


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA
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004 FXUS61 KRNK 141820 AFDRNK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 220 PM EDT Mon Jul 14 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A warm and humid weather pattern will continue throughout this week with daily chances of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Tuesday and Wednesday could feature the highest chance of storms due to a frontal boundary passing to the north. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 200 PM EDT Monday... Key Messages: 1) Scattered showers and thunderstorms with potential for severe storms and hydrological issues this afternoon. 2) A Flood Watch is in effect across parts of the Virginia Piedmont due to a slight risk of excessive rainfall. A weak shortwave is moving into the forecast area early this afternoon, meanwhile a frontal boundary is moving into the OH River Valley to our north. These features together with ample humidity and high temperatures priming the atmosphere will lead to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area. DCAPEs of 600-700 J/kg, and SBCAPE of 2500-2500 J/kg are rather impressive, but we are lacking almost any meaningful shear, and lapse rates are poor. This rather pulsey environment lends itself to mostly single cellular development and wind damage as the main threat. The upper support of the shortwave could allow a few cells to become more organized and form a multicellular structure. In addition, the abnormally high PWATs approaching 2" are quite juicy, and most cells will generate high rainfall rates. With saturated soil moistures from a lot of recent rain, these storms could cause localized and urban flooding. A Flood Watch has been issued for most of the VA Piedmont and Southside for this afternoon through tonight. Tuesday will be similar, as the frontal boundary stalls to our north, but we remain well situated in a warm and moist sector. Severe potential is lower for Tuesday. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 1215 PM EDT Monday... Key Message: 1) Daily shower and storm chances continue. Largely a persistence forecast as the soupy high PWAT airmass continues to dominate the region with little to no change. Aside from perhaps weak perturbations in the broad SW flow aloft, there isn`t much to hone in on as far as larger scale forcing so the diurnal daytime heating and orographic components look to be the main triggers for convective initiation then other development enhanced by outflow boundaries. Locally strong to damaging gusting winds from hydrometeor loaded downdrafts and flash flooding continue to be the main threats with development. Max temps at near to above normal values and low temps above norms given the ample moisture in place. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 1225 PM EDT Monday... Key Message: 1) Like the short term, daily shower and storm chances continue. About the only change to the regime may be a bit more of a transition to zonal flow aloft as the high off the SE coast retrogrades westward. This does not look to alter the amply moist and conditionally unstable airmass in place so expecting the daily dosage of scattered to numerous showers and storms to continue. Again, there could be the dual threat of strong to damaging winds from wet microbursts and locally high rainfall rates leading to flash flooding. Max temps at near to above normal values and low temps above norms given the ample moisture in place. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 215 PM EDT Monday... Patchy VFR clouds will pepper the skies this afternoon, but the real aviation concern will be the formation of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall cores. Thunderstorms are possible anywhere in our forecast area this afternoon through tonight, though the greatest possibilities will be in the Piedmont region. In and around thunderstorms, wind gusts can be strong and the direction will be erratic. Visibility can drop quickly with heavy rain, and available light in the vicinity of a storm will be reduced with lowering and dense clouds. Showers will become less common during the overnight period, however abundant moisture at the surface and in the atmosphere will lead to clouds lowering across the area into IFR/LIFR cigs. Fog will also develop at most sites in the region, potentially dropping under 1SM for a few hours. Other than winds generated by thunderstorms, winds will be very light and variable, with a slight tendency to be southerly. .EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK... The overall pattern remains stagnant for the remainder of this week with a warm and humid air mass providing daily chances of afternoon showers and thunderstorms and an overnight potential for patchy fog. Coverage of the convection may be highest during Tuesday and Wednesday as a frontal boundary passes to the north. Therefore, conditions will likely remain VFR for most of this week with the exceptions being the aforementioned afternoon storms and overnight fog. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...Flood Watch until midnight EDT tonight for VAZ024-034-035- 044>047-058-059. NC...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...PW NEAR TERM...VFJ SHORT TERM...AB LONG TERM...AB AVIATION...PW/VFJ