Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA

Current Version | Previous Version | Text Only | Print | Product List | Glossary Off
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
-- Remove Highlighting --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
000 FXUS61 KLWX 150751 AFDLWX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 351 AM EDT WED MAY 15 2013 .SYNOPSIS...
-- Changed Discussion --
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL APPROACH FROM PENNSYLVANIA LATE TODAY AND STALL OUT OVER THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
-- Changed Discussion --
THE CONVEYOR BELT OF ISOLATED SHOWERS CONTINUES OVER THE NERN QUADRANT OF THE CWA...A STEADY STREAM OF SPRINKLES COMING OUT OF MID CLOUD DECKS. BUT THE MAIN STORY OF THE NEAR TERM IS THE TEMPERATURES. WE`RE NOW A SOLID 10-15 DEG ABOVE CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME 24 HRS AGO. THIS DIFFERENCE WILL CARRY OVER AND EVEN MORE SO INTO THE AFTN HRS TODAY...AS WE PEAK WELL INTO THE 80S ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. A RELATIVELY SMALL BUT VERY STRONG UPPER RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE NRN PLAINS DEVELOPED A LOCALIZED AREA OF TEMPS IN THE UPPER 90S/L100S YESTERDAY AFTN. AT THE SAME TIME NEAR TRIPLE-DIGIT HEAT WAS OCCURRING...ONLY A FEW HUNDRED MILES TO THE EAST - OVER THE GREAT LAKES - TEMPS WERE ONLY THE 50S. IN BETWEEN THESE AREAS RESIDES A HIGHWAY OF FAST UPPER FLOW CREATED BY THESE STRONG OPPOSING FORCES. A PIECE OF THIS ENERGY FROM THE WEST WILL BE FORCED TOWARD THE AREA TODAY. A COMPLEX SFC SCENARIO W/ ALL THESE POTENT BUT SMALL SCALE FEATURES MOVING ABOUT THE NRN HALF OF THE COUNTRY TODAY. A WARM FRONT HAS BEEN FORMING ALONG THE I-70 CORRIDOR OF THE UPPER MIDWEST... STRETCHING HUNDREDS OF MILES AND WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A WX-MAKER FOR THE AREA BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY FRI. FOR TODAY...A COLD FRONT DRIFTING DOWN FROM THE SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT COOL TEMPS TO THE GREAT LAKES YESTERDAY WILL STAY WELL TO THE NORTH BUT JOIN UP W/ THE WARM FRONT AND BECOME A PSEUDO-STATIONARY BOUNDARY NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE OVERNIGHT. LOCAL GUIDANCE LIKE THE HRRR AND GFS-BASED WRF MODELS TAKING THE ACTIVITY CURRENTLY OVER THE LAKE ERIE REGION...SPILLING IT OVER INTO THE ERN HALF OF THE CWA LATER THIS MRNG AND EARLY AFTN. PLACED AN ISOLATED/SCATTERED POP FOR THESE AREAS...DRYING OUT AND CLEARING OUT DURING THE AFTN. A QUICK RETURN TO THE CLOUDS AND PRECIP ALONG THE MASON-DIXON LINE LATE THIS AFTN THOUGH...AS HI-RES MODELS CONTINUING TO DEPICT A DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION JUST TO OUR NORTH - POTENTIALLY DRIFTING ESE INTO THE NRN TIER COUNTIES TOWARD LATE EVE...DISSIPATING OVERNIGHT BEFORE HEADING TOO FAR SOUTH.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO SINK SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...POSSIBLY SNAKING BACK UP THE APPALACHIANS ON FRIDAY. WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE CWA ON THURSDAY...WILL CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH MAXIMA IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S. WITH FRONT SAGGING A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH INTO FRIDAY...WILL FOCUS POPS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF ON THE CWA WITH MAXIMA POSSIBLY A COUPLE OF DEGREES LOWER.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO REMAIN SOUTH OF THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND...THEN LIFTS BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT EARLY NEXT WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SHORTWAVE. FEW ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO THE FORECAST WHICH INCLUDE CHANCE POPS THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .AVIATION /08Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
LITTLE HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF THE SOLID 7-8KFT DECK OVER THE METRO DC/BALT AREAS AND EVEN A FEW INTERMITTENT SPRINKLES ALONG THE WAY. THIS WILL CONTINUE THRU DAWN AND POSSIBLY INTO THE LATE MRNG HRS ACROSS A PORTION OF NERN MD. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE AND RECEDE TO THE NORTH DURING THE AFTN HRS...AS SLY WINDS PICK UP INTO THE G20-25KT RANGE. MID DECKS WILL RETURN FROM THE NORTH LATE THIS EVE...BUT MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE I-66 CORRIDOR W/ SOLID VFR CONDITIONS THRU THE TAF PERIOD. FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO STALL OUT TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA DURING THE LATE WEEK-WEEKEND PERIOD. WITH BOUNDARY FAIRLY CLOSE...CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING EACH DAY.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .MARINE...
-- Changed Discussion --
SLY CHANNELING CONTINUES OVERNIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY BUILD W/ OBS HOVERING IN THE LOW-END SCA RANGE. THESE CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD FURTHER NORTH INTO THE MRNG HRS...AND OVER THE TP RVR BY LATE MRNG. THE AFTN HRS WILL SEE THE HIGHER SYNOPTIC GUSTS THIS AFTN...W/ MOST AREAS IN SOLID SCA RANGE AND A FEW GUSTS IN THE U20KT RANGE BEFORE SUNSET. A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL ALSO CONTINUE THIS MRNG...AND AGAIN ANOTHER ROUND OVER THE NRN BAY LATE TONIGHT. FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLIPS SOUTH OF THE WATERS LATE WEEK AND REMAINS SOUTH THROUGH THE WEEKEND. GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN FAIRLY WEAK THROUGH THE PERIOD. AS WINDS BECOME SOUTHEAST OVER THE WEEKEND...WINDS MAY CREEP UP CLOSE TO SCA LEVELS OVER PORTIONS OF THE WATERS.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
-- Changed Discussion --
THE SLY CHANNELING OF WINDS UP THE MAIN STEM OF THE BAY HAS INCREASED POSITIVE TIDAL ANOMALIES TOWARD THE 1 FT ABOVE MARK BUT STILL CLOSER TO 3/4FT ATTM. WATER LEVEL MODEL GUIDANCE KEEPING ANNAPOLIS UNDER MINOR THRESHOLDS FOR THE UPCOMING H.T. CYCLE WHICH WILL BE THE MOST SENSITIVE AND BEST CHANCE FOR MINOR TIDAL FLOODING IN THE NEAR TERM. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST OUT OF THE SOUTH FOR MUCH OF THE DAY...BEFORE A COLD FRONT ARRIVES LATE TONIGHT AND BEGINS TO TAPER OFF THESE WINDS AND CHANGE DIRECTIONS TO MORE WLY AND CAUSE LEVELS TO DROP AGAIN.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
-- Changed Discussion --
DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR ANZ531>534- 537-539>541-543. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR ANZ530-535-536-538-542.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& $$ SYNOPSIS...GMS/BPP NEAR TERM...GMS SHORT TERM...BPP LONG TERM...BPP AVIATION...GMS/BPP MARINE...GMS/BPP TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...GMS

USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.