Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
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990 FXUS62 KRAH 021755 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 1255 PM EST Tue Dec 2 2025 .SYNOPSIS... An in-situ cold air damming ridge will extend across the Carolinas and Virginia today, while coastal low pressure will rapidly strengthen while tracking along the East Coast. Cold high pressure will follow and migrate across the Southeast, while modifying, through Thursday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 1200 PM Tuesday... As the main surface low moves off the VA/NC coast early this afternoon and tracks northeast along the US coastline, rain will taper from west to east. Most of central NC should be dry by late afternoon. High pressure over Tennessee will gradually build in tonight, bringing clearing skies and a continued northwest breeze with occasional gusts up to 20 mph. Highs today will remain in the upper 40s to around 50. Overnight lows will fall into the midupper 20s across the northwest and generally the lower 30s elsewhere, with most locations at or below freezing. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 1200 PM Tuesday... Quiet weather will continue on Wednesday as high pressure remains in control of the Mid-Atlantic. Expect mostly sunny skies with light and variable winds through the day. Highs will run about 10 degrees below average, ranging from the mid to upper 40s, with a few low 50s possible across the south. Overnight, calm winds and reduced cold advection will allow temperatures to fall into the upper 20s to around 30 degrees. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 230 AM Tuesday... * Highest chances for precipitation still Friday and Friday night, with lower confidence in chances Saturday through Monday. Aloft, a s/w will track ewd from the Four Corners, across the srn Plains and lwr/mid MS Valley on Thu/Thu night, then continue ewd across the srn Appalachians and Carolinas on Fri. Meanwhile, the longwave trough will remain over the Plains/Intermountain West Thu/Thu night, as yet another s/w drops sewd from sw Canada to the cntl Plains. This s/w may finally help the longwave trough progress ewd across the cntl and ern CONUS Fri night through Sat night. Central NC should be under the influence of wswly to swly flow through at least Sat. A trailing s/w may move across the region Sun or Mon, but model variability increases over the weekend into early next week. At the surface, a dry cold front will move southward across the area on Thu, with Arctic high pressure ridging swd into the area as it moves ewd from the Midwest across the OH Valley and into the Northeast US Thu night. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure will develop over the NW Gulf Thu night, then eject newd across the Southeast US and off the Carolina coast Fri/Fri night. The biggest difference between the operational runs of the GFS and EC is the strength and track of the Arctic high, which could impact temperatures and perhaps p-types across the NW Piedmont. The low should continue to move away from the area and out over the Atlantic Sat/Sat night, with high pressure moving across the region in its wake. The next low pressure system should develop over the cntl Plains/mid-MS Valley Sat or Sat night, tracking across the region Sun or Mon, though timing varies amongst the models. Precipitation: Thu should generally be dry, with precipitation expected to spread enewd across the area Thu night/Fri morning, lingering through Fri night. While the operational EC and GFS both generally dry out by Sat night (GFS earlier than EC), there is still enough spread in the ensembles to hold on to slight chance through Sat night/Sun morning. Precipitation should largely be rain, however there is a chance for some wintry precipitation to mix in at the beginning and possibly the end of the event. For now, confidence and impacts remain low. Additional precipitation is possible with the trailing s/w either Sun or Mon, but given the significant difference in timing, will keep chances below slight for now. Temperatures: Thu should be the warmest day of the extended period, with highs ranging from around 50 degrees across the north to mid 50s south/SE. Low confidence in temperatures Thu night through Fri night, as they will depend on the strength and position of the Arctic high, track and strength of the low, and the associated precipitation. Highs will remain below normal Fri-Mon, lowest on Fri. Lows should generally remain near to slightly below normal, generally ranging from mid/upper 20s to low/mid 30s. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 1255 PM Tuesday... Widespread stratiform rain has just about moved out of the eastern terminals. In its wake, lingering drizzle and lowering cloud bases within the cool/moist CAD airmass will likely continue to lock in LIFR cigs and MVFR/IFR vsbys until northwesterly downsloping winds behind a front push drier air into the area, clearing low cigs from northwest to southeast this afternoon/evening. As with the previous TAF issuance, opted for slowest guidance eroding low clouds as conditions have yet to improve even in the NC Foothills. The front may still bring a period of gusty winds to the Triad terminals, but duration and intensity is decreasing within latest guidance. Other than a surge or two of SCT/BKN MVFR cigs after the LIFR cigs clear, mostly clear skies are anticipated tonight as VFR conditions return to the region. Outlook: Another storm system is expected Fri into Sat and will likely bring flight restrictions to all central NC terminals. A period of snow/sleet remains possible for the northern terminals (GSO/INT/RDU) Fri morning before transitioning to all rain by the afternoon. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MWS NEAR TERM...CA SHORT TERM...ca LONG TERM...10 AVIATION...AS/MWS