Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA

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000 FXUS61 KLWX 240751 AFDLWX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 351 AM EDT Wed Apr 24 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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A cold front will move through the region today. High pressure builds in again Thursday into Friday. A warm front moves through over the weekend.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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A trough of low pressure bisects our region into a western half and an eastern half according to surface pressure analysis at 3 am. We don`t anticipate any shower activity into the early morning hours near or east of this trough. We should see some rain showers move into western Maryland and parts of northern West Virginia within an hour or two and continue through sunrise. Rain amounts will be light. This activity will lessen during the course of the morning despite a cold front making its way across our region. Elsewhere and primarily along the I-95 corridor and eastern zones, isolated to scattered rain showers could develop as the cold front draws near around midday today and pushes through this afternoon. There is a chance for a rumble of thunder or two this afternoon with frontal passage and mainly along the I-95 corridor and northern Chesapeake Bay. SPC has parts of central Maryland and much of Northeast Maryland in a General Risk for thunderstorms. Highs today will be middle 60s to lower 70s from west to east. Rain showers and any thunder should exit this evening. Patchy frost could develop tonight depending on how much clearing occurs behind the cold front. Lows tonight should be noticeably cooler than last night with temperatures dropping into the upper 30s to middle 40s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
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Dry conditions return Thursday through Friday evening with high pressure building into the region. Thursday will be cooler with highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s. Friday`s highs remaining cool and nearly the same with temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Temperatures each night will be chilly with Thursday night being cooler than Friday night. Friday night`s lows could be higher than in the current forecast depending on how fast a warm front develops to our southwest and advances northeastward Friday night into early Saturday. With the warm front in mind, there is a chance for some light rain in spots along and ahead of the warm front Friday night.
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&& .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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Surface high pressure off the coast of Southern New England slides south across the Western Atlantic waters toward the Carolina coastline this weekend. A weak disturbance aloft crosses the area Saturday morning, bringing some light showers to areas west of the Blue Ridge. This shower activity ends Saturday afternoon as deep ridging builds into the Mid-Atlantic from the south. Temps begin a warming trend, though still in the 60s for the most part. Saturday night lows trend milder, only dropping to the 50s. The main weather story Sunday through Tuesday will be the well above normal temperatures reaching the 80s each day, with 70s in the mountains. Nighttime lows also trend milder, in upper 50s to 60s. The hottest temperatures are most likely Monday, where a few locations in central to northern VA could reach around 90F. The deep ridging breaks down Tuesday when a cold front crosses the area, producing some afternoon showers/thunderstorms. Given the well above normal temps and modest dynamics, would not be surprised if a few strong storms developed Tuesday afternoon.
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&& .AVIATION /08Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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VFR conditions are expected through the TAF period. Some isolated to scattered showers could bring brief reductions, mainly this afternoon. We can`t rule out some reduction at MRB early this morning should the southwest PA showers reach the site. Some low level wind shear at a few of the terminals toward daybreak due to a descent LLJ. Northwest winds increase today with gusts around 20-25 knots. Northeast winds and dry conditions arrive Thursday. VFR conditions are expected Friday at all terminals with high pressure overhead. VFR conditions likely this weekend. A few showers possible Saturday morning, otherwise dry conditions expected. Southerly winds prevail around 10 knots, with gusts up to 20 knots each afternoon.
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&& .MARINE...
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Small Craft Advisories remain in effect for all waters through Wednesday morning. After that, winds may experience a bit of a lull in the afternoon in the lower and central Bay. Winds pick up again as they turn northerly and channel down the Chesapeake Bay. SCA criteria winds could redevelop this afternoon. Winds over the waters diminish and turn out of the northeast on Thursday. Southeast winds on Friday shift to southerly on Saturday with dry conditions expected over the waters both days. Winds will be right below SCA criteria on Friday before diminishing overnight into Saturday morning. Surface high pressure off southern New England slides south toward the Carolinas this weekend. Southeast winds Saturday veer south on Sunday. A few hours of SCA conditions is possible Saturday afternoon as winds gust around 15-18kt. The better chance for SCA conditions is Sunday afternoon/evening where southerly channeling could result in gusts around 20 knots.
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&& .FIRE WEATHER...
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Winds turn out of the northwest behind a cold front and will be stronger, sustained around 15-20 mph and gusts 20-25 mph and possibly higher along the ridges. RHs could drop into the upper 20s and low 30s this afternoon. Will continue to monitor conditions.
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&& .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
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The steady southerly flow over the past 24 hours has resulted in rapidly rising anomalies, especially in the northern Chesapeake Bay. Minor coastal flooding is expected at Baltimore, and Havre de Grace. Annapolis is expected to go to Moderate coastal flooding, hence a warning has been issued for this location. All other locations will reach Action Stage during the upcoming high tide cycle this morning. A cold front crosses the area this afternoon, with northwest winds behind the front helping to lower tide anomalies tonight into Thursday. A few of the sensitive locations could get close to minor flooding again tonight. Looking ahead, winds turn easterly Friday as tide levels likely rise once again over the weekend.
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&& .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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DC...None. MD...Coastal Flood Advisory until 1 PM EDT this afternoon for MDZ011. Coastal Flood Advisory until 11 AM EDT this morning for MDZ014. Coastal Flood Advisory until 6 AM EDT early this morning for MDZ017. VA...None. WV...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM EDT Thursday for ANZ530-531- 538-539. Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM EDT this evening for ANZ532- 533-536-540-541. Small Craft Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 AM EDT Thursday for ANZ532>534-537-540>543. Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM EDT this afternoon for ANZ534- 537-542-543. Small Craft Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for ANZ535.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...CAS NEAR TERM...KLW SHORT TERM...KLW/CJL LONG TERM...KRR AVIATION...KLW/KRR MARINE...KLW/KRR FIRE WEATHER...CJL TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...KRR

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