Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA

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000 FXUS61 KRNK 191959 AFDRNK AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 359 PM EDT WED JUN 19 2013 .SYNOPSIS...
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A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY...RESULTING IN SOMEWHAT DRIER WEATHER INTO THE END OF THE WEEK.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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AS 0F 330 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... KFCX WSR-88D LOOP SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEAST. MAIN FOCUS OF CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. AS FLOW TURNS NORTHWARD THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...STORMS MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL TRAVEL SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CWA TONIGHT. ANY DIURNALLY- DRIVEN CONVECTION SHOULD DISSIPATE THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF MOIST GROUND...SOME CLEARING WITH LIGHT WINDS SHOULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOG AND STATUS OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. PLAYED LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT CLOSE TO THE ADJMAVBC WITH READINGS FROM THE LOWER 50S IN THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS TO THE LOWER 60S IN THE PIEDMONT. HIGH PRESSURE LOCATED OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST WILL RIDGE INTO THE AREA PRODUCING AN EASTERLY FLOW IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. A LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ZONE ALONG THE MOUNTAINS THURSDAY SUPPORTS ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS. WENT WITH HIGHS THURSDAY FROM THE MID 70S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE LOWER 80S IN THE SOUTHEAST.
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&& .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
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AS OF 345 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST WILL EXTEND INLAND THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND GRADUALLY STRENGTHEN IN RESPONSE TO BUILDING 5H HEIGHTS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FETCH AROUND THE HIGH...WITH THE FLOW VEERING MORE SE ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. MODELS SHOW A LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ZONE MAINLY WEST OF INTERSTATE 77 DURING THE PERIOD WHICH WILL BE FOCUS FOR SOME LOW LEVEL CUMULUS DEVELOPMENT AND ISOLD AFTN/EVE SHOWERS THERE. FLOW EAST OF THE MTNS WILL BE PRIMARILY DRY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER WHICH WILL PERSIST NEAR THE CAROLINA COAST. FORECST BUFKIT SOUNDINGS FOR THE CWA LOOK PRETTY BENIGN THROUGH SATURDAY...DOMINATED BY SUBSIDENCE AND DRY AIR ALOFT. MIX DOWN OF SOMEWHAT LOWER DEWPOINT AIR SHOULD KEEP HUMIDITY LEVELS IN CHECK...PROMOTING A GOOD DIURNAL SPREAD IN TEMPS FROM THE UPR 70S-MID 80S FOR HIGHS...TO PLEASANT 50S/LOW 60S FOR LOWS.
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&& .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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AS OF 345 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... GRADUAL UPTICK OF BOTH TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN AND RETROGRADE TO THE WEST...BUT DIFFER IN HANDLING DAY-TO-DAY DETAILS AS FAR AS EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE ENERGY. AS SUCH...CONFIDENCE IS REASONABLY GOOD FOR RAISING TEMPERATURES DURING THE PERIOD...BUT BELOW AVERAGE FOR PROBABILITY OF RAINFALL. MODELS DIFFER IN THE HANDLING OF THE DISTURBED WEATHER ALONG THE CAROLINA COAST...THE GFS DRAWING IT WESTWARD AND NORTHWARD. GIVEN THAT RISING HEIGHTS ARE ANTICIPATED DURING THIS PERIOD AND CONCERNS THAT THE CONVECTIVE PARAMETRIZATION OF THE GFS MAY BE TOO AGGRESSIVE...THE PREFERENCE IS FOR AN ECMWF-LIKE SCENARIO THAT MAINTAINS MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST. EVEN SIDING WITH THE ECMWF...AT SOME POINT WE WARM AND MOISTEN ENOUGH TO SUPPORT DAILY THREAT OF SCATTERED DIURNAL DEEP CONVECTION OVER THE MTNS ANYWAY...SO FEEL SCATTERED AFTN/EVE SHRA/TSRA BECOME WARRANTED FOR MONDAY AND BEYOND IN SPITE OF THE MODEL DIFFERENCES.
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&& .AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 115 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... SCT TO BKN MVFR CLOUDS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AS FLOW SLOWLY TURNS MORE EAST TO SOUTHEAST ESPCLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE THE BLUE RIDGE. LATEST MODELS INCLUDE RNK WRFARW AND NAM SUGGEST SOME SHRA/TSRA POTENTIAL MAINLY KROA/KLYH/KDAN. HIGHLIGHTED THIS POTENTIAL WITH VCTS IN TAF. TAF SITE WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR A THUNDERSTORM IS LYH. OTRW LEAVING OUT PRECIP MENTION GIVEN ISOLATED NATURE ELSW. LEFTOVER CLOUDS AND WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION MAY LINGER INTO TONIGHT ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE CORRIDOR WITH MOST OF THIS COVERAGE LIKELY ENDING UP SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS BEFORE ENDING LATER WED NIGHT. FOG/STRATUS EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. CONFIDENCE HIGH ON SUB VFR AT MOST SITES. MVFR CIGS WITH IFR/LIFR VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE IN FAVORED LOCATIONS. FOR THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND...CONTINUED DIURNAL CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE APPALACHIANS...WITH LOCALLY BRIEF MVFR-IFR CIGS/VSBYS IN TSRA. AREAS OF MVFR-IFR VSBYS BR...LOCALLY IFR FG...ALSO POSSIBLE DURING THE MORNING HOURS. OTRW OVERALL VFR DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS BEFORE/AFTER ANY RIDGE ORIENTED CONVECTION DEVELOPS. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...KK NEAR TERM...KK/WP SHORT TERM...PM LONG TERM...PM AVIATION...JC/JH/KK/WP

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