Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC

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020 FXUS62 KRAH 120708 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 310 AM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Upper level disturbances will pass over the Mid Atlantic and Carolinas through the weekend, as a warm and humid airmass holds in place. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY AND TONIGHT/...
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As of 310 AM Friday... - Afternoon scattered showers and storms expected. - Marginal Risk for severe storms and flash flooding. - Heat indices climbing up into the low 100s for portions of the Triangle, Sandhills and Coastal Plain. Quiet conditions expected through much of the morning and daytime hours. A few areas of low stratus and patchy fog are possible just before dawn, but then lifting shortly after the sunrises. A weak Piedmont trough across the region will help initiate some afternoon showers and thunderstorms. MLCAPE values of 1500 to 2500 K/kg and PWs of 1.5 to 2 will also aid in some stronger storms but with weak flow, storms are expected to be more pulse like and short lived. SPC has areas east of US-1 in the favorable location with a Marginal Risk for isolated severe storms. Timing will range from mid afternoon through evening hours. Some showers could linger through around midnight. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 90s today. With dew points in the low to mid 70s, expect heat indices to get into the lower 100s, especially around the Triangle, Sandhills and Coastal Plain. Overnight lows will be in the low to mid 70s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 135 PM Friday... * Similar airmass in place across the region on Saturday, with scattered showers and storms expected * Temperatures reaching the mid 90s Saturday afternoon Not much change in the atmosphere for Saturday, with a nearly identical distribution of PW`s across the region (1.5" NW, close to 2" SE). Weak Piedmont troughing at the surface in response to weak northwesterly flow aloft should be a trigger for afternoon shower and thunderstorm development across the area tomorrow, although there will still be an abundance of dry air in the mid levels to overcome. With plenty of MLCAPE on offer around 2000-2500 J/KG and sufficient moisture in place, one would expect at least some thunderstorm development although they should be short lived given weak steering flow. 12Z HREF confirms the idea of more areal coverage of showers and storms compared to today, but still a far cry from earlier this week. PoPs will range from 20-40 percent tomorrow, peaking from 20Z-00Z, then tailing off after sunset. Temps on Saturday should be on par with today`s, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Overnight lows in the low to mid 70s. Given the continued period of dewpoints in the low to mid 70s, look for afternoon heat indices to eclipse 100 degrees in many locations although they should fall short of heat advisory levels. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 135 PM Friday... * Daily diurnal showers and storms return, with highest confidence in the Mon to Wed time frame * Heat and humidity much of the week, with heat indices highest Sun and Mon in the upper 90s to lower 100s. After a brief reprieve in our storm chances, it would appear that an uptick in scattered showers and storms are in the offing for the long term. A cold front and attendant trough over the Great Lakes to OH valley region Sun will gradually slide south and east into the middle of next week. The front will not make it through, dying out somewhere near central/southern VA. But the proximity of the trough/front being close to central NC, along with precipitable water values increasing once again to 2 to 2.25 inches, will favor increasing shower and storm chances each afternoon and evening Mon into Wed. After Wed, the Bermuda high will extend its influence, with persistent warm and moist southerly flow. With the absence of any large-scale forcing these days, storm chances may lessen but will still be above climo with the moist and unstable airmass in place. A late-week cold front sometime Fri-Sat will also try to approach, which should keep rain chances on the higher end. Any storms over saturated soils will risk the potential for flash flooding, especially over the Piedmont. As for temperatures, it appears warmest Sun and Mon in the low to mid 90s. Heat indices during this time will range from the upper 90s to lower 100s. A few locales in the Triangle and Sandhills region could briefly reach heat advisory criteria of 105, but will let later forecast shifts evaluate further. Rain chances being high around the middle of the week will keep temps warm and muggy but lower in the 80s to near 90, before warming back up Fri in the lower 90s. && .AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 130 AM Saturday... VFR conditions are expected for much of the overnight hours. However, with light winds in the predawn hours patchy low stratus and fog could develop across the region. A few hours of sub-VFR conditions are possible at all TAF sites but confidence is on the lower side. If any fog/low stratus does develop expect it to lift shortly after 12z. VFR conditions will once again dominate much of the day today with increased chance of showers/storms in the afternoon through early evening. Storms are expected to be isolated to scattered and expected to end between 00z-02z. After which light winds and VFR conditions will return for the overnight hours. Looking beyond 06z Sun, the overall pattern will remain largely unchanged into the middle of next week, with a risk for early- morning sub-VFR fog/stratus, and a chance for showers and storms each afternoon into the evening. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Hartfield NEAR TERM...CA SHORT TERM...Leins LONG TERM...Kren AVIATION...CA/Hartfield