-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
000
FXUS62 KRAH 161932
AFDRAH

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
330 PM EDT WED APR 16 2014

.SYNOPSIS... UNSEASONABLY STRONG...POLAR HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD
EAST ACROSS THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST STATES THROUGH
THURSDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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AS OF 330 PM WEDNESDAY...

HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES THIS AFTERNOON WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND BE CENTERED OVER NEW ENGLAND BY THURSDAY
MORNING. THIS FEATURE WILL RIDGE DOWN INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF NC
OVERNIGHT. BRISK NE WINDS THIS AFTERNOON WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE BY
EARLY EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE PIEDMONT WHERE A FEW PLACES WILL
LIKELY DECOUPLE BY OR SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET. THE COLD DRY AIR IN
PLACE COUPLED WITH THE NEAR CALM SFC WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO COOL
EFFICIENTLY. STILL APPEARS TEMPS WILL FALL TO OR BELOW FREEZING OVER
MOST OF THE PIEDMONT AFTER MIDNIGHT THEN RECOVER ABOVE FREEZING
SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. AREAS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN MORE UNCERTAIN.
APPEARS THAT ENOUGH OF A PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL EXIST TO KEEP TEMPS
UP A BIT AND ALSO PREVENT FROST FROM DEVELOPING. TEMPS WILL BE CLOSE
ENOUGH TO FREEZING TO UPGRADE THE FREEZE WATCH TO A WARNING FOR NASH
AND HALIFAX COUNTIES. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE COASTAL PLAIN AND
EASTERN SANDHILLS...LOCATIONS WELL-SHELTERED FROM THE WIND COULD SEE
SOME PATCHY LIGHT FROST.  WILL FOREGO A FROST ADVISORY AT THIS TIME
DUE TO EXPECTED LIMITED NATURE OF THE LIGHT FROST. MIN TEMPS 28-35.

THURSDAY...CIRCULATION AROUND THE LOW LEVEL RIDGE WILL RESULT IN A
LONG NE FETCH OFF THE ATLANTIC INTO EASTERN NC. THIS FLOW WILL
TRANSPORT A SHALLOW THIN LAYER OF MOISTURE INTO THE COASTAL
PLAIN...RESULTING IN A SCATTERED TO BRIEFLY BROKEN LAYER OF STRATOCU
OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN LATER THURSDAY MORNING INTO THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. LAYER TOO SHALLOW TO SUPPORT ANYTHING MORE THAN SPRINKLES
IF EVEN THAT.

TEMPS WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR MID APRIL THOUGH SOME
RECOVERY COMPARED TO TODAY ANTICIPATED. AFTERNOON THICKNESSES
PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT 20M WARMT THAN THIS AFTERNOON WHICH SUGGEST
AFTERNOON TEMPS THURSDAY ABOUT 5 DEGREES WARMER THAN THIS AFTERNOON.
THIS IS MORE SIMILAR TO THE COOLER GFS MOS GUIDANCE. MAX TEMPS UPPER
50S TO LOWER 60S.
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&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY /...
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AS OF 330 PM WEDNESDAY...

THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY....SFC RIDGE AXIS WILL LIKELY MAINTAIN ITS
INFLUENCE OVER THE PIEDMONT OF CENTRAL NC THROUGH THIS PERIOD AS
PARENT HIGH BECOMES ANCHORED OVER NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND/CANADIAN
MARITIME DUE TO CONFLUENT FLOW ALOFT. WHILE THE AIR MASS UNDERNEATH
THIS RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY MODIFY...PRESENCE OF DRY AIR UNDER THIS
WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MAINTAIN A BASICALLY CLOUD FREE ATMOSPHERE IN
THE LOWEST 10K FEET. MEANWHILE...A S/W IS PROJECTED TO MOVE EAST-SE
ACROSS THE CENTRAL NC PLAINS AND INTO THE TN VALLEY WHERE IT IS
PROJECTED TO BEGIN TO INTERACT WITH A SYSTEM LIFTING E-NE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN GULF. UPPER LEVEL FLOW OVER THE CAROLINAS WILL BACK IN
RESPONSE TO THE APPROACH OF THESE SYSTEMS...TRANSPORTING HIGH LEVEL
MOISTURE INTO OUR REGION. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASING VEIL
OF HIGH CLOUDS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THE THICKNESS OF THESE
HIGH CLOUDS WILL PLAY A ROLE IN WHETHER SCATTERED FROST WILL DEVELOP
OVER THE PIEDMONT THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY. IN ADDITION...LOW
LEVEL ELY FLOW WILL ADVECT MOISTURE OFF THE ATLANTIC INTO THE
COASTAL PLAIN BY FRIDAY MORNING. MIN TEMPS MID 30S WEST TO UPPER
30S/AROUND 40 EAST.

