


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Wakefield, VA
Issued by NWS Wakefield, VA
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828 FXUS61 KAKQ 141436 AFDAKQ AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wakefield VA 1036 AM EDT Mon Jul 14 2025 .SYNOPSIS... An unsettled weather pattern continues into midweek with scattered thunderstorms possible each day. Heavy rainfall and localized flooding will be possible each day before the heat rebuilds Thursday and Friday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 1036 AM EDT Monday... Key Messages: - Flood Watch in effect through late tonight for most of our VA counties just inland of the Chesapeake Bay. - Gusty winds and heavy rainfall will accompany the convection this afternoon and evening. Fog and low stratus has mostly lifted across the area and GOES Visible imagery is highlighting a CU field attempting to develop. Temperatures are in the lower 80s, with humid dew points in the lower to mid 70s. Mesoanalysis is depicting 500-1500 J/kg of MLCAPE and an already increasingly unstable environment developing this morning. The unsettled pattern will continue today, with a similar environment to the past few days featuring ample instability, minimal inhibition, and anomalously high PW values. Shear will continue to be a limiting factor though with strong daytime heating preceding storm development, DCAPE values will range between 700- 1200 J/kg which could result in isolated downbursts. With the steering flow being almost non-existent, the main threat will be flash-flooding. Slow moving storms, combined with PW values of 2"+, will lead to extended periods of heavy rainfall for localized areas across our forecast area. The challenge is pinpointing exactly where any diurnal storm development will take place. With the antecedent rainfall we have seen over the past few days, flash-flood guidance continues to be lower, especially in more vulnerable areas such as the Richmond metro and adjacent areas, so it will not take much rainfall to lead to flooding. In addition to the diurnal convection similar to what we have seen the past few days, a weak shortwave will move across the area just to our north. CAMs have picked up on this and a second round of storms is possible tonight before midnight. As this is a transient feature, these storms will likely not be quite as stagnant as the daytime storms and be more linear and organized, but will still bring very heavy rainfall to the area that could produce additional flooding concerns. Exactly how the second round of storms develops and moves through will be dependent on how the afternoon convection evolves and how much the atmosphere can recover in its wake. WPC has placed a majority of our forecast area in a Slight ERO today, and scattered instances of flash- flooding are possible. A Marginal ERO is in place across far SE VA and eastern North Carolina. Convection will taper off after midnight after the secondary line of storms move through. Overnight temperatures will drop into the lower to mid 70s. The development of patchy fog is again a possibility overnight, and areas that receive rainfall today may see areas of dense fog. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 345 AM EDT Monday... Key Messages: - Unsettled pattern continues into Tuesday and Wednesday with additional rounds of showers and storms as the front stalls NW of the area. The front stalls well NW of the area on Tuesday, with yet another day of showers and storms and the potential for heavy rainfall and gusty winds. More clouds through the day result in cooler high temps, generally in the mid 80s inland with upper 80s along the coast. Highest PoPs are favored over the Piedmont, tapering to chance along the coast. WPC has the region in a marginal ERO for Tuesday at the moment but would not be surprised to see a slight ERO expanded eastward into the local area in subsequent forecasts. Anomalously high PWATs remain in place but lack of a low level trigger for convection and slowly rising heights aloft lends some uncertainty to convective coverage and timing. That said, it won`t take much QPF to cause flooding in areas that have been drenched over the last few days. A similar pattern continues into Wednesday with a bit more flow aloft possible during the afternoon and evening as a short wave in the SW flow aloft potentially moves across the region. No real changes in the airmass through Wednesday with PWATs remaining around 2" so the threat for localized heavy rainfall and gusty winds persists. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 345 AM EDT Monday... Key Message: - Heat and humidity build late in the week with Heat Advisories possible. Upper ridging east of Florida builds northward into our area Thursday into the weekend. Lower shower and storm chances are forecast as heights aloft continue to build. Will maintain chance PoPs during this period but expect convective coverage will be much less than earlier in the week. Temperatures warm back into the low 90s Thursday and mid 90s by Friday. Afternoon heat indices creep back into Heat Advisory range (105+) mainly for the eastern half of the area on Thursday and a majority of the area on Friday. Slightly cooler (low 90s) on Saturday and Sunday but low level moisture ticks up so additional heat headlines are possible, especially across the south. && .AVIATION /15Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 235 AM EDT Monday... Complicated aviation forecast this morning with a mix of flying condition across the region. TAF sites are all VFR for now but expect MVFR and IFR to overspread the area in the next few hours. Highest confidence in IFR CIGs is at RIC. ORF and ECG have prevailing MVFR with TEMPO groups to cover IFR toward sunrise. Light and variable winds this morning become S or SE into this afternoon. Another round of showers and storms are likely this afternoon and evening. Included PROB30 groups at each terminal this afternoon. Another round of precip is also possible after 00z tonight but lower confidence in timing and location. Outlook: Additional scattered to numerous afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected to recur Tue-Wed, along with the potential for early morning fog/stratus. Shower/storm coverage is forecast to be a bit lower late in the week. && .MARINE... As of 345 AM EDT Monday... Key Messages: - Benign marine conditions continue through Wednesday outside of local influences from afternoon and evening thunderstorms. - Small Craft Advisory conditions are possible Wednesday night into Thursday, mainly across the Chesapeake Bay and lower James River. High pressure is centered off the coast of Nova Scotia early this morning, with weak low pressure and a trailing front well off the MD/VA coast. Meanwhile, subtropical high pressure is centered S of this front, with a trough lingering well inland. The wind is primarily SE 5-10kt with seas 1-2ft and waves in the Ches. Bay ~1ft. The subtropical high builds off the Southeast coast today through the middle of the week. The wind becomes SSE and remains 5-10kt through early aftn, before increasing to 10-15kt by mid-aftn to early evening, and then becomes SW 5-10kt tonight. Seas remain ~2ft today into tonight, with waves in the Ches. Bay building to 1-2ft this aftn and evening, before subsiding to ~1ft later tonight. Similar conditions continue Tuesday with a mid-aftn to early evening sea-breeze influenced shift to SSE 10-15kt, before becoming SW 8- 12kt Tuesday night. The wind will mainly be SSW 10-15kt Wednesday with high pressure continuing to prevail offshore. Seas remain ~2ft Tuesday and build to 2-3ft Wednesday, with waves in the Ches. Bay 1ft to occasionally 2ft. The pressure gradient tightens Wednesday night into Thursday as low pressure tracks NE of the Great Lakes into the St. Lawrence Valley. This will potentially bring SCA conditions as a SW wind increases to 15-20kt across the Ches. Bay and lower James. The wind diminishes by Friday as the pressure gradient relaxes due to a weakening front dropping to the region. Seas build to 3-4ft (2-3ft nearshore) by Wednesday night and Thursday, with 2-3ft waves in the Ches. Bay. Isolated to scattered aftn/evening showers/tstms will continue much of the week. The main hazards with tstms will be brief strong wind gusts, frequent lighting, and reduced vsby in heavy rain. && .AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. NC...None. VA...Flood Watch through this evening for VAZ048-060>062-064>069- 075-076-079>083-087-088-509>522. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RHR NEAR TERM...RHR/NB SHORT TERM...RHR LONG TERM...RHR AVIATION...LKB/RHR MARINE...AJB/AJZ