Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA
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684 FXUS61 KRNK 060134 AFDRNK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 934 PM EDT Wed Jun 5 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A warm and moist airmass will remain over the area through Thursday promoting showers and thunderstorms. A cold front will move through the region Thursday night introducing drier and cooler weather to start the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 925 PM EDT Wednesday... Key Message: 1) Activity ending for now, additional storms by morning across the north, and moving south through the day. 2) Severe weather likely for the Piedmont region of VA and NC tomorrow afternoon and evening, with damaging winds the main threat. The short wave energy that brought scattered showers and storms to our area this afternoon and evening continues to move northeast. Most of the cells produced heavy rain but were moving at a faster clip than they were yesterday. There were a couple storms that produced gusty winds...but lacked focus. A few lingering showers were currently drifting ENE across the Piedmont. We should have a dry few hours before a cold front approaches, reaching our SE WV and northern VA counties around dawn, and spreading southeast through the day Thursday. Showers and storms may weaken as they cross the Blue Ridge in the morning, then reinvigorate over the Piedmont tomorrow afternoon and evening. MUCAPE looks to be between 1000-1500 J/kg, and effective shear improves to about 30 kts. PWATs will again be quite high near the boundary, so heavy rain is likely again. With favorable timing of the frontal passage for severe weather, steep LL lapse rates, and the above parameters, we will see some strong to severe storms producing damaging winds, mainly over the Piedmont. As we remain in the warm sector, temperatures and humidity levels will remain on the warm/high side until the frontal passage. Expect stratus and patchy fog overnight. As of 230 PM EDT Wednesday... Key Messages: 1) Warm humid conditions will persist through Thursday before turning cooler Friday. 2) Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms expected through Thursday. Forecast focus the next 24 hours will be the opportunity for showers and thunderstorms. Coverage of showers/storms will be the greatest between now and sunset, then again with the frontal passage on Thursday. Regional soundings from 12Z were very moist with PWATs 1.60 to 1.80. Mean wind is from the west-southwest at 20 kts...so storms are moving a bit faster today compared to yesterday...20-25 mph forward speed. This should cut down on residence time of the heavy rain, but with PWATs above normal, activity will be very rain efficient and still justifies marginal risk for excessive rainfall and localized flooding. DCAPE is less than yesterday but trade off will be faster mean wind, so still think there is modest wind threat with down-draft wind speeds on the order of 30 kts with potential for isolated wind damage. Stronger cores may also contain pea size hail. Weather map shows cold front from the upper Mid-West to North Texas with Gulf moisture streaming north ahead of the front, the eastern CONUS bathed in near 70 degree dewpoints. There are a couple of MCVs embedded within the moist southwest flow ahead of the front, one of which was moving E along the Mason Dixon, and the other over the southern Appalachians...both features providing lift for better thunderstorm organization today, compared to yesterday. The Vort entering the southern Appalachians will be the primary focus for thunderstorms across our CWA through this evening. With the favorable thermodynamic and dynamic set-up, will maintain high chance for measurable rainfall through sunset. With PWATs near 2.0 inches, expect high rain rates...2-4 inches/hr possible. Had some reports yesterday with the storms producing .80" in 15 minutes. In general, expecting shower/storm coverage to wane with loss of daytime heating, with lull in activity before the actual surface front arrives. Models bring front to our doorstep by daybreak Thursday so looking at opportunity for increasing shower activity late tonight across our WV and far western VA counties. Not sure if the band of showers associated with the front will be continuous enough to cross the mountains Thursday or just fade and then redevelop east of the mountains Thursday afternoon. For now, will maintain high pops areawide Thursday, in spite of the potential for a hydraulic jump. Until the front clears the area Thursday, dewpoints will remain elevated. Given the nature of the airmass, the rain just makes it more muggy, providing little in the way of evaporational cooling when it does rain, and downright steamy if the sun is out. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 230 PM EDT Wednesday... Key Messages: 1. Drier weather returns Friday and Saturday. 2. Cooler temperatures through the weekend. An upper level low will drift east of the Great Lakes towards Ottawa Canada through the period. Shortwaves coming around this low will bring strato-cumulus clouds across the area Friday and Saturday. Any measurable rain will be along the western slopes of SE WV and possibly a sprinkle over the rest of the mountains Thursday night into Friday. Dry high pressure will track southeast across Tennessee Friday, then settle over Georgia/South Carolina Friday and Saturday. With the Gulf blocked, any disturbance coming from the Plains should only result in an increase in clouds. Since the area will remain under the influence of the low in Canada, cooler than normal temperatures are likely Friday and Saturday. High temperatures through the period will range from the upper 60s to mid 70s west of the Blue Ridge to the lower 80s east. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 230 PM EDT Wednesday... Key Messages: 1. Chances for showers and possible storms Sunday and again Wednesday. 2. Cooler temperatures through the start of the work week. Models are in agreement with a cold front moving across the area on Sunday, but differ on rainfall amounts. Since the flow will mainly be out of the west and high pressure blocking the Gulf through at least Saturday night, rainfall amounts should be at or under a tenth of an inch. This front is expected to stall across North Carolina on Monday then lift north as a warm front on Tuesday. The chance for rain increases on Wednesday as a disturbance from the Midwest tracks over the region. Cooler than normal temperatures expected through the period. Temperatures will possibly trend back to normal on Wednesday && .AVIATION /01Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 920 PM EDT Wednesday... Deep convection has largely ended, with just a few areas of showers. Expect a lull in the storms overnight with winds subsiding. Fog may develop overnight but cloud cover and an approaching cold front associated with more showers may limit this so kept vsbys no worse than MVFR mainly in the mountains. -SHRA/-TSRA likely for all terminals after 12Z through about 20Z. +TSRA possible for LYH, DAN, and ROA after 15Z. Forecast confidence is average on all elements. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK... Passage of a cold front is expected Thursday with scattered showers and thunderstorms, flight restrictions favoring MVFR (or lower). Showers/storms could be close to BLF/LWB by 12z Thu. Friday is expected to be drier and a better probability of VFR conditions behind the front. A few showers possible Sat-Sun in the mountains but mainly VFR. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...PM NEAR TERM...PM/SH SHORT TERM...RCS LONG TERM...RCS AVIATION...PM/SH