122  
FXUS62 KILM 202311  
AFDILM  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC  
610 PM EST FRI NOV 20 2009  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST TODAY  
AND SATURDAY. LOW PRESSURE EMERGING FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL  
BRING RAIN TO THE EASTERN CAROLINAS SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY  
MONDAY...PULLING AWAY TO THE NORTHEAST BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. MILD  
WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED MUCH OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/  
 
AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER KENTUCKY WILL BUILD  
EAST OVER THE FORECAST AREA THRU THE NEAR TERM. PRESENT NORTHERLY  
FLOW OF AROUND 10 KTS WILL VEER NORTHEAST THIS EVENING AS HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILDS IN. DO NOT EXPECT WINDS TO DECOUPLE AS GRADIENT WILL  
TIGHTEN UP OVERNIGHT AND WILL MAINTAIN A NORTHEASTERLY BREEZE OF  
RIGHT AROUND 5 KTS. TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS AND SATELLITE LOOPS  
INDICATE INCREASING CIRRUS MOVING IN OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...LOWER  
AND MID LEVELS WILL REMAIN VERY DRY AND STABLE OVERNIGHT WITH NO  
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION. QUITE A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AT AROUND 5  
THOUSAND FEET IS NOW ADVECTING DOWN THE COAST IN THE NORTHERLY FLOW.  
THESE CLOUDS ARE THINNING OUT AS THEY ARE MOVING IN SO DO NOT EXPECT  
COMPLETELY OVERCAST ALTHOUGH OUR NC COASTAL COUNTIES WILL SEE BROKEN  
SKