


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
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959 FXUS64 KHUN 291109 AFDHUN Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 609 AM CDT Fri Aug 29 2025 ...New AVIATION... .NEAR TERM... (Today) Issued at 424 AM CDT Fri Aug 29 2025 Calm winds and clear skies are in place across southern middle Tennessee and northern Alabama at this hour. Though drier air continues to move slowly south behind a departed front to our south, quickly falling temperatures are allowing for saturation in the boundary layer over the past hour. This has lead to some patchy fog forming in typical valley locations of NE Alabama and southern middle Tennessee and also in NW Alabama near the Tennessee River. Models do show slightly drier air continuing to advect southwest into the area through daybreak. However, the clear skies and quickly falling temperatures will likely allow fog to increase in coverage through 7 or 8 AM before dissipating. Not expecting widespread dense fog at this time, but some visibility drops to around 1 mile are possible in fog prone locations. Based on current temperatures (54 to 60 degrees), lowered low temperatures slightly into the lower 50s east of the I-65 corridor. && .SHORT TERM... (Friday night through Sunday night) Issued at 1025 PM CDT Thu Aug 28 2025 Latest model guidance suggests that a subtle area of low pressure (across southern MS at the beginning of the period) will slowly track southeastward into the central/southern FL Peninsula by 0Z Monday, before shifting eastward and offshore Sunday night. This will lead to a continuation of light NE winds across the region from Friday night-Saturday night, as we will be embedded within the gradient between the low to our southeast and a broad area of high pressure centered across the eastern Great Lakes. With NW flow aloft of 15-25 knots maintaining a dry airmass in the mid/upper-levels, dry conditions will prevail for most of the forecast area. However, with an axis of rain and thunderstorms (related to the surface low`s remnant warm front) expected to be positioned to our southeast, a few sprinkles of rain could occur at times across our southeastern counties. In spite of light NE winds in the boundary layer, southward advection of the Canadian airmass to our north will be weak across our region, and dewpoints will slowly begin to creep upward leading to overnight lows in the lower 60s Saturday/Sunday mornings. Highs on Saturday will also increase a couple of degrees, but should remain in the m-u 80s for most of the lower elevation locations. As the Canadian surface high to our north begins to spread northeastward into New England/southern Quebec on Sunday and Sunday night, cold air damming in the lee of the southern Appalachians will send a backdoor cold front west-northwestward into our region at some point late in the short term period. Although subtle convergence in the vicinity of this boundary should be sufficient for the generation of weak convection as PWAT values rise back into the 1.3-1.5" range, CAPE will remain rather low through 12Z Monday. Thus, we will advertise a low chance for showers in the eastern portion of the CWFA Sunday afternoon and a low chance region-wide Sunday night/Monday morning. Highs on Sunday will be similar to those on Saturday, with lows returning to the mid 60s in some locations Monday morning. && .LONG TERM... (Monday through Thursday) Issued at 1025 PM CDT Thu Aug 28 2025 Extended range forecast data indicates that a slow-moving backdoor cold front will be lifting west-northweatward across the TN Valley on Monday, and could contribute to a higher coverage of showers and thunderstorms across mainly the northern portion of the forecast area (especially during the afternoon hours). However, during the timeframe from Monday night-Tuesday night, the coverage of convection is expected to increase region-wide, as a south-southwesterly low-level jet will become established in advance of a low-amplitude 500-mb wave dropping southeastward from the northern Plains into the Mid-MS Valley (within the flow around an amplifying northern stream trough digging south- southeastward across central Canada). The southeastward-advancing wave may lead to development of a surface trough across the Lower MS Valley, which could ultimately interact with the remnants of the backdoor cold front, leading to an increase in showers and thunderstorms. Although richer moisture/higher CAPE may be confined to our south, instability will be sufficient for thunderstorms and locally heavy rain will be possible. Rain and thunderstorms will begin to diminish in coverage from W-to-E at some point Wednesday/Wednesday night as the mid-level wave ejects northeastward into the Upper OH Valley. However, as a deepening surface low (related to the northern stream trough) begins to shift eastward across the northern Great Lakes/southern Ontario, a stronger cold front will sweep southeastward into the TN Valley on Thursday, potentially resulting in another round of showers and thunderstorms (if moisture/instability are still present). Should this occur, mid-level westerly flow of 30-40 knots may support a few stronger and more organized thunderstorms during this period. Highs from Monday-Thursday will fall back into the u70s-l80s due to clouds and precipitation, with lows remaining in the l-m 60s. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 606 AM CDT Fri Aug 29 2025 Some VSBY restrictions to around 2SM could still occur at KMSL through 13Z. Then expect VFR conditions to return. Winds will remain easterly around 5 knots or less this afternoon. Some patchy fog may be possible late tonight at the terminals, but left out for now. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...KTW SHORT TERM....70 LONG TERM....70 AVIATION...KTW