Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV

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655 FXUS61 KRLX 221752 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 152 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Unseasonably warm once again today, as high pressure exits. Cold front brings showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into Thursday. Rain chances through the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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As of 137 PM Wednesday... Thunderstorms are beginning to develop over southeast Ohio and northeast Kentucky this afternoon. A slight risk of severe weather remains in place from central WV to points north and west with the main threats being damaging wind gusts and hail. In this area, pockets of 1000-1500 J/kg of MLCAPE and 30 kts of 0-6km bulk shear will support the development of a few stronger storms. The overall best threat for severe weather today still appears to be west of our region, across central Ohio and central Kentucky, where more shear and instability will be available. There is the potential for another round of thunderstorms overnight and into Thursday morning as a shortwave approaches from the southwest. Some uncertainty exists regarding the strength of these storms, and that will depend on how much energy is dampened by this afternoon`s convective activity. Some models show any convection weakening to just showers as they approach from the west by 03-06Z. There will be another threat for stronger thunderstorms Thursday afternoon with a marginal risk currently forecast by SPC. The threat level appears to be lower than today with lower instability and shear. The main threats appear to be wind and hail once again.
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&& .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Wednesday... A cold front will push into the area on Thursday. An upper level short wave will then cause a wave along the front, enhancing showers and thunderstorms for Thursday into Thursday night. The cold front will stall just south of the area late Thursday night/Friday morning. An upper level short wave will then interact with the front and cause a wave to move along the front Friday afternoon into Saturday. Models continue to struggle with the strength of the short wave, and hence how far north the moisture gets and how strong the dynamics are with this system. The Canadian actually keeps this system completely south of the area. A weak cold front will move into the area on Saturday. With the parent low in southern Canada, very little push and energy is available for the front in our area, thus not really providing much cool air. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 300 AM Wednesday... Models show a system lifting from the midwest on Sunday into the Great Lakes region on Monday. This will push a warm front across the area on Sunday, followed by a cold front on Monday. With systems nearly every day from later today into Monday, am getting increasingly concerned with the threat for flash flooding to occur for Sunday and Monday. This will be followed by an upper level wave on Tuesday in the significantly cooler air. Models still have differences during the Sunday through Tuesday time period, but generally agree on the overall features for the first time in numerous nighttime runs. && .AVIATION /17Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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As of 135 PM Wednesday... Showers and thunderstorms will pop up over the region this afternoon and into this evening. In any thunderstorm, visibility can drop down to IFR for a brief time and winds can gust 40-50 kts. There is low confidence in the pinpoint timing of thunderstorms, so just went with VCTS in the TAFS for now. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail in dry areas. There is potential for another round of thunderstorms overnight and into early Thursday morning. Fog will develop in spots overnight, especially in areas where it has recently rained. MVFR to IFR conditions are possible overnight in fog. In addition, MVFR ceilings are expected to move into the region Thursday morning after 06Z, with IFR expected in the mountains. Low stratus will stick around through late Thursday morning. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing, location and intensity of showers and thunderstorms today and tonight could vary from the forecast. Development of fog and low stratus Thursday morning could vary. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. UTC 1HRLY 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 EDT 1HRLY 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 18Z THURSDAY... IFR conditions possible with showers and thunderstorms Thursday morning with a cold front. IFR possible in showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon into Friday night and again on Sunday.
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&& .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RPY/JMC NEAR TERM...JMC SHORT TERM...RPY LONG TERM...RPY AVIATION...JMC