Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC

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415
FXUS62 KRAH 140138
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
938 PM EDT Mon May 13 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
A warm front will lift northward through the Southeast United States
Tuesday morning, then lift along the Carolina coast Tuesday
afternoon and evening. An area of low pressure over the Midwest will
bring a cold front through Wednesday night to early Thursday,
followed by high pressure for the end of the week Friday.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
As of 930 PM Monday...

No major changes to the forecast with the evening update, only
slight tweaks to the temperatures to account for most recent
observations and trends.

The 00Z upper air analyses show plenty of moisture at H85 across
much of central NC, while there was a strong gradient in H7 moisture
from SW to NE across the area. A weak mid-level perturbation shows
up at H5 over GA/SC, with sub-tropical ridging along the mid-
Atlantic coast. Farther to the southwest, another perturbation,
likely associated with the ongoing MCS, shows up at H25 and H5 over
LA/MS. The strong mid-level closed low shows up invof Kansas City at
H5. As of the 00Z surface analysis, high pressure continues to sit
of the mid-Atlantic coast, while a stationary front remains draped
along the Gulf Coast. The pair of MCSs are evident on GOES satellite
imagery, one over FL and the other over the NW Gulf into LA/MS.
Still expect isentropic ascent and some weak elevated instability
tonight, favoring development of isolated/scattered showers, which
should blossom over SC late tonight and spread NNE into central NC
early Tue morning. Have kept forecast lows tonight in the upper 50s
to low 60s.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
As of 250 PM Monday...

A difficult forecast is in store Tue/Tue night, with uncertainty in
regards to timing, duration, and intensity of showers, as well as
severe potential. Synoptically speaking, the shortwave trough from
Mon over the Midwest is forecast in most of the guidance to reach
the southern Appalachians by early Wed, weakening as it moves east.
At the surface, the stationary front over the deep south Mon will
likely move north as a warm front into central GA and SC. The area
of convection presently over southeast TX is forecast in much of the
guidance to become a convective MCS somewhere over the deep south of
LA/MS or western FL. Several of the models, including the high-res
HRRR/ARW, indicate that as this convective MCS reaches the SE US Tue
morning and afternoon, a remnant MCV could remain and possibly
impact our SE counties Tue aftn/eve period. This remains to be seen
and is uncertain. Nevertheless, the aforementioned storm complex
could influence how much rain showers we get Tue morning, with the
HRRR/ARW, for example, indicating scattered showers in the morning
and the better chance of storms in the aftn/eve with the remnant
MCV. The NSSL CAM, on the other hand, suggests stratiform rain in
the morning, which could stabilize the atmosphere and limit
convection later in the day. This certainly makes for a difficult
forecast.

Our current thinking favors isolated/scattered showers in the
morning given lesser forcing aloft during this period. Better
chances of showers and even some storms would be favored in the
aftn/eve period as the mid-level trough inches closer and PW`s
increase along with the 850 warm front getting into the Carolinas.
As for the severe potential, SPC maintains a marginal risk across
the southern Piedmont and Sandhills, but perhaps the better risk
area could be from SW to NE over the eastern Sandhills to southern
Coastal Plain to capture any remnant MCV and possible gravity wave
favoring damaging wind potential or an isolated tornado. The NCAR
Neural Network favors this region as well. Highs are tricky but we
kept highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s.

There could be a lull in showers and storms by the late evening,
though guidance continues to hint at some storms over the higher
terrain and over eastern TN possibly impacting the western Piedmont
late Tue night in association with the trough and an attendant
front/trough in the TN valley. This will also be near nocturnal
stabilization so most activity would be isolated in nature. Lows in
the 60s.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...
As of 225 PM Monday...

...Unsettled Weather Pattern Potentially Continues Into the
Weekend...

Wednesday and Wednesday night: A compact shortwave trough centered
over the TN Valley will progress slowly eastward through the region
through Wednesday night. In the wake of the secondary/triple point
sfc low and attendant warm front lifting north and east of the area,
a lull in precip is looking increasingly probable through mid day,
with a noticeable reduction in PWATs noted across the area during
this time.

However, favorable diurnal timing of the upper trough dynamics and
surface front into the area from the west, should lead to a ramp up
of convective rain chances during the afternoon and evening.
Expected moderate destablization with deep layer shear of 30-40 kts
would be sufficient to support a few strong to severe storm
clusters, with the FV3/GFS ML probabilities maximized along and east
of US 1 from 3-9 PM. Damaging wind gusts and large hail will be the
primary threat. Rain chances will taper off west to east during the
late evening and overnight hours.

High will depend on breaks in cloud cover and timing of convective
Wednesday afternoon; ranging from mid/upper 70s north to lower/mid
80s south. Lows in the upper 50s to lower 60s.

Thursday and Thursday night: Drier conditions are expected on
Thursday, through weak perturbations on the back-side of the exiting
shortwave trough could result in some isolated showers and perhaps a
rogue thunderstorm Thursday afternoon. Temps should be very
comparable to Wednesday. Highs in the mid/upper 70s north to
lower/mid 80s south. Lows in the upper 50s to lower 60s.

Friday through Monday: Significant timing/phasing discrepancies
persist wrt the eastward ejection of a southern stream shortwave
trough from the SW US Thursday and into the SE US sometime during
the second half of the weekend, or possibly delayed until early next
week. Until the timing can be resolved, will advertise scattered
showers and storms each day with a decent chance that we could see
some convectively enhanced vorticity disturbances impacting the
area, well in advance of the synoptic scale trough. Seasonable highs
80-85. Lows in the lower to mid 60s.


&&

.AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 815 PM Monday...

An area of rain, associated flight restrictions, and gusty winds up
to 25 kts will affect INT/GSO and vicinity this evening and
interrupt VFR conditions otherwise and elsewhere in cntl NC for most
of tonight. A separate area of rain/showers will develop across the
srn Appalachians and Carolinas late tonight-early Tue, during which
time MVFR-IFR conditions are expected to overspread cntl NC.
Associated rain may become moderate to heavy in intensity at RDU,
FAY, and RWI on Tue, especially where deeper showers and isolated
storms will be possible Tue afternoon.

Outlook: Sub-VFR conditions and possible fog will be possible early
Wed. Another period of showers or storms are possible Wed aftn/eve,
along with a chance of sub-VFR clouds early Thu. VFR should return
Thu aftn, with the next chance of showers possibly Sat.

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$
SYNOPSIS...KC/Kren
NEAR TERM...KC/Kren
SHORT TERM...Kren
LONG TERM...CBL
AVIATION...MWS/Kren