Area Forecast Discussion
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Issued by NWS
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462 FXUS62 KTAE 050701 AFDTAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tallahassee FL 201 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER, HYDROLOGY... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 - A couple of strong thunderstorms are possible through late this afternoon in the FL counties. Gusty winds and a brief tornado cannot be ruled out. - Beneficial rain expected across the region through the weekend with additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches with isolated higher amounts around 3 inches from Panama City to Valdosta northwest. && .SHORT TERM... (Today and Tonight) Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 Weak surface low and attendant warm front will lift into the FL/ Southern tier of GA counties today. Already seeing some convection firing as of 1 AM ET off the LA coast to the AL/FL border, which is handled well by the 03Z RRFS, albeit a couple hours fast. As the warm front lifts northward, an overlap of instability and SRH is expected near the warm front. The 00Z HREF shows probability of SB CAPE AOA 500 J/kg in the 50-80% range from the Eastern FL Panhandle coast into inland sections of the Big Bend. Meanwhile, SRH (0-1 km) is around 150 M2/S2. Mid-level lapse rates are also around 6.5 C/km aiding in buoyancy and deep layer shear is AOA 50 knots. Any storms that are able to become surface-based along/ south of the warm front will be capable of gusty winds and perhaps a brief tornado. Timing centered on this morning in the Eastern FL Panhandle and this afternoon in the Big Bend. Elsewhere, any storms should remain elevated. Otherwise, a wet day is on tap with additional rainfall (discussed in the Hydrology section at the bottom) and fog this morning. Some of the fog may be locally dense in portions of the Eastern FL Panhandle and Big Bend (closer to the Apalachicola River). Highs have been running well below guidance recently and today should be no exception, with quite a gradient as the warm front bisects the region, ranging from the low 50s northwest (closer to the 10th percentile of guidance) to mid-70s southeast. Additional patchy fog is likely tonight. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 Additional rainfall is likely Saturday and Sunday (discussed in the Hydrology section at the bottom) with a return of dry weather on Monday. Another cool day Saturday with highs ranging from near 50 northwest to the mid-60s southeast, generally between the 10th and 25th percentile of the guidance. With the passage of a cold front, Monday will be breezy with northerly winds gusting around 20 mph. It will turn chilly Tuesday and Wednesday morning with lows dipping down into the lower 30s to lower 40s, leading to the potential for cold weather sheltering concerns of vulnerable populations. Meanwhile, highs range from the mid-50s to mid-60s between Sunday and Tuesday, with a warming trend by midweek. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 A moist air mass and a slow-moving frontal boundary draped across the region will support large areas of stratiform rain over the next 24 hours, with a batch of strong showers or possibly a thunderstorm rippling east along the front late this morning from ECP to TLH to VLD. For locations immediately north of the surface front, low-level wind shear will be a concern, thanks to light N-NE surface winds and SW winds of 30-35 knots at the 2,000-foot level. IFR cigs and perhaps even some fog may appear later this morning near and immediately north of the front, where warm moist air glides across shallow cool air at the surface. The front itself will push southeast of all terminals by late Friday afternoon, though light to moderate stratiform rain will continue well behind the front. && .MARINE... Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 As low pressure traverses the waters today, winds start out southerly then clock around to the west and northwest from west to east. With winds in the 15 to 20 knot range today, small craft are admonished to exercise caution, and seas peak in the 3 to 4 foot range today. More tranquil boating conditions for this weekend as seas decrease to around 2 feet. The passage of an area of low pressure will increase northerly winds Sunday night into Monday with a 50% chance of a Small Craft Advisory mainly for the offshore waters. An unsettled period of weather today through this weekend with rain, while thunderstorms today may pose a waterspout threat. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 Cloudy with Wetting rains on tap through this weekend, then a return to dry weather early next week, but temperatures remain below normal until midweek. Light transport winds/low mixing heights lead to low daytime dispersion Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 1202 AM EST Fri Dec 5 2025 Beneficial rain expected across the region through the weekend with additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches with isolated higher amounts around 3 inches from Panama City to Valdosta northwest. Thereafter, a dry pattern sets in Monday through much of next week. Latest US Drought Monitor (Dec 4) has much of the region in Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought; the only change in the last week is a 1-category improvement from Extreme (D3) to Severe (D2) in portions of Coffee, Dale, and Henry counties. && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Tallahassee 72 53 59 52 / 60 40 70 70 Panama City 70 52 59 52 / 70 40 80 70 Dothan 53 48 53 47 / 70 70 80 40 Albany 52 48 53 46 / 80 70 80 50 Valdosta 69 51 58 50 / 80 60 80 70 Cross City 74 58 68 54 / 40 40 50 70 Apalachicola 73 56 63 55 / 60 20 70 80 && .TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...High Rip Current Risk through late tonight for FLZ108-112-114. GA...None. AL...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...LF LONG TERM....LF AVIATION...Haner MARINE...LF FIRE WEATHER...LF HYDROLOGY...LF