Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC

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870 FXUS62 KRAH 080604 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 204 AM EDT Sat Jun 8 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Weak high pressure will settle over the region through Saturday, then drift offshore and weaken early Sunday. A passing disturbance and approaching cold front will bring unsettled weather Sunday evening and night. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 910 PM Friday... Evening observed data, including satellite imagery and upper air analyses, confirm that the current forecast is on track, with only small tweaks needed. GOES layer WV imagery shows well the deeply dry air over and just W and NW of NC, confirmed by 00z proximity and upstream sounding depicting well below normal PWs. These soundings also show a pronounced warm/stable layer from 750-500 mb over the region with fairly high dewpoint depressions through the column, further reinforcing the forecast of clear skies. With a very light primarily northwesterly wind tonight, expect lows in the upper 50s to mid 60s, generally near to a few degrees below normal. -GIH Earlier discussion from 145 PM: In the wake of the exiting front, weak high pressure will build into the southern Appalachians through early Saturday. Good radiational cooling underneath clear skies, light winds, and a dry airmass will yield a wide range of temperatures overnight ranging from mid 50s in the cooler locations to lower/mid 60s in sheltered areas. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 145 PM Friday... Underneath broad troughiness aloft, weak sfc high pressure extending across the area early in the day will give way to the development of a pre-frontal sfc trough over the NC Piedmont by the afternoon and evening. Mostly sunny skies will prevail through the afternoon with temps and humidity levels not that dissimilar to today; highs 85 to 90 with BL dewpoints in the 50s making it feel 3-4 degrees cooler. Decaying remnants of a convectively enhanced disturbance will move into the area during the evening5 However, given the dry stable airmass in place, conditions will remain dry with only an increase in cloud cover expected. Lows in the lower to mid 60s, with some upper 50s possible in the cooler locations. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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As of 204 AM Saturday... Guidance has been trending drier for the extended, but some continued uncertainty means we cannot fully rule out chances of showers/storms in the beginning and latter part of next week. We will likely start the week with WNW flow at mid-levels, thanks to a trough extending from the OH valley into the NE US. A The cold frontal passage from Sun night will settle across the Deep South and promote lower highs and comfortable humidity levels to start the work week. Cool high pressure looks to build into the region thru midweek from the OH valley, favoring highs near to perhaps slightly below normal in the low to mid 80s Mon/Tue. Some upper 70s are possible across our northern zones on Tue. Lows should also be comfortable with mid 50s to low 60s. While the early part of the week has been trending drier given the aforementioned pattern, models are still unclear on the track of an embedded shortwave Mon night/Tue morning. The ECMWF remains strongest and furthest west than the other guidance, which would favor a better chance of showers. The pattern is not very supportive overall given a drier airmass and stable conditions, but have retained low chances of rain if the strong ECMWF solution verifies. The latter part of the week would support a slight uptick each day of the chances of diurnal showers or storms, as well as highs rising above normal in the upper 80s and lower 90s, with corresponding increasing humidity levels. Most guidance indicates weak ridging Wed that transitions to a quasi-zonal flow at mid-levels. At the surface, a Bermuda high and lee trough setting up would favor a return to warm southerly flow. Where models disagree is whether a trough over the Plains to lower MS valley Wed/Thu could interact with a potential disturbance in the Gulf and increase or storm chances. Ensemble solutions are mixed on the fetch of southerly flow from the Gulf and whether any system would stay south or ride up the SE US late in the week. For now, outside of any influence from any system, storm chances will remain on the low end, highest on Thu/Fri.
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&& .AVIATION /006 SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 130 AM Saturday... 24-hour TAF period: VFR conditions will prevail across central NC through the TAF period. Outlook: A cold front and upper disturbance could bring some showers or storms Sunday afternoon into early Monday. Model guidance is trending towards mostly dry VFR conditions Tuesday and Wednesday. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Hartfield NEAR TERM...Hartfield/CBL SHORT TERM...CBL LONG TERM...Kren AVIATION...Badgett