Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Wakefield, VA

Home |  Current Version |  Previous Version |  Graphics & Text |  Print | Product List |  Glossary On
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
-- Remove Highlighting --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
302 FXUS61 KAKQ 160645 AFDAKQ AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wakefield VA 245 AM EDT Sun Jun 16 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
-- Changed Discussion --
Dry with seasonable temperatures again today. A very warm and mainly dry pattern then looks to take hold for next week.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
-- Changed Discussion --
As of 245 AM EDT Sunday... Key Messages: - Warm today as ridging builds toward the Mid-Atlantic. 1022mb high pressure is noted over northern NY into Ontario with low pressure moving across the Dakotas. Aloft, troughing across the eastern Plains states gives way to ridging extending from the central Gulf Coast into the Southeast. Satellite and surface observations show clear skies and light/calm winds across the region. Dry and warm again today with upper ridging lifting NE into the Carolinas by this afternoon. Afternoon high temperatures will be similar to yesterday, in the mid to upper 80s inland with onshore flow keeping temps near the coast in the low 80s. Forecast soundings continue to show drier air aloft mixing down to the surface this afternoon which will keep heat index values near the air temperature. Clear skies are expected tonight with temps in the low to mid 60s.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
-- Changed Discussion --
As of 245 AM EDT Sunday... Key Messages: - Warming trend continues Monday and Tuesday, but with manageable humidity levels. Center of surface high pressure moves offshore on Monday but continues to ridge westward into the region which will maintain onshore (SSE) flow across the area. The anomalously strong upper heat ridge continues to build over the region. Latest guidance shows rising heights aloft but not quite to the level advertised 24 hours ago. Highs Monday will range from the mid 80s along the coast to around 90 degrees for inland areas. The warmest temps will likely occur from Richmond north and west. Overnight low temps fall into the mid to upper 60s. H5 heights rise to ~596 dam Tuesday. A mostly sunny sky will result in highs a few degrees above the forecast values for Monday, generally in the low to perhaps mid 90s. Again, the warmest temps are forecast from the Richmond metro north. Afternoon dew points will remain in the 60s with relative higher values across the N and NW portions of the area, resulting in heat indices in the mid 90s. The core of the upper ridge will lift north of the area Tuesday evening with low temps again in the mid 60s.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
As of 245 AM EDT Sunday... Key Messages: - Very warm and dry weather likely persists through next weekend. Medium range period looks to continue an extended stretch of very warm and mainly dry conditions. The anomalously strong upper heat ridge continues to build as it drifts north along the eastern seaboard. This will maintain the atypical temperature pattern through midweek with slightly warmer highs to the north, as E-SE winds keep coastal areas into the Hampton Roads/N OBX area slightly cooler. H5 heights rise to ~598 dam Wed with high temps in the low 90s. EPS/GEFS guidance does (very) slowly break down the heat ridge for the mid to late week period, as an inverted upper trough pushes ashore along the deep south from the western Atlantic, undercutting the core of the heat ridge aloft to our north. This will result in a continued very warm/dry late week period. High temps hold in the low/mid 90s through the week. However, as surface dew points are forecast to remain in the 60s, we don`t appear likely to see heat indices in the triple digits through Thursday. The hottest part of the week at this time actually looks to be Friday into next weekend, as high pressure slides offshore of the mid-Atlantic coast into the western Atlantic. A more typical summertime Bermuda Ridge pattern then allows heat to build Friday with highs into the mid 90s. EPS/GEFS probs and thickness schemes from both the ECMWF and GFS favoring more widespread mid to upper 90s and Max Heat Indices creeping into the upper 90s to low 100s on Saturday. Overnight lows stay in the 60s for most of the week but will average closer to 70 degrees heading into next weekend as low level moisture increases. A low chance for thunderstorms may materialize by next weekend, as a weak lee trough sets up Sat/Sun.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .AVIATION /07Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 130 AM EDT Sunday... VFR conditions prevail through the 06z TAF period. Dry/mainly SKC skies overnight with generally light and variable winds as high pressure builds into the region. FEW to SCT cumulus (~5000 to 6000 ft) develop late this morning into the afternoon. Winds become E to SE by mid morning around 5 to 10 knots. Outlook: Winds will average 10 kt or less with dry/VFR conditions and a mostly clear into early next week as high pressure gradually shifts off the coast. && .MARINE...
-- Changed Discussion --
As of 245 AM EDT Sunday... Key Messages: - Prevailing sub-advisory conditions are expected through the remainder of the weekend and into the early and middle part of next week. - Southeast winds will briefly gust to around 20 knots for a few hours Monday evening. High pressure is centered over the northeast CONUS early this morning with light E-SE winds over the waters. Winds gradually become SE and increase to 10-15 kt by this aftn/evening (highest on the Ches Bay), before becoming S 10 kt tonight. Occasional gusts to 20 kt are possible on the bay (and perhaps the rivers) this evening. The high will push offshore on Monday, and there will be a diurnal increase in SE winds (to around 15 kt) by the late aftn/evening. A 2- 4 hour period of 20 kt gusts is likely across the bay during the evening, with local wind probs showing a 35-60% chc of sustained 18 kt winds between 5-10 PM Monday. Winds become S 10-15 kt Mon night and are expected to remain generally diurnal (SE 10-15 kt in the afternoon/evening and S aob 10 kt at night) through the week as a ridge remains over the East Coast. Waves and seas will remain 1-2 ft and 2-3 ft, respectively, through the middle of next week. The exception is a brief increase in waves to 2-3 ft late Mon afternoon into early Mon night as winds increase. There is a moderate rip current risk for the northern beaches today and Mon (low at VA Beach and Outer Banks Currituck).
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MAM/RHR NEAR TERM...RHR SHORT TERM...RHR LONG TERM...MAM/RHR AVIATION...RHR MARINE...ERI