Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC

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251 FXUS62 KRAH 140650 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 245 AM EDT Fri Jun 14 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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An area of low pressure will move northeast just off the Carolina coast through tonight. A cold front will move southeast across NC on Friday night and into SC and GA on Saturday where it will stall and linger through the weekend. The front will lift north through the area as a warm front on Monday.
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&& .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... As of 903 PM Thursday... The high clouds associated with a weak shortwave moving through the SE US and developing coastal low extend as far NW as the Coastal Plain this evening. They will slowly move east through the night leaving clear skies. Probabilistic guidance indicates a low end chance for some fog/stratus across the far eastern Coastal Plain counties around sunrise. Lows tonight should be similar to the low this past morning, ranging from lower 60s north, to mid and upper 60s central and southern areas. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... As of 153 PM Thursday... Although trending a degree or two cooler, Friday is still expected to be warm across the region. Record temperatures should not be an issue as highs are expected to be in the low to mid 90s, where the daily high temperature record at GSO is 98, 97 at RDU, and 100 at FAY. Everyone should take cation when working outside Friday and stay hydrated. While the weak high pressure will be shifting northeast and offshore, the strengthening low pressure system off the coast is expected to stay offshore and move NE through Saturday morning. Although the majority of the precipitation will stay offshore, rip currents could still be a hazard. While the low is moving along the coast, a cold front is expected to move across the region beginning Friday afternoon and reaching the coast by Saturday morning. While most ensembles shows the front to be dry, a few outlines do show an isolated shower or storm develop Friday afternoon over the Triad and Triangle regions. While CAPE is expected to be less than 100 J/kg, Lapse rates will also be unimpressive. Any shower that does develop is expected to pass quickly. Have kept a 15-20% chance PoP in portions of the Northern Piedmont as Hi-Res models suggest that is where the best chance (if any) for showers and storms to pop up. Otherwise, as the front passes the region Saturday morning lows will be muggy in in the upper 60s to low 70s. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 200 PM Thursday... The leading edge of a surface cold front will be working through central NC Sat morning and is forecast to be draped across the southern/central Coastal Plain into the Sandhills by 12z Sat. This boundary will mark the delineation between continued warm/moist airmass to the south and gradual theta-e drop to the north. The timing of the front still is uncertain with the slowest guidance (NAM and NAM3km) keeps the front in the forecast area through the early afternoon. Available Hi-Res guidance suggest a moderately unstable (1000-2000 J/kg MLCAPE) and weakly sheared (15-20 kts of 0- 6km shear) environment could be in place south of this front. If this scenario does develop, the best coverage of showers/storms would be mostly confined to the southern Coastal Plain and eastern Sandhills where proximity to the front and potential seabreeze collision would be most probable. Storm motions will by towards the ESE to SE so any storms the develop should quickly move away from the forecast area. Temperatures will be tricky and tied to the cold fropa, but current forecast suggest mid 80s (N) to low 90s (S). An anomalous mid/upper level anticyclone will drift from Lower MS Valley over central NC Sun through Tues before strengthening further as it shifts over the Northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Thursday. Warm and dry mid-level temperatures and surface high pressure ridging into the area from the northeast will suppress convection over much of the forecast area. Only chances will likely be confined to upslope induced convection over western NC that may leak into the western Piedmont Sun with NW steering flow. Deep layer flow shifts out of the east Tues onward and keeping upslope flow pinned to the NC mountains. Temperatures through the remainder of the extended will be fairly consistent in the upper 80s to low/mid 90s for highs and lows in the 60s. && .AVIATION /06Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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As of 245 AM Friday... 24 hour TAF period: VFR conditions are generally expected across central NC through the 24 hour TAF period with a couple of localized exceptions. Some very patchy, mainly MVFR fog is possible early this morning through around daybreak, especially in the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont. There is also a very limited threat of a shower this evening, primarily across the north, as a cold front approaches the area. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected with a mix of some cirrus clouds and SCT late morning through evening cumulus clouds. Light winds are expected today with winds from the north and northeast across eastern locations at KFAY and KRWI while light mainly southwest winds are expected to the west at KINT/KGSO/KRDU. Winds will veer around to southwesterly across the area late this afternoon with winds shifting to north late tonight across the north as the cold front moves through the area. Outlook: A cold front will shift south of central NC on Saturday morning with winds shifting to northerly and then easterly on Sunday. Generally fair weather is expected into early next week although some late night and early morning stratus and fog is possible, mainly across the western and southern Piedmont areas around daybreak on Sunday through Tuesday. -Blaes
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&& .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Blaes NEAR TERM...Badgett SHORT TERM...CA LONG TERM...Swiggett AVIATION...Blaes