Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV

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458 FXUS61 KRLX 171608 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 1208 PM EDT Mon Jun 17 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A prolonged heat wave builds throughout the week. Isolated showers or storms will be possible today and Tuesday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 1050 AM Monday... Increased PoPs across the northeast to better reflect current radar trends. As of 625 AM Monday... Showers and a few storms have developed within the northern half of the CWA this morning. Have freshened up PoPs to reflect the precipitation coverage seen on radar. As of 300 AM Monday... Key Point: * Heat indices will reach the lower 100s across parts of the lowlands this afternoon. * Heat Advisory begins late this morning. While high pressure will be present in the upper levels, a surface front crosses the area early this morning and brings the possibility of a shower or two as it moves through. Following the departure of the front, moisture and very warm air are expected to feed into the area while upper level high pressure remains in place overhead. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms may begin to develop as heat and humidity create unstable conditions this afternoon and evening. While forecast soundings show an impressive amount of CAPE, shear should be modest. A few storms could become strong, with heavy rain also a possibility as precipitable water values rise into the 1.5 to 2 inch range. Any convective activity will taper off with the loss of daytime heating, then quieter conditions are expected overnight. High temperatures are projected to climb into the 90s across much of the lowlands and mid 70s to 80s along the mountains. The heat index will be even higher, with low 100s possible for portions of the lowlands this afternoon. A Heat Advisory begins late this morning and then continues beyond the near term period as a heat wave persists for much of the week. Heat safety will be important this week, so here are a few tips: * Drink plenty of fluids * Wear light, loose fitting clothing * Take breaks in the shade or air conditioned locations * Never leave children or pets in an unattended vehicle * Check on elderly or heat sensitive individuals * Know the signs of heat illness && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Monday... Key Point: * Heat Advisory continues Tuesday through Friday. An upper-level ridge will shift a bit northward into Virginia and close to the CWA, which should help suppress shower or storm activity on Tuesday, though isolated activity can`t be entirely ruled out for the mountains or up north. Tuesday will feature fairly high dewpoints, with many locations forecast to be in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Combined with forecast highs in the mid-90s, heat index values will likely get into the lower 100s in many lowland locations, much of the lower elevations are forecast to hit Heat Advisory criteria. We are forecasting it to be just about as hot on Wednesday as on Tuesday, but more dry air is expected to move in aloft. As some of this mixes down in daytime heating, afternoon surface dew points likely will get limited to the lower 60s, which will keep heat index values under 100F. Thus we may not quite hit Advisory criteria on Wednesday, but it could be close in spots. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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As of 1205 PM Monday... Ridge of high pressure will continue to remain in control for much of the week, with above normal temperatures, and occasional showers and storms during peak heating hours. Although dew points will generally only be in the 60s during the period, the continuation of temperatures in the upper 90s to possibly even around 100, may continue to warrant expansion of the heat advisory in time across much of the lowland counties this weekend. Ridge finally breaks down towards the end of the period as low pressure moves east across the Great Lakes region, sweeping a cold front through the area. Along with a break in the oppressive heat, showers and storms will become more numerous during the time.
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&& .AVIATION /16Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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As of 625 AM Monday... Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible as a front lifts to the north this morning. Additional activity is expected to develop as heat and humidity increase this afternoon. While VFR should continue for the majority of the day, brief MVFR/IFR restrictions may occur in showers and storms. Activity diminishes after sundown, then at least partial clearing and calm surface flow may allow for patches of valley fog to form overnight. Outside of storms, winds remain light with a south to southwest direction today. Calm to light southerly winds are then expected tonight. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium to high. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Brief sub-VFR could occur in showers or thunderstorms today and valley fog tonight. 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 H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 18Z TUESDAY... No widespread IFR conditions are expected at this time.
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&& .CLIMATE... As of 300 AM Monday... A prolonged heat wave builds across the area this week. Temperatures are forecast to approach record highs at some locations on several days. The records for Monday, June 17 to Saturday, June 22 are listed below for our official climate sites, along with the current forecast values. Forecast / Record High Temperatures -------------------------------------------------------- Monday, 6/17 | Tuesday, 6/18 | Wednesday, 6/19 -------------------------------------------------------- CRW | 91 / 98 (1936) | 93 / 98 (1944) | 92 / 98 (1919) | HTS | 93 /100 (1936) | 95 / 98 (1944) | 93 / 98 (1994) | CKB | 91 / 96 (1967) | 94 / 96 (1936) | 94 / 94 (1994) | PKB | 92 / 98 (1936) | 95 / 98 (1944) | 94 / 95 (1994) | BKW | 84 / 93 (1936) | 87 / 93 (1936) | 86 / 90 (1944) | EKN | 88 / 92 (1936) | 91 / 91 (1994) | 92 / 89 (1905) | -------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, 6/20 | Friday, 6/21 | Saturday, 6/22 -------------------------------------------------------- CRW | 95 / 99 (1931) | 97 /105 (1931) | 96 / 98 (1988) | HTS | 97 /100 (1931) | 99 / 99 (1953) | 98 / 98 (1988) | CKB | 95 / 94 (1931) | 96 / 98 (1953) | 95 / 97 (1923) | PKB | 97 / 97 (1931) | 98 / 97 (1953) | 96 / 98 (1988) | BKW | 89 / 92 (1931) | 91 / 93 (1953) | 91 / 92 (1931) | EKN | 92 / 92 (1931) | 93 / 92 (1953) | 92 / 93 (1923) | -------------------------------------------------------- Additionally, the all-time June high temperature records may be neared in some locations. Listed below are the maximum temperatures currently forecast during the upcoming heat wave versus the all-time June high temperature records. Max Forecast All-time June Record ----------------------------------------- CRW | 97 | 105 (1931) | HTS | 99 | 105 (1930) | CKB | 96 | 100 (1925) | PKB | 98 | 100 (1988) | BKW | 92 | 100 (1936) | EKN | 93 | 96 (2012) | ----------------------------------------- && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...Heat Advisory until 8 PM EDT Friday for WVZ005>011-013>020- 024>032-039-040. OH...Heat Advisory until 8 PM EDT Friday for OHZ066-067-075-076- 083>087. KY...Heat Advisory until 8 PM EDT Friday for KYZ101>103-105. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...JP/SL NEAR TERM...JP/JLB SHORT TERM...FK LONG TERM...SL AVIATION...JLB CLIMATE...