Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Nashville, TN
Issued by NWS Nashville, TN
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761 FXUS64 KOHX 182310 AFDOHX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 510 PM CST Tue Nov 18 2025 ...New UPDATE, AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 459 PM CST Tue Nov 18 2025 - Medium to high (50-80%) chance for showers and thunderstorms this evening. Low chance for severe weather north of I-40 with brief gusty winds and hail possible. - Medium to high chances (40-80%) for rain and thunderstorms again Thursday through Friday night. Drier weather returns this weekend. - Above-normal temperatures expected through next week. && .UPDATE... Issued at 459 PM CST Tue Nov 18 2025 A severe thunderstorm watch was issued just northwest of our coverage area for this evening. Although a tornado cannot be completely ruled out, it is thought that most of the evening storms will tap into elevated instability, so the hazards appear to be more hail and gusty winds. But, the question for us is how much strength will remain in the storms as they move into our area, mostly after 8 PM CST. There will likely be thunderstorms, but with decreasing instability and weakening lift, we are not anticipating severe weather. Still, we will keep a close watch on our northwest counties to see if any of the incoming cells do maintain strength. Otherwise, as the activity moves across the Mid State through the evening, expect some brief downpours and gusty winds followed by some lingering patchy light showers, drizzle and fog late in the night. && .SHORT TERM... (Rest of today through Wednesday) Issued at 1107 AM CST Tue Nov 18 2025 An interesting afternoon and evening lies ahead for Middle TN. Currently, showers and storms (some of which were warned-on earlier this morning) are traversing central KY near a warm front associated with a low pressure system over southern Illinois/eastern Missouri. However, at forecast time, a capping inversion is keeping things quiet here at home (dew points in the 20s and 30s are also contributing to these quiet conditions). As we move into the afternoon hours, a secondary warm front from this system is expected to pull moisture into the mid-state from Mississippi and west TN. Dew points will be on the rise and should reach into the low to mid 60s by this evening, especially for areas west of I-65 and north of I-40. As the surface low treks across the Ohio Valley late this afternoon and into the evening hours, 40-50 kts of bulk shear will begin to overlap with a few hundred J/Kg of instability that will be able to build this afternoon and will open the door for a low-end severe weather threat. The main area of focus will be in the previously mentioned region of Middle TN between 5 pm and midnight this evening. The latest few runs of the HRRR have been very bullish with the amount of surface based CAPE (upwards of 700 J/Kg) that will be able to develop before we start to lose the heating of today and in turn, have been suggesting a few sustained updrafts in storms that will enter northwest Middle TN this evening. The 12Z HREF does show a slight uptick in members going along with the HRRR, which puts the likelihood of seeing 200+ J/Kg of CAPE in our northwest at about 40%. If there`s anything that does worry me is the low- level hodographs expected across this part of Middle TN ahead of storms. 0-1 km helicity values of 200 are expected to be in place, which would present a tornado threat if storms can become rooted at the surface. Bottom line, while the overall severe weather threat is low and very conditional (on the available instability), if you will be located north of I-40 this evening, there will be a need to be weather aware as damaging straight line winds, hail and (to a lesser degree) a tornado will be possible this evening. By midnight, while showers and some storms will still be ongoing as this shortwave moves across the region, the severe threat should be over and precip should be out of Middle TN well before sunrise Wednesday. This will leave Wednesday quiet and rainfree as weak ridging builds into the region. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday Night through next Tuesday) Issued at 1107 AM CST Tue Nov 18 2025 Our next chance of rain this week is expected to start entering the picture on Thursday morning. Showers should break across the TN River shortly after daybreak and spread across the mid-state through the morning hours. Rain is current progged to come in two waves between Thursday and Friday, with the second around the same time Friday morning. Currently, I`m not overly concerned about any severe weather threat on Friday, but forecast soundings aren`t too shabby. There will definitely be storms around Friday afternoon and into the evening hours and they may be worth watching. More on that after we get through this evening`s storms. After Friday, skies should be dry for the upcoming weekend. Temperatures will relax a bit, but remain above normal right into the start of next week. Speaking of, the next system looks to arrive in the Tuesday time frame and also could be interesting. The bill may be coming due for how quiet it`s been lately. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 459 PM CST Tue Nov 18 2025 VFR conditions early this evening will deteriorate as a broken band of showers and thunderstorms moves in from the northwest. Impacts from the SHRA/TSRA will occur mostly between 03Z-08Z. A severe storm watch is in effect northwest of our area, but the storms are expected to weaken as they move into Middle TN. IFR/MVFR cigs/vsbys will follow for late tonight with low clouds and patchy fog. Cigs will improve slowly through the day Wednesday. Winds will start out gusty to 22KT form the SSW. Winds will settle down after the showers and storms and become NW less than 10KT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 60 72 53 70 / 90 10 10 50 Clarksville 58 68 51 67 / 80 0 10 70 Crossville 55 68 49 68 / 90 20 0 20 Columbia 61 76 53 75 / 80 0 10 40 Cookeville 57 69 51 68 / 90 20 0 30 Jamestown 55 67 50 66 / 100 20 0 20 Lawrenceburg 61 76 53 76 / 70 0 10 30 Murfreesboro 61 74 53 73 / 90 10 10 40 Waverly 59 70 52 68 / 90 0 20 70 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ UPDATE.......13 SHORT TERM...Unger LONG TERM....Unger AVIATION.....13