Area Forecast Discussion Issued by NWS Atlanta, GA
000
FXUS62 KFFC 050002
AFDFFC
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
702 PM EST Thu Mar 4 2021
...Updated for 00z Aviation Discussion...
.PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 300 PM EST Thu Mar 4 2021/
SHORT TERM /Tonight through Friday Night/...
The sensible weather forecast will remain quiet and relatively
uneventful through the short term. Surface high pressure centered to
our west over the Lower Mississippi Valley this afternoon will be
supplanted by strong high pressure building southward out of Canada
on Friday. This will translate into largely continued quiet
conditions for the forecast area.
The only fly in the ointment is a cutoff upper low presently over
the Rockies along with its attendant weak developing surface low.
The low will be shunted southeastward by the Northwest flow and open
into a shortwave through the day Friday. Thus, only very limited
effects to the area can be expected, generally in the form of
increased high and mid-level clouds by late Friday into Friday
night. Otherwise, the primary forecast concern will revolve around
fire weather which is detailed in the Fire Weather subsection that
follows.
RW
LONG TERM /Saturday through Thursday/...
High pressure will likely dominate the long term. A cold front on
Saturday will keep a system bringing plenty of rain and
thunderstorms to the the gulf coast well south of the CWA. There is
a chance for some spotty showers across south-central GA but QPF
remains minimal. Overnight lows beginning Saturday could dip below
freezing for areas of far north GA with more widespread areas in the
low 30s as the front moves through, and the cold air mass will
likely limit daytime temperatures to the upper 50s and lower 60s
until Monday. Winds will be out of the NE and gradually turn to the
NE by the time the weekend ends.
Early next week looks similar to the next few days, with high
pressure in control and a very dry airmass in place. As the high
moves off the atlantic coast, winds will gradually begin to have a
more southerly component to them by Tuesday, which marks the
beginning of a temperature increase and marks the end of the fire
weather concerns. As moisture is reintroduced to the area,
temperatures will climb back into the 70s by Wednesday and will
continue to slowly climb toward the mid 70s by late next week.
Vaughn
FIRE WEATHER...
Today: The Fire Danger Statement for the remainder of this afternoon
was expanded to include the remaining portions of Middle Georgia
where RH values have mixed lower than initially forecast.
Friday: Another day with efficient mixing and dry relative humidity
values below critical values is expected on Friday. Reinforcing dry
air will lead to another afternoon of likely Fire Danger conditions,
particularly across north Georgia on Friday with portions of central
Georgia also possibly included. Given expected deep mixing, favored
largely a MAV/MET blend for afternoon dewpoints which results in
lower values than the default blended guidance. Again, limited wind
speeds will preclude Red Flag Conditions. Subsequent shifts will
outline the areal extent of the likely Friday Fire Danger
conditions.
.AVIATION...
00Z Update...
VFR conditions prevail through the period. Winds should remain
out of the NW to NNW through the evening. A wind shift to the NNE
will be likely around 13-15z Friday before going back NNW around
20z. Wind speeds expected to decrease through this evening, to
around 4-7kts.
//ATL Confidence...00Z Update...
Medium confidence on wind direction timing.
High confidence on all other elements.
Morgan
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Athens 39 64 41 58 / 0 5 10 5
Atlanta 41 64 41 57 / 0 5 10 5
Blairsville 34 59 33 54 / 0 0 5 0
Cartersville 36 62 37 59 / 0 5 10 0
Columbus 43 69 44 63 / 0 0 10 5
Gainesville 39 64 40 57 / 0 5 10 5
Macon 40 68 41 62 / 0 5 10 5
Rome 38 62 36 60 / 0 5 10 0
Peachtree City 39 66 40 59 / 0 5 10 5
Vidalia 44 65 44 60 / 0 0 10 10
&&
.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
$$
SHORT TERM...RW
LONG TERM....Vaughn
AVIATION...Morgan