Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Greer, SC
Issued by NWS Greer, SC
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070 FXUS62 KGSP 081358 AFDGSP Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC 958 AM EDT Wed May 8 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A summerlike weather pattern lingers through mid-week leading to mainly diurnal showers and thunderstorms and above normal temperatures. Showers and thunderstorm activity will become more numerous ahead of a strong cold front tonight into Thursday, with severe storms possible. The cold front pushes east early Friday morning but another system approaching out of the south may bring shower and thunderstorm chances back again on Friday. Drier conditions and below normal temperatures return just in time for the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 931 AM EDT Wednesday: A very busy forecast remains on tap for the region with multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms expected this afternoon through tonight. Will focus on the first round of convection through this afternoon with this forecast update. A line of elongated convection is ongoing across northern Tennessee along a boundary draped from southern Illinois. The leading edge of this activity will push into the mountains later this morning/early afternoon. With time, a loosely organized line of storms is expected to push across the mountains and into the foothills and Piedmont through the afternoon hours. The environment ahead of these storms will be favorable for severe weather with moderate instability, steep lapse rates and modest deep-layer wind shear. Thus, a threat for damaging winds and large hail can be expected. Upper ridging will remain over the Southeast this morning before pushing east this afternoon. A vort lobe embedded within the upper flow will track overhead western NC this afternoon and early evening, leading to another round of shower and thunderstorm development. The 06Z CAMs are coming into better agreement regarding convection through the near term, and are even trending towards an increase in coverage. The 00Z CAMs were keeping activity mostly confined to NC but the 06Z CAMs are now depicting activity across the majority of the forecast area. Thus, increased PoPs this update across the entire CWA through the period. SW`ly flow will lead to the continued influx of Gulf moisture across the region today, allowing dewpoints to climb back into the mid 60s and lower 70s east of the mtns. Plentiful low-level moisture combined with 30-40 kts of deep shear and SBCAPE values from 2,000-3,000 J/kg during peak heating, will allow any storms that develop to become strong to severe. The main hazards with any severe storms that develop will be large hail and damaging wind gusts. A few brief tornadoes cannot ruled out, but the limiting factor will be 0-1 km shear which forecast soundings generally show <20 kts. So, the tornado threat looks low today, but is certainly not zero. With all of this in mind, The Day 1 SPC Severe Wx Outlook expansion of the Slight Risk (across most of the forecast area) and addition of and Enhanced Risk (across the western NC mtns, mainly along the southern and central NC/TN border) seems reasonable. High temperatures this afternoon are expected to be the warmest of the week, climbing into the mid to upper 80s in the mtn valleys and east of the mtns. Areas near the Charlotte Metro may even see highs reach the lower 90s! However, developing convection may limit highs this afternoon. Nonetheless, it will be another humid day with temps expected to remain around 9-12 degrees above climo. Meanwhile, a strong cold front will continue to creep eastward through this evening before pushing into the TN Valley overnight. So, another round of overnight convection looks to be order now that the 06Z CAMs are in better agreement, showing widespread convection overnight. Went ahead and increased overnight PoPs to account for this upward trend in coverage. The strong to severe storm threat will linger overnight, with damaging winds and large hail still expected to be the main hazards, but an isolated tornado or two still cannot be ruled out. With multiple rounds of convection expected today into tonight, the excessive rainfall/flooding threat will also be a concern and will gradually ramp up through the near term. The WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlook has the western zones in a Slight Risk for excessive rainfall, with a Marginal Risk across the eastern zones today into tonight. Lows tonight should remain around 13-15 degrees below climo. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... As of 255 am EDT Wednesday: Pre-frontal, organized strong-to-severe convection is likely to be ongoing in or very close to the forecast area at the start of the period, with damaging downburst winds and possibly brief, isolated tornadoes being of concern. How the environment evolves beyond the morning is subject to a great deal of uncertainty at this point. With surface front expected to be west-through-north of the area through the day, low level moisture will be more than adequate for diurnal destabilization. However, the magnitude of insolation/heating depends upon how quickly morning convection is able to clear the area, how quickly clouds are able to thin (if at all), and how quickly any lingering cold-pool air mass is the air mass is able to modify. Convection-allowing model guidance is virtually unanimous in suggesting that the atmosphere will be unable to recover sufficiently to support afternoon redevelopment of convection. If a few storms are able to initiate in the afternoon, deep layer shear of around 50 kts will support organized convective structures, with any severe storm threat dependent upon how much instability is realized. The frontal zone is expected to sag slowly southeast across the region Thu night and Friday...and won`t pick up much speed until a short wave trough digs from the southern Appalachians to the Carolina coast during the day Friday. As such, the front may not be able to completely clear our area before diurnal destabilization occurs. A consensus of short term guidance suggests scattered convection will develop along/south of the I-85 corridor Fri afternoon. Once again, there is considerable uncertainty as to how much instability will be available Fri afternoon, but deep layer shear is expected to be very strong, so at least a marginal severe storm threat could evolve. The front is expected to finally push southeast of the area Fri evening, allowing cooler and much drier air to filter into the area. In fact, min temps Sat morning are expected to end up a category or so below normal. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 315 am EDT Wednesday: A broad upper trough is expected to progress across the East through the weekend, with dry air/pleasant surface dewpoints supporting wide diurnal temp ranges...max temps averaging around normal and min temps a category or so below climo. By early in the work week, a split flow regime is expected to be in place across the eastern Conus, with a short wave ridge developing across the Southeast...downstream of a southern Great Plains upper low. Global models are at odds regarding the evolution of this feature, namely its interaction with the northern stream, and eventual impacts on sensible weather across the Southeast. For now, there`s enough of a signal to include chance PoPs across much of the CWA by Mon night/Tue. Temperatures are forecast to be very close to normal through the period. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... At KCLT and elsewhere: Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are noted across the western NC mtns this morning. Showers will linger through at least mid-morning, impacting mainly KHKY and KAVL. Although embedded thunder has developed in some of this activity, confidence remains low on whether thunder will track directly over KAVL or KHKY. Patchy fog may develop across the NC mountains and Foothills this morning in association with the SHRA. VFR conditions continue this morning and will linger through much of the TAF period, outside of convection this afternoon and evening and again overnight. Have TEMPOS across the terminals for TSRA this afternoon and early evening; the exception being KAND where VCTS was introduced. Confidence on whether activity will push far south enough to reach KAND today remains low. SCT to BKN Afternoon cumulus will develop this afternoon thanks to daytime heating. Winds will generally remain SW through the period, although KAVL`s winds look to be variable at times. Low-end gusts are possible this afternoon, mainly for the SC Upstate terminals. However, low-end gusts cannot be entirely ruled out at KCLT and KAVL. 06Z high-res guidance is coming into better agreement regarding shower and thunderstorm chances overnight, showing widespread convection possible. Thus, introduced PROB30s for TSRA across the terminals towards the end of the 12Z TAF period. Outlook: A cold front will approach out of the west on Thursday before tracking over the terminals Thursday evening into early Friday morning. This will lead to continued convection, as well as restrictions. A system lifting out of the south my increase shower and thunderstorm chances again on Friday, but confidence on this remains low. Drier conditions can be expected this weekend. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. NC...None. SC...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...AR NEAR TERM...AR/TW SHORT TERM...JDL LONG TERM...JDL AVIATION...AR