Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV

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318 FXUS61 KRLX 301704 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 104 PM EDT Tue Apr 30 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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A cold front brings showers and thunderstorms today into tonight. High pressure brings dry weather with a warming trend Wednesday into Friday. Shower chances increase for the weekend.
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&& .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING/... As of 940 AM Tuesday... Updated POPS with the latest meso models to better represent timing of precipitation and thunderstorms today. As of 640 AM Tuesday... Updated PoPs to get the best timing for precipitation onset today. Thunderstorm activity seems to be a lesser threat today with better chances across SE Ohio, NE Kentucky and along the Ohio River later this morning. WPC has backed off on the excessive rainfall risk for our area today as PWATs and QPF are trending downward as well. As of 330 AM Tuesday... Slow moving, weak cold front to our west will gradually inch closer this morning. Showers and a few thunderstorms ahead of the front will affect the area today as the front knocks on the door. Not expecting severe weather with this system but heavy downpours are possible today with PWATs between 1.00" and 1.30". WPC subsequently has the area outlooked in a marginal risk of excessive rainfall. After the recent dry spell though most of the rain will be needed and only expecting localized water issues for locations that receive repeated rounds of heavy rain. High temperatures are trending downward due to increased cloud cover and moisture today. Going to see quite a cool down today with highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s across the area. Models are showing weak lapse rates, LI, MUCAPE and SBCAPE due to the weaker nature of this front. However, there looks enough 0-3km instability to manifest some isolated thunderstorms or rumbles of thunder within some heavier showers this afternoon. The front briefly stalls this evening, bisecting the forecast area, before lifting north as a warm front overnight into Wednesday morning. Showers will taper off early this evening as a result, becoming more centralized along the mountains overnight before pushing out early Wednesday morning. && .SHORT TERM /8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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As of 100 PM Tuesday... A weak cold front stalls north of the region Wednesday night amidst high zonal flow aloft yielding little in the way of sensible weather concerns. This high zonal pattern gives way to a building longwave ridge Thursday yielding continuing dry and increasingly hot conditions for Thursday and most of the day Friday. 50th percentile guidance is rather high for daytime highs both days. Deterministic central guidance reflects highs several degrees lower. Even these might be a little high given the flush state of Spring vegetation across most of the area, especially on Friday when at least some Gulf influence moisture should start returning to the area prior to maximum heating. This is likely a result of the 30 day bias period looking back before we were properly greened up. Temperature records are most likely secure with most reflecting values higher than even the rather aggressive 75th percentile guidance.
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&& .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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As of 100 PM Tuesday... Increasing southwesterly flow in response to the ridge axis shifting shifting east Friday along with surface low pressure transiting the Upper Great Lakes yields an increasingly moist column late Friday afternoon into Friday night. Precipitable water values edge up toward 1.5 inches ahead of the approach of a cold front associated with the aforementioned Great Lakes low Friday night. Upper level support for this feature largely stays well to the north allowing the front to wash out Friday night into Saturday. This will also keep deep layer shear rather weak also yielding relatively slow storm motions. Could potentially have some very isolated water issues with multiple slow moving storms moving over the same location, but given the state of vegetation and recent dry conditions, concerns are relatively low. The weak flow pattern persists through the weekend featuring mainly diurnally driven convection.
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&& .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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As of 645 AM Tuesday... CIGs gradually lowering this morning as showers filter in from the west our due to a cold front located across IN/OH. CIGs look to remain mostly low-end VFR with pockets of MVFR through the day. MVFR will be more prominent early this afternoon as more widespread shower activity moves across. There does remain the chance for some isolated thunderstorms this morning/early afternoon due to instability from heating, so left VCTS in at most sites to cover the possibility; more certainty for thunderstorms remains in the afternoon hours, especially for western most sites of HTS and PKB where more lift will be from the front. Will start to see showers and thunderstorms tapering off from west to east by ~00Z, but chances will remain in the mountains overnight. MVFR or IFR CIG restrictions will likely remain across this area as well. Widespread dense fog will be a strong possibility at most sites tonight into Wednesday with recent rainfall across the area. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Shower and thunderstorm timing and location may vary from forecast. CIGs may be lower than forecast today. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. UTC 1HRLY 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 EDT 1HRLY 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 CRW CONSISTENCY M H H H H H H H H M M H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H M M M M H H H L M M H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY M H H H H H M H M M H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H L L H H H H H H M AFTER 18Z WEDNESDAY... IFR conditions possible due to fog Thursday morning.
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&& .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...JP/LTC NEAR TERM...RPY/LTC SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM...JP AVIATION...LTC