Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA

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456 FXUS61 KRNK 140003 AFDRNK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 803 PM EDT Thu Jun 13 2024 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure remains in the area through tonight. A front tracks through the mid-Atlantic Friday, before high pressure works in again for the weekend. Temperatures remain several degrees above normal each day. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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As of 800 PM EDT Thursday... Key Message: 1) Warm and humid with an isolated shower or storm possible this evening. 2) Marginal Risk for severe storms Friday afternoon and evening. Subsidence inversion still winning out for the most part. Cloud buildups this past afternoon morphed into a few showers, but then fanned out underneath the inversion... low cloud type 4 or stratocumulus formed by the spreading/flattening of cumulus. Any showers/storms should fade this evening leaving behind mostly clear skies. Could have some fog in the valleys across our mountain counties overnight into dawn, but confidence low. Friday, a front tracks southeast toward the area, with the 5h pattern suggest weak forcing. At the moment, the models in general agreement in meager storm chances so kept pops on the low side, with widely scattered coverage by late afternoon over the mountains/foothills. However, any storms that do fire will encounter high DCAPE and will have the potential for strong downdraft winds and potential to produce wind damage. Much of the forecast area has been highlighted by the Storm Prediction Center for this potential hazard. A little more west/northwest flow should allow temperatures to creep up to around 90 in Piedmont and Roanoke/Southern Shenandoah Valleys, with 80s in the mountains, which for most will be about 5 degrees above normal. Confidence in the near term is high, except on storm coverage/pops.
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&& .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... As of 1245 PM EDT Thursday... Key Message: 1. Mostly dry and warm weekend. Upper and sfc ridging is progged to build into the area in the wake of the near term fropa. The subsident airmass should allow for mostly dry and warmer conditions for the weekend. Afternoon max temps look to make it to the low to mid 80s for many locations Saturday and Sunday. The sfc high slides more east of the area for Sunday and the low level fetch shifts south to SE allowing some higher dewpts to advect northward under the upper ridge. We may get some isolated convective development in the southwest for Sunday afternoon but most of the area should stay largely suppressed. Forecast confidence is high. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 120 PM EDT Thursday... Key Message: 1. Warmer temps into the work week with continued mostly dry conditions. Most of the work week should be under a lingering pattern as the aforementioned sfc high continues to stay centered off the east coast and the upper ridge persisted across the eastern CONUS with some northward drifting. Some of the warmest temps of the year look to be reached in the afternoons as a result with many locations getting into the upper 80s to low 90s. Daytime heating combined with some enhanced moisture trapped under the cutoff ridge could allow for slight chances of diurnally driven shower and thunderstorm potential across some of the mountains. The mornings could have patchy fog potential especially for locations that receive precip from any previous PM development. Forecast confidence is high. && .AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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As of 800 PM EDT Thursday... Mainly VFR expected through the 24 hour valid TAF. Aside for some isolated showers this evening the only other potential hazard may be some light fog/haze in the New River and Greenbrier valleys around daybreak Friday with brief impacts to KLWB/KBCB. Winds through tonight are expected to remain under 10 kts to near calm in the valleys. Forecast confidence is high. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK... A cold front will cross the area from the north late Friday. Front will be the focus for late afternoon and evening thunderstorm development. There is a marginal risk for severe weather. Storms may contain strong downdraft winds. After the frontal passage, high pressure will build back over the region for the weekend and into early next week. Aside for some morning river fog in the mountain valleys, conditions are expected to be primarily VFR.
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&& .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...SH/WP NEAR TERM...PM/WP SHORT TERM...AB LONG TERM...AB AVIATION...PM