Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV

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615 FXUS61 KRLX 241558 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 1158 AM EDT Tue Sep 24 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Chances for showers and storms prevail through at least midweek. Additional rounds of rain possible late in the week into the weekend as well. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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As of 1155 AM Tuesday... Radar imagery shows a line of convection screaming east northeast across the area late this morning. Additional showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop across the area this afternoon and evening. Some of the latest convection could produce severe conditions into this evening. The area remains under a slight risk for severe thunderstorms. As of 245 AM Tuesday... Synoptically you have a disturbance, a small upper level short wave associated with a weak surface low bringing the morning rain activity. Then we have an upper level closed low headed our way from the northwest. This feature will setup directly west of the area and spin cyclonically around through this period bringing plenty of moisture up from the deep south. This pattern will continue beyond this period. The main theme of today will be stratiform rain initially with high cloud bases and dark gloomy skies. By the afternoon, more convective rain regime will takeover with shower and storm activity becoming very apparent or at least by mid afternoon. Any thunderstorm may become strong to severe with strong upper level support. CAPE values exceed 2500 J/kg+ along with very high shear to support longer lived updrafts. DCAPE values are at least modest and will support downbursts, especially since we have high moisture content in the column and very sufficient or rather excessive PWATs. With fair amount of helicity and low LCLs, along with high lifted index and no CIN, we cannot rule out a tornado or two. This all hazards threat could virtually happen anywhere, but the higher probability will be across southwestern WV, northeast KY and southeast OH. There should be a short lived lull during the late evening into the overnight with rain returning by the morning. With cloudier skies than yesterday and potential rain activity kept temperatures close to guidance which equated to close to what we had for highs yesterday with a diurnal swing for lows in the low to mid 60`s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... As of 345 AM Tuesday... An upper level disturbance will be the centerpiece for the extended forecast as it continues to produce daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms. This nearly stacked system will be parked over the western Ohio Valley at the start of the period, and will usher in moisture along southwesterly flow on its eastern flank up into Central Appalachia. At the surface, a cold front will be stalled overhead with ripples of shortwave activity prolonging at least a slight chance for rain from Wednesday into Thursday. A resurgence of moisture and lift will move northward on Thursday night as Tropical Cyclone Nine makes landfall along the Florida Panhandle and conjoins to the upper level low. This will enhance shower and thunderstorm potential for the second half of the work week. While convective parameters will be lackluster with this newly enriched disturbance, rainfall accumulation totals will rise once again starting late Thursday night into Friday. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 345 AM Tuesday... Widespread potential for much needed rain tracks northward on Friday as the remnants of what is currently Tropical Cyclone Nine feeds into the upper level disturbance that remains stalled over the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. 00z global model suite shows decent agreement with the center of the surface low remaining parked over Kentucky for a decent majority of the weekend. While POPs start off relatively higher on Friday as the tropical system tracks northward (50 to 70%), shower activity will gradually wane as the surface low continues to spin and fail to make any headway to the east. This will ultimately rain itself dry before its upper level support system finally gets nudged to the east by ridging moving into the Desert Southwest. Showers and storms will grow more isolated to scattered as the disturbance shifts over the forecast area later in the weekend, but hopefully we can squeeze out some beneficial rainfall totals to help put a dent in the drought still present across the region. Active weather extends into the start of next week as this slow moving system retains residency nearby on Monday. && .AVIATION /16Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
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As of 630 AM Tuesday... Even with shower and storm activity around the area the sites should get to endure VFR for the most part after any fog lifts over the next several hours. Have some stratocu and mid clouds for the time being then by the late morning chances for additional shower and especially storm potential will be on the table. Lower Cu decks will likely be the culprit today with the potential for storms through the afternoon, however thinking the cloud decks should stay in the VFR range or at least really close to the MVFR/VFR threshold. Outside a temporary reduction to VIS under a shower, the predominant VIS should stay unrestricted. Clouds may lift slightly by the early evening then then more rain expected in the late afternoon and then a lull by the evening. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing of showers and thunderstorms may vary from forecast. 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 M M EKN CONSISTENCY L L H H H H H H H H H M PKB CONSISTENCY M M H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY M M M H H H H H M M L H AFTER 18Z WEDNESDAY... Brief IFR possible in showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday.
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&& .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MEK/JZ NEAR TERM...ARJ/JZ SHORT TERM...MEK LONG TERM...MEK AVIATION...JZ