MONDAY MORNING. PERHAPS AN SCA FOR SLY CHANNELING MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING...OTHERWISE WINDS STAY BELOW 18 KT. SWLY FLOW AROUND 10 KT THEN TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
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&& .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR ANZ534-537-543.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...HAS NEAR TERM...HAS SHORT TERM...BAJ LONG TERM...BAJ AVIATION...BAJ/HAS MARINE...BAJ/HAS

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