Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, SC

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496 FXUS62 KCHS 030523 AFDCHS Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 123 AM EDT Fri May 3 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Atlantic high pressure will remain across the Southeast through much of next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/...
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Similar to last night at this time the guidance is not handling the initialization of any such fog. But unlike last night, there isn`t as much agreement on how much fog and particularly dense fog will occur. The biggest changes are that it didn`t rain during the previous day, there is a light onshore flow, and there was already quite a bit of fog at this time 24 hours ago. In some cases the condensation pressure deficits per guidance is not quite as favorable. All in all this leads to less confidence than it was for me last night regarding the dense fog. My gut feeling is that a Dense Fog Advisory could still be required, but it might take longer for that decision to be made. Low temperatures will be above climo, generally spanning the 60s. Maybe a few of the typically cooler locations will dip into the upper 50s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/... Mid level ridge axis transitions off the Southeast coast Friday with shortwave energy to move through the region over the weekend. High pressure will remain the primary feature at the surface. A few showers and thunderstorms could sneak into inland areas Friday, but convection should be a bit more active over the weekend. Coverage will be highest in the daytime when instability is maximized, but with some upper forcing in play activity will be possible overnight as well. High temperatures generally peak in the mid to upper 80s. Lows only drop to the mid to upper 70s. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... Atlantic high pressure will persist during the early to middle of next week. Convection looks to be most active early in the period, then the chances for showers/thunderstorms decrease towards mid week as ridge rebuilds overhead. Temperatures will also be creeping up, possibly approaching record levels by Wednesday/Thursday. && .AVIATION /06Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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KCHS/KJZI/KSAV: Fog and stratus are still expected to occur during the pre-dawn through mid morning, and dense fog and conditions down near or below airfield minimums are possible for several hours. Expect there to be updates, but for now we have the worst conditions at all terminals between 09Z and 13Z. It`s possible that with a southeast synoptic flow, the fog and stratus might be mainly inland from KJZI. VFR will return around 1300-1330Z, and continue into tonight. There are no concerns for SHRA or TSRA at any the terminals with the 06Z TAFs. Extended Aviation Outlook: Flight restrictions possible in overnight/early morning fog and stratus. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible Saturday through Monday.
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&& .MARINE...
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Overnight: East to southeast winds will prevail with high pressure centered well offshore. Fog could become an issue in the Charleston Harbor as fog oozes into the harbor from nearby areas. The fog could become locally dense with vsbys <1NM. A Marine Dense Fog Advisory could be needed at some point overnight. Fog could impact harbor operations in the Charleston Harbor and Port of Savannah. The fog would not be too much of a concern over the Atlantic coastal waters given the onshore flow regime that is in place. This should limit the fog to areas inland from the beaches. Wind speeds will average less than 10 kt with seas 1-2 ft. Friday through Tuesday: No marine concerns. Atlantic high pressure will maintain rather benign conditions over the marine area. Winds are generally no higher than 10-15 kt with seas 2-3 ft.
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&& .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && $$ NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION... MARINE...