Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC

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209 FXUS62 KRAH 272320 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 720 PM EDT Mon May 27 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Unseasonably warm and humid airmass will continue unsettled conditions through tonight. A series of cold fronts will move through central NC through mid week with high pressure building overhead for the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 345 PM Monday... Thick cirrus associated with several MCVs currently traversing central NC has largely limited showers and thunderstorms thus far this afternoon. In wake of the passing MCVs, skies have cleared across our western areas. These locations have largely remained stable from cloud cover and this morning`s cold pool, but we are starting to see some cu develop in this vicinity (although dew points have mixed out into the mid 60s here). It may be challenging for any development over these locations, but can`t rule out a few isolated showers/storms through the next few hours. For those along and east of US-1, SBCAPE has soared to greater than 3500 J/kg. Kinematics in this vicinity continue to support the potential for strong to severe storms over the next several hours as forcing associated with the MCVs continue eastward. Model-derived STP values and hodographs suggest some enhanced rotation potential east of I-95 the next few hours. Additionally, sfc winds have backed some over and just east of Wilson/Edgecombe/Halifax counties. As such, those in the Coastal Plain may see a relatively enhanced tornado potential over the next few hours. Otherwise, given the potential for explosive updrafts both large hail and damaging wind gusts will be possible with any stronger storms. The storm threat should push northeast of us by ~22Z. Some residual showers/isolated shallow storms may be possible across the western Piedmont later this afternoon, but overall the severe threat should wane with loss of heating. Warm overnight lows in the upper 60s are expected. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT/... As of 340 PM Monday... A longwave trough will be over the Eastern US on Tuesday and Tuesday night, as any shortwave energy stays well to our north. At the surface, a cold front that pushed through central NC on Monday night and Tuesday morning will linger over eastern NC through the day. So a stray shower or storm can`t be entirely ruled out in the far SE (mainly Sampson County) in the afternoon, so have slight chance POPs there, but otherwise it will be dry and mostly sunny across the region. NW flow behind the cold front will bring much lower dew points in the 50s. However, it will take a while for the cooler air to get here, so expect another warmer-than-normal day with highs in the mid-to-upper-80s, maybe touching 90 in the far south. Lows Tuesday night will be in the upper-50s to mid-60s. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 400 PM Monday... The extended period looks to be largely dry through at least Saturday. Mid/upper troughing will linger over the Eastern Seaboard from Wednesday through Friday, with a series of embedded shortwaves moving within it. A particularly vigorous one looks to move SE across the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday night and Friday. However, these systems look moisture starved. The 12z GFS and CMC do spit out light precipitation in the Coastal Plain on Thursday night/early Friday, so added slight chance POPs there, but no significant rain is expected. Cool surface high pressure building down from the Great Lakes will bring a downward trend in temperatures through the workweek, with near-normal highs on Wednesday dropping to 5-10 degrees below normal (mid-to-upper-70s) by Friday. Lows will drop into the upper-40s to lower-50s on Saturday morning. The surface high and associated mid/upper ridging will build over central NC on Saturday, bringing another dry day with highs increasing back to upper-70s to lower-80s. A weak shortwave may move across the area on Sunday/Monday, and the ECMWF and a minority of its ensembles have some precipitation. So carry slight chance POPs on these days, but the GFS and CMC are dry and confidence in any significant rain is low. && .AVIATION /23Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
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As of 720 PM Monday... 24 hour period: Only a minimal chance for a shower or thunderstorm remains over the evening hours - the only showers on the radar are currently southwest of INT/GSO and should remain more than 10 miles away from the terminals. VFR conditions are expected through the forecast period, although with a very high dewpoint currently being reported at RWI - 79 degrees - and some brief fog earlier, think that the chance for fog will continue overnight there. Light wind out of the southwest will veer to the northwest on Tuesday with an isolated gust to 15 kt possible Tuesday afternoon. Outlook: VFR conditions should persist through the extended as dry high pressure wedges in.
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&& .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Swiggett NEAR TERM...Luchetti SHORT TERM...Danco LONG TERM...Danco AVIATION...Green/Luchetti