Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC

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000 FXUS62 KCHS 240417 AFDCHS Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 1217 AM EDT Wed Apr 24 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A weak cold front will slip down through the region for the middle part of the week. High pressure builds back through the region late week through the early part of next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/...
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No major changes were made for the midnight update. Lows were nudged down about 1-2 deg west of US-17 in upper and lower Charleston Counties and around Bluffton in Beaufort County, SC.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY/... Elongated surface high pressure will sag into the southern Georgia/northern Florida region Wednesday but remain in control of our weather through the day Wednesday. That will keep things precip- free once again although we may see some late day increase in cloud cover as a weak surface boundary approaches from the NW (see below). South to southwesterly low level flow will continue our warming trend with afternoon highs into the upper 70s to lower 80s and close to seasonable normals. Meanwhile, northern stream short-wave energy will be swinging through New England through the middle part of the week with modestly lower mid-level heights dipping into the southeast. Attending surface low will also be tracking up through New England during this time with the southern tail end of a cold front and narrow axis of higher PWAT air (just over one inch) sagging down through the Carolinas and eastern Georgia through early Thursday. Larger scale forcing along the boundary looks very minimal and blended model consensus guidance keeps the forecast area dry Wednesday night into Thursday. That said, recent high-res guidance (H3R and NamNest) does show a narrow line of isolated showers dipping down through the northern part of the forecast area Wednesday night before dissipating. We are not totally sold that we will actually get any measurable precip given stubborn dry low level air. But we have opted to introduce some low end (isolated) pops to the northern portion of the forecast area...mainly the Charleston "quad-county" region. Heading into the latter half of the week, aforementioned boundary and higher PWAT air may be stalling across the southern Georgia/northern Florida region as northeasterly flow becomes re-established across the forecast area. While we cannot completely rule out a low- end chance of a few showers/sprinkles either along the moisture axis or coming off the Atlantic, current plan is to maintain a dry forecast through the latter half of the week. Temperatures may dip back a few degrees into the upper 70s to lower 80s behind the boundary. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... Upper level flow is looking to become a bit more amplified late week and through the upcoming weekend with deepening troughiness developing through the western CONUS and downstream sharp ridging setting up along much of the east coast. Surface high pressure will regain a foothold throughout much of the eastern U.S. and will maintain dry weather through the period. Temperatures will continue to run near or around normal late week into the weekend, and further to above normal late weekend into early next week. && .AVIATION /04Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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24/06z TAF Discussion: KCHS/KJZI/KSAV: VFR through 25/06z. Isolated showers could lurk around both KCHS and KJZI late Tuesday evening, but probabilities are too low to justify a mention at this time. Extended Aviation Outlook: Prevailing VFR.
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&& .MARINE... Tonight: High pressure centered over the coastal waters today will slide slowly east over the western Atlantic tonight. To the west, a cold front is expected to reach the southern Appalachians by daybreak Wednesday. This pattern should support SSW winds across the coastal waters tonight, favoring values between 10-15 kts. Seas are forecast to range between 2-4 ft tonight. Wednesday through Sunday: South to southwesterly flow is anticipated Wednesday with a touch of gustiness possible although winds and seas will remain below Small Craft Advisory thresholds. Winds veer northeasterly/easterly for the latter half of the week, as a weak cold front slips through the region and stalls to our south. Again, some gustiness is possible across the coastal waters, especially on Friday, but expected to remain below SCA criteria. High pressure returns thereafter. Rip Currents: Winds veer southerly Wednesday. However, lingering 10 second swell and proximity to the full moon will keep an elevated risk of rip currents at all beaches through Wednesday. && .EQUIPMENT...
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The KCLX radar is undergoing electrical maintenance and is tentatively scheduled to return to service April 26th.
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&& .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && $$

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