Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA

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617 FXUS61 KRNK 090646 AFDRNK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 246 AM EDT Sun Jun 9 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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A cold front tracks across the area today with scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly in the mountains. Dry weather returns Monday. Next opportunity for showers looks like it will hold off until the end of next week. The week as a whole is expected to be dry.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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As of 230 AM EDT Sunday... Key Messages: 1. Moderate confidence in scattered showers/storms mainly across the west and south today as a front moves through. 2. Cooler and drier follows beginning tonight. A large upper level low centered over southeastern Canada will continue to shift east south-east today, gradually pushing the southern edge of the parent trough towards the Mid Atlantic region. This will in turn push a cold front through by tonight. Satellite imagery this morning showed multiple MCSs in progress along the more active part of the front in the central/southern Plains and the Midwest. Over northern PA and NY State, more stratiform rainfall was occurring. CAMs show precipitation trying to fill in between these 2 areas as it nears the southern and central Appalachians later this morning. Mid level clouds already covered WV and were pushing into into western VA and NC. Increasing Petterssen frontogenesis along with the impinging short wave energy will trigger scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms today, mainly west of I-77 and later sinking towards the NC High Country and NC Piedmont. Severe weather threat looks low with a cap around 7kft and plenty of cloud cover. QPF amounts will average 0.10-0.25 where it does rain, so not expecting flooding problems even if it does briefly rain hard. Although PWATs are around an inch, there is plenty of dry air to overcome in the lower levels. A gusty WNW LLJ will also develop today, with 30-35 kt winds just off the surface. Increased gusts slightly today as a portion of this should mix down with the rain, especially at the higher elevations. Winds decrease around 9-10 pm. Tonight, much drier air arrives from the north, with dew points dropping into the 40s and 50s. Overnight lows drop into the low to mid 50s for the mountains as upslope clouds diminish in the wake of the dry air. Expect mid to upper 50s for the Piedmont with any lingering cloudiness shifting south.
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&& .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/...
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As of 230 AM EDT Sunday... Key Points: 1. Slightly below normal temperatures Monday and Tuesday. 2. Warming trend starts Wednesday. 3. Mainly dry through Wednesday. An upper level trough will push a cold front across the area Monday afternoon. Not much moisture for this front to work with, therefore will only see an increase in clouds through the day. The trough is expected to pivot over the region Monday night into Tuesday and may bring some light showers across the western slopes of southeast West Virginia Monday evening. While this trough is in the vicinity, Monday`s and Tuesday`s temperatures will run slightly cooler than normal. High pressure builds over the region with heights increasing aloft Wednesday. Temperatures will warm into the mid 70s to lower 80s across the mountains and mid to upper 80s in the foothills and piedmont.
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&& .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
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As of 240 AM EDT Sunday... Key Points: 1. Warmer than normal temperatures through the period. 2. Hit and miss showers and thunderstorms next weekend. High pressure will keep the area dry on Thursday an possibly Friday. Models are bring a cold front into the region Friday evening, but with not much rainfall. Once the front tracks to the east, high pressure is expected to wedge south across the area. Having a hard time believing this scenario as warm season fronts/CAD events typically do not move through the area without convection and/or removing a very warm airmass (mid 80s to lower 90s). For this package, will keep warmer than normal temperatures with typical diurnal convection Friday into Sunday.
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&& .AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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As of 230 AM EDT Sunday... Ceilings will lower from west to east in the mountains by late morning, with MVFR at KLWB and KBLF around 14-15Z with a low chance for SHRA/TSRA for just a few hours. Elsewhere, expect overcast VFR with negligible rain chances. A passing front will will veer west winds to more NW by this afternoon. Wind speeds generally less than 10 kts early this morning before becoming gusty mid morning. A LLJ of 30-35 kts at 5kft AGL will translate to surface wind gusts in the 20-30 kt range. Average confidence for ceiling, wind, and visibility. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK... VFR for most of the period. Mainly dry conditions expected Monday through Wednesday. The probability of precipitation increases again for Thursday.
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&& .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SH NEAR TERM...SH SHORT TERM...RCS LONG TERM...RCS AVIATION...SH