SHOULD SEE AT A MINIMUM A MIXTURE OF SUN AND CLOUDS FRIDAY WITH THE
CHARACTER OF THE SKY BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY OR OVERCAST BY FRIDAY
AFTERNOON. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE DOES NOT APPEAR STRONG ENOUGH TO
SUPPORT PRECIP FRIDAY AFTERNOON...ASIDE FROM A STRAY SHOWER ACROSS
THE FAR SE.

AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY MODIFY BUT AFTERNOON TEMPS WILL
REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL. MAX TEMPS 60-65.
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&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 3 PM WEDNESDAY...

FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT: THE WEEKEND FORECAST CONTINUES TO
HAVE SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARD TO THE EVOLUTION OF A POSSIBLE
CLOSED LOW LINGERING ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S/OFFSHORE. WHILE THE
NORTHERN STREAM ENERGY IS PROGRESSIVE AND PUSHES EASTWARD FRIDAY
NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. IN ADVANCE OF THE NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH BOTH
THE 12Z GFS AND ECMWF PULLS MOISTURE NORTHWARD... AND PRODUCED SOME
LIGHT RAIN ACROSS OUR FAR SOUTHEAST/EAST ON FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING... WITH THE BULK OF THE PRECIP EXPECTED TO BE TO
OUR EAST AND SOUTH. HOWEVER... MODEL GUIDANCES IS STRUGGLING WITH
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE LINGERING SOUTHERN STEAM ENERGY THAT
POSSIBLY CLOSES OFF INTO A CLOSED LOW AND LINGERS NEAR FL AND OFF
THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST. THE 12Z ECMWF HAS COME A MORE IN THE LINE
WITH THE 12Z GFS IN SHOWING LINGERING MID LEVEL ENERGY SLOWLY
SHIFTING EASTWARD AND FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE COAST TO KEEP US DRY
SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER...
GUIDANCES HAS SHOWN POOR RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY. THUS... CONFIDENCE
IS NOT HIGH THAT LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY THAT WE WILL BE
COMPLETELY DRY AT THIS TIME ACROSS OUR ENTIRE AREA (IF PRECIP
LINGER... LOCATIONS ACROSS THE EAST/SOUTHEAST WOULD SEE THE BEST
CHANCE/MOST). FOR NOW WILL GO WITH A DRY FORECAST AS MENTIONED ABOVE
FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON ONWARD.

WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH AND
A COOL EAST TO NORTHEASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW EXPECT HIGH TEMPS WILL
REMAIN SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL WITH AT LEAST SOME CLOUD COVER (MORE
EAST VS WEST). THUS... WILL GO WITH HIGH TEMPS THIS WEEKEND IN THE
UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S... WITH LOW TEMPS IN THE 40S TO LOWER 50S.

MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: NEXT MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO
CROSS THE REGION ON TUESDAY... ALONG WITH A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH.
HOWEVER... WITH LACK OF ANY SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE RETURN WILL KEEP
POPS LOW AT THIS TIME. TEMPS EARLY TO MID NEXT WEEK ARE EXPECT TO
WARM AGAIN... WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S AND LOWS IN THE 50S.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 155 PM WEDNESDAY...

HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO CENTRAL NC FROM THE NORTH WILL MAINTAIN
VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. BREEZY NE WINDS EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS 20-25KTS WILL SUBSIDE AFTER 21Z. BY SUNSET...
EXPECT SFC WINDS FROM THE NE BETWEEN 4-8KTS.

THE CIRCULATION AROUND THE SFC HIGH WILL RESULT IN A LONG NE FETCH
OFF THE ATLANTIC INTO EASTERN NC. THIS WILL TRANSPORT A THIN SHALLOW
LAYER OF MOISTURE INTO OUR EASTERN TERMINALS...CAUSING A LAYER OF
STRATOCU TO DEVELOP SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE WITH CLOUD BASES BETWEEN
2500-4000FT. MAY SEE A 3-5 HOUR WINDOW OF BROKEN CEILINGS IN THE
VICINITY OF KRWI AND POSSIBLY KFAY LATE THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
EARLY AFTERNOON.

OUTLOOK...A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN VICINITY OF THE NE
GULF AND THE FL PENINSULA MAY SPREAD ENOUGH MOISTURE INTO EASTERN NC
BY LATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY TO CAUSE A PERIOD OF MVFR/IFR
CEILINGS. AT THIS TIME...APPEARS THE BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE
CONFINED TO THE COASTAL AREAS. IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
ASSOCIATED VFR PARAMETERS ANTICIPATED SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

&&

.CLIMATE...

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR THU MORNING...AND
THE RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY:

            WED 04/16           THU 04/17

           LOW MAX/YEAR          LOW/YEAR
FAY:         56/1950             31/1953
GSO:         48/1929             29/1953
RDU:         46/1890             29/1962

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
-- Changed Discussion --
FREEZE WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR
NCZ007>011-021>027-038>041-073>077-083>086.
-- End Changed Discussion --

&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...MWS
NEAR TERM...WSS
SHORT TERM...WSS
LONG TERM...BSD
AVIATION...WSS
CLIMATE...MWS