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 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
-- Highlight Changed Discussion --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
000 FXUS61 KLWX 130807 AFDLWX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 407 AM EDT THU JUN 13 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED OUT NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE THROUGH THIS EVENING. LOW PRESSURE WILL RIDE ALONG THE BOUNDARY...IMPACTING THE AREA DURING THIS TIME. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL PASS THROUGH TONIGHT AND HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD TOWARD THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
-- Changed Discussion --
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM FOR MOST OF THE AREA. A COMPLEX OF STORMS MOVING INTO WEST VIRGINIA WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... CURRENT ANALYSIS SHOWS A STALLED BOUNDARY NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE AND POTENT LOW PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY. SHORTWAVE ENERGY IN THE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT IS PASSING THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...AND A COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER OHIO EARLY THIS MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO OUR AREA BY SUNRISE. STRENGTHENING SHEAR PROFILES AHEAD OF THE POTENT LOW ALONG WITH MODERATE INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED DUE TO HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATERS FROM THE WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS OVERHEAD. AS OF NOW...IT APPEARS THAT THE BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS MORNING WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA CLOSER TO THE SHORTWAVE ENERGY AND THE STALLED BOUNDARY. THE POTENT LOW OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL TRACK EAST LATER TODAY...PASSING BY TO OUR NORTH THIS AFTERNOON. A SOUTHWEST FLOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS OUR CWA ON THE WARM SIDE OF THE LOW. THEREFORE...HOT AND HUMID AIR WILL CAUSE HIGH AMOUNTS OF INSTABILITY. THE SHEAR PROFILES WILL BE QUITE STRONG AS THE JETSTREAM STRENGTHENS AHEAD OF THE LOW. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG SHEAR PROFILES AND HIGH INSTABILITY DOES POSE THE THREAT FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...AND THERE IS EVEN A THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DURING THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THERE IS A THREAT ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER...BUT THE MOST WIDESPREAD COVERAGE IS EXPECTED EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS WHERE STORMS WILL HAVE MORE TIME TO DEVELOP BEFORE DRIER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT FROM A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST FREQUENTLY AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. THE COLD FRONT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CAUSE WINDY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF TONIGHT. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE BOUNDARY WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH. HIGHER WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...AND A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED PORTIONS OF THESE AREAS. A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH BUILDS OVERHEAD. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY EARLY THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT FOR LOCATIONS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...DRIER AIR BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WILL PUT AN END TO ANY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT LATER THIS EVENING. A FEW SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVERNIGHT DUE TO AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH BUILDING OVERHEAD.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... 500MB TROUGH AXIS SHOULD BE ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST FRIDAY MORNING. SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE START OF FRIDAY AS ENERGY AND MID LEVEL MOISTURE LAGS BEHIND TROUGH ON THE BACKSIDE. COLD FRONT WILL BE WELL TO OUR EAST AND NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING IN COOLER AND DRIER AIR INTO THE MID ATLANTIC. HIGH PRESSURE FROM THE WEST WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RELAX BY FRIDAY NIGHT LESSENING WIND SPEEDS AT THE SFC AND DRYING OUT ENTIRE COLUMN. CLEAR SKIES AND CALM WINDS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL LEAD TO A SUNNY DAY IN THE MID ATLANTIC SATURDAY. NW WINDS WILL CONTINUE FOR MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE BACKING TO THE SW BY EVENING. HIGH CLOUDS WILL BEGIN TO STREAM IN FROM THE SW SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... ANOTHER ACTIVE PATTERN IS IN STORE FOR THE MID ATLANTIC BEGINNING SUNDAY EVENING. ALBEIT ZONAL FLOW FOR THE START OF THE WORK WEEK MULTIPLE DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE OVER THE REGION. SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION SUNDAY EVENING AS THE FIRST SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES THE OHIO VALLEY. THERE IS MINIMAL INSTABILITY IN FCST SOUNDINGS AND ACTIVITY SEEMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION OVERNIGHT AND EXIT MONDAY SO CURRENT THINKING REGION WILL ONLY SEE SHOWERS. LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL APPROACH THE MID ATLANTIC DURING THE START OF THE WEEK. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE DURING THIS TIME AND GULF MOISTURE WILL BE ADVECTED NORTHWARD. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. TRACK OF LOW PRESSURE AND COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL DEPICT THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT FOR THE MID ATLANTIC. LONG RANGE MODEL GUIDANCE HAS A RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES THIS FAR OUT BUT TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY SEEM THE BEST FOR FRONTAL PASSAGE. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN FROM THE WEST BEHIND FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .AVIATION /08Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS BY TO THE NORTH THIS AFTERNOON AND THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL PASS THROUGH THE TERMINALS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL...AND EVEN ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL GUST AROUND 30 KNOTS LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WITH GUSTS AROUND 30 KNOTS. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT BUT RESTRICTIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .MARINE... LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS BY TO THE NORTH OF THE WATERS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL PASS THROUGH THE WATERS THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...LARGE HAIL...AND EVEN ISOLATED WATERSPOUTS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING AROUND 30 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WITH FREQUENT GUSTS AROUND 30 KNOTS. A GALE WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS TONIGHT. NW WINDS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY AS COLD FRONT DEPARTS TO THE EAST. WINDS WILL RELAX FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER THE WATERS. SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT. && .HYDROLOGY... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CWA THROUGH THURSDAY. WET ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS HAS RESULTED IN A 1-HR FFG AROUND AN INCH. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND STORMS TO MOVE OVER THE CWA EARLY THIS MORNING. IF THE COMPLEX HOLDS UP...IT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HVY DOWNPOURS WITH RAINFALL RATES OVER ONE INCH PER HOUR. THE BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN EARLY THIS MORNING WILL BE OVER NRN MD...NORTHERN VA...AND THE ERN WV PANHANDLE...CLOSER TO A STALLED BOUNDARY. STEADY HEAVIER RAIN IS MORE LIKELY NORTH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED BOUNDARY...WHICH LIKELY PUTS WIDESPREAD HEAVY PRECIPITATION NORTH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...EVEN CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THAT DEVELOPS SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT WILL DEFINITELY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1-2 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATER BY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL CAUSE TIDAL ANOMALIES TO INCREASE. HOWEVER...THE WIND SHOULD BE WEST OF SOUTH AND THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR DURING THE LOWER OF THE TWO HIGH TIDE CYCLES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THEREFORE...WATER LEVELS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW THRESHOLDS FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR DCZ001. MD...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR MDZ003-501-502. FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MDZ004>007-009>011- 013-014-016>018. VA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR VAZ025>031-036- 037-503-504. FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR VAZ038>040-042- 050>057-501-502. WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR WVZ050>053-055- 501>506. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR ANZ530>543. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BJL NEAR TERM...BJL SHORT TERM...HAS LONG TERM...HAS AVIATION...BJL/HAS MARINE...BJL/HAS HYDROLOGY...KLEIN/BJL TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...BJL

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