Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Newport/Morehead, NC

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653 FXUS62 KMHX 070806 AFDMHX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City NC 406 AM EDT Fri Jun 7 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A strong cold front will move through today and this evening, with weak high pressure building in this weekend. Another front will move through Sunday night into early Monday. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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As of 400 AM Fri...Very active morning continues to unfold over eastern NC as weak shortwave and area of enhanced vorticity aid in convective development, primarily focused along or just south of the Crystal Coast along a sharp instability gradient. Lighter rainfall persists inland, associated with a pre-frontal trough draped across south central NC. The main cold front is still to our west, draped from roughly Charlotte to Raleigh-Durham. Ongoing convective activity will persist into dawn as the shortwave aloft pivots across the area, with activity either pushing offshore or gradually decaying by morning. Any severe risk this morning will be focused along the immediate Crystal Coast where instability is strongest. Stronger winds due to wet microbursts would be the primary risk, although the probability is low - under 5%. Once the morning activity clears out, focus then turns to this afternoon where the diurnal seabreeze will provide a focal point for shower and storm development. Activity is expected to be isolated at best thanks to a much drier column aloft (PWATs about a half inch lower than this morning). Westerly surface flow will keep sea breeze and convective activity pinned along the coast, ensuring the coastal plain remains dry. Shear will be very weak and no severe threat is expected. Still very warm today with highs nearing 90 inland, but not as oppressive as Tds fall into the upper 50s across the coastal plain. Along the coast, humid conditions hold on with Tds in the upper 60s to around 70.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM SATURDAY/...
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As of 400 AM Fri....Convective activity will quickly collapse before sunset as cold front eventually pushes offshore tonight and high pressure builds in its wake. Clear skies and light winds, coupled with the much drier airmass, will set the stage for an unusually mild night for early June as temperatures fall into the low 60s across the coastal plain. More typical overnight conditions linger along the coast, with overnight lows in the upper 60s to around 70.
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&& .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 310 AM Fri...Mostly dry with a more comfortable airmass expected this weekend as weak high pressure builds in. Another front will push through Sunday night and early Monday, bringing threat for sct showers and storms. Low confidence forecast Monday night through late week, with still a large spread in the guidance. Friday night through Sunday...Upper troughing becomes more zonal along the east coast through the weekend with weak high pressure building in, keeping area mostly dry. A more comfortable airmass expected over the weekend with dewpoints falling into the 50s and 60s and high temps in the 80s Sat and 80s to low 90s Sun. Sunday night through Thursday...A front will move through Sunday night into early Monday morning, bringing chances for sct showers and storms. Low confidence forecast Monday night through late week, with still a large spread in the guidance. Upper troughing will continue over the eastern US, with potential for another frontal passage and sfc low development Monday night through mid week. GFS continues to be the wetter solution, keeping the front stalled across the area through mid week. Given lack of run to run consistency and uncertainty, will continue to trend towards the previous forecast, while incorporating the newer NBM, increasing pops slightly but capping at chance. && .AVIATION /07Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SHORT TERM /through 06z Sat/... As of 140 AM Fri...VFR conditions prevail across eastern NC this morning outside of persistent convective activity. Keeping an eye on a reinvigoration of a broken band of showers and thunderstorms stretching from EDE southwestward to DPL, advancing eastward with isolated cells developing ahead of this line as well. These will pose a near term threat to OAJ and EWN through 07z, while PGV and ISO are on the more stable side of this line and will deal mainly with RA, although an occasional lightning strike or two is possible. For all terminals, convective threat will end by 09-10z as pre-frontal trough swings offshore. Second round of mainly isolated convection is possible this afternoon along the seabreeze, although with more westerly to west-northwesterly flow aloft activity will migrate little from the coast. OAJ and EWN have the best chance of being impacted, while coastal plain terminals remain dry. Any activity will quickly collapse with loss of heating, with skies becoming clear by Fri evening. Breezy westerly winds will gust to 15+ kt at times particularly across the coastal plain. LONG TERM /Saturday through Tuesday/... As of 310 AM Fri...Pred VFR conditions expected through Sunday with weak high pressure building in. Scattered showers and storms may impact the sites Sunday night into Monday, which may bring brief periods of sub- VFR. Brief periods of sub-VFR Mon night into Tue with sct showers and storms. && .MARINE...
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SHORT TERM /through tonight/... As of 405 AM Fri...Convectively active morning ongoing across area waters this morning, especially across portions of Onslow and Raleigh Bays as shortwave trough provides support for a messy complex of showers and storms. Outside of this, marine conditions are improving ahead of an approaching cold front with southwesterly winds falling to 10-15 kt over soundside waters, but still 15-20 kt offshore. Seas offshore range from 2-4 feet north of Cape Hatteras to 4-6 feet south, although some of this is likely enhanced by convection. Forecast today calls for gradual improvement through the day as convective activity pushes offshore and front slowly approaches from the west. Southwesterly winds will increase this afternoon to around 15 kt thanks to seabreeze circulations, but will gradually veer west and the northwesterly overnight into Saturday as the front crosses the waters. A minority of guidance suggests a brief surge of northwesterly winds of 15+ kt behind the front, particularly for the waters north of Cape Hatteras. If this does occur, it will be brief - no more than a couple hours. Only remaining SCA headlines are for the offshore waters south of Oregon Inlet, and observational trends suggest the advisories will probably be able to be dropped behind this morning`s convection. LONG TERM /Saturday through Tuesday/... As of 310 AM Fri...Light to moderate N-NW winds Sat 5-15 kt. Moderate to breezy SW flow returns Sunday ahead of another cold front. SW winds will increase to 15-20 kt by Sunday evening, with the front moving through Sunday night into early Monday morning. A brief period of SCA conditions will be possible with potential for a few hours of 25 kt gusts. Winds will grad diminish through the day Mon. Seas 2-3 ft Sat and Sun, building to 2-4 ft Sunday evening. Another front and low pressure area may impact the waters Monday night into Tuesday, though given the spread in the guidance and little run to run consistency, confidence remains low through mid week. SCA conditions will be possible.
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&& .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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NC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 9 AM EDT this morning for AMZ152- 154-156-158.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...MHX NEAR TERM...MS SHORT TERM...MS LONG TERM...CQD AVIATION...CQD/MS MARINE...CQD/MS