Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC

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000 FXUS62 KRAH 260648 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 247 AM EDT Tue Mar 26 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Cold high pressure will extend southward through the region through Tuesday. An area of low pressure will lift northeast along the Southeast US coast on Wednesday, then continue along the Carolina coast Wednesday night and Thursday. A cold front will move eastward through central NC Thursday night. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/...
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As of 245 AM Tuesday... Water vapor satellite showed an upper ridge along the Southeast coast, squished between a low across the central Plains and a low just west of Bermuda. Surface observations displayed a 993 mb low across central Iowa, with a cold front trailing to the south, a 1038 mb high just north of New England, with ridging extending southwest across the East Coast into the Carolinas. High clouds were streaming across NC this morning from the approaching upper trough lifting NE across the Ozarks. Dry weather is expected for most of today as high pressure slowly builds east away from the region. Sprinkles or a light shower may develop across the Triad by late afternoon/early evening as isentropic ascent increases across the area. Northeasterly surface flow this morning will become southwesterly by this afternoon, with dew point temperatures increasing from the 30s to the 40s. Highs will mostly be in the 60s throughout the day.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... As of 330 PM Monday... Confidence is high in a somewhat prolonged and briefly moderate to heavy rainfall event during this period, as the expansive upper level trough extending from Saskatchewan/Manitoba to N Mexico (with embedded waves) lumbers eastward through central NOAM through early Wed and into E NOAM by late Thu. PW begins to ramp up above normal late Tue, peaking at 150-200% of normal over our area (approaching daily record maxes) and E NC Wed afternoon through early Thu before the anomalously high values gradually shifts E. Confidence is fairly high on the timing and placement of rainfall with this event, and is moderate regarding amounts, as some degree of model variability regarding amounts remains. Potential reasonable alternate scenarios for this event include slightly earlier or later rain arrival, likely not more than 6-9 hours in either direction. The LREF 25th and 75th percentiles for storm total amounts differ by 1-2", so the uncertainty there is still fairly high. The overall rainfall timing, based on the latest operational models and ensemble solutions including the LREF, is to bring chance pops to the W mainly after midnight Tue night, followed by the heaviest and most expansive rain Wed afternoon through Thu morning with likely to categorical pops, followed by a WSW to ENE taper to no pops after midnight Thu night. The heavier rain window late Wed through Wed night will coincide with passage of an upper divergence max and the approach of a strong shortwave trough pivoting through AL/GA toward the Carolinas, becoming negatively tilted in the process. This will coincide with likely multiple surface lows along the front which track through the central and eastern Carolinas. Regarding storm total rainfall, the model consensus, including the NBM, LREF, and WPC superensemble output, support values just slightly under the previous forecast, still a range of 1.5-3.25" over central NC. Given that there is expected to be very little in the way of convective elements to this rainfall ( and the fact that it will be spread out over 36+ hours in most spots, the excessive rainfall outlook is maintained this afternoon at a marginal risk. But if total values ramp up in later forecasts, esp heavier rain over a shorter time of just a few hours, an upgrade may be needed. At this time, we could see considerable minor urban flooding esp in poor drainage areas, with an uptick in river levels across the board, but there is uncertainty of any situation more dire than that occurring. Expect lows 41-54 Tue night, highs 56-71 Wed, lows 45-55 Wed night, highs 53-64 Thu, and lows 36-43 Thu night with clearing skies. Given the complexity of the expected surface pattern, confidence in the details of these temps is not high. -GIH && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 215 PM Monday... Surface high pressure over MS/AL on Friday, will shift south over Florida by Saturday. A few disturbances are expected to move over the OH valley and then over the Mid-Atlantic late Sunday into Monday. Easter Sunday is expected to be dry across the majority of the region. However, some models do show precipitation to along the VA/NC border late Sunday/Sunday night. For now have introduced minimal slight chance PoPs in portions of the Northern Piedmont near the VA border. High temperatures are expected to be above average over the weekend with highs in the low to mid 70s, with some areas in the south could near 80 on Sunday. Lows will generally be in the upper 40s to low/mid 50s. && .AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 145 AM Tuesday... VFR conditions will continue across much of central NC through this evening. MVFR stratus may develop near KRWI between 12-15Z this morning, however confidence is too low to include in the TAF at this time. SHRA and MVFR ceilings will approach the Triad by late evening, with portions of the Triangle observing VCSH by early tonight. Outlook: Rain showers and sub-VFR conditions will develop across most areas tonight into Thursday. Isolated TSRA are possible Wednesday and Thursday. VFR conditions will return from west to east late Thursday into Thursday night and continue into Saturday. Gusty winds are expected at times Thu and Fri, with northerly isolated gusts to 25 kt Thu and NW more widespread gusts to 25 kt Fri. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...KC NEAR TERM...JJT SHORT TERM...Hartfield LONG TERM...CA AVIATION...JJT

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