Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC

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894 FXUS62 KCAE 040559 AFDCAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 159 AM EDT Tue Jun 4 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Moisture increases across the Southeast through mid week leading to scattered convection each afternoon. A cold front will move across the Southeast late in the week increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms, and potentially severe weather. Drier air follows the front for late this week and into the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/... Lowering sun angle combined with a stabilizing atmosphere from convection this afternoon and this morning are resulting in diminishing coverage of convection. There are numerous boundaries across the forecast area from outflows from convective cells so expect a few new cells to develop over the next couple of hours where boundaries collide as well as ares which were able to clear and receive some heating in the northern CSRA and southwestern Midlands. Overnight the upper level ridge over the area will continue moving slowly eastward and be along the coast by daybreak. Drier air noted on current WV imagery will also be moving over the area and instability will be weak at best. Have kept slight chance pops in the northern CSRA and western Midlands which will be closer to upstream convection expected for Tuesday with the remainder of the area dry. With partly cloudy skies for the majority of tonight lows will be in the mid 60s for most locations. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY/... During the early morning, shortwave ridging will be moving offshore. This may allow a series of shortwaves to move across the forecast area (FA) Wednesday. A weak shortwave in the morning could promote showers moving into the area from the west similar to the previous morning. Showers would be light and likely isolated since the shortwave is weak and muCAPE values around or less than 250 J/kg. Convective activity will increase mid day and into the afternoon as daytime heating leads to a conditionally unstable airmass. Mean GEFS PWAT values are around 125% of normal which would promote deep, moist convection. There will also be upper level support as a shortwave leads to negative vorticity advection over the area late in the day. At the surface, outflow boundaries from any morning convection and the sea-breeze boundary in the afternoon should trigger additional development into the evening and even overnight before the shortwave finally pushes east. Temperatures will be near normal. The threat of severe weather Tuesday afternoon is low. Lapse rates will be slightly steeper than the previous day. Median sbCAPE values from the SPC SREF are around 1000 J/kg which will be enough to support thunderstorms but marginal for severe weather. Deep layer shear is weak, pointing to pulse-type convection and a saturated vertical profile also point to limited severe potential. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... Mean 500mb heights from global ensembles have been persistent digging an upper level trough from northern Plains into the Great Lakes region mid-week then closing off as it moves into the eastern US late-week. This will drive a cold front into the Southeast from late Thursday into Friday. As the front approaches, we will see moisture and SW flow increase on Wednesday and Thursday. PWAT values will likely be above 1.75 inches. 25 percent of LREF members show PWAT values at or above 2 inches at some point during this time frame. Increased warm, moist advection and convergence ahead of the front will support scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms Wednesday and Thursday. Deep layer shear increases to near 30 kts which indicates some potential for stronger or severe storms, particularly Thursday. The front should work through the FA by Friday or sooner. Dry, downslope flow behind the front will allow temperatures to remain near normal into the weekend. && .AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
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VFR conditions generally expected over the 24 hr forecast period. Convective debris clouds lingering across the CSRA but eventually should thin out through sunrise. A 25 knot low level jet should limit fog potential through sunrise. Expecting another round of diurnal convection today with a bit better coverage due to the arrival of some upper level energy in the form of a weak shortwave during peak heating. Winds should pick up from the southwest around 5 to 8 knots by 15z. Scattered afternoon storms may impact terminals but timing and location of storms uncertain at this time. Convective debris clouds through the evening may give way to some cig restrictions late tonight due to abundant low level moisture. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms through Friday with intermittent CIG/VSBY restrictions possible.
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&& .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. GA...None. && $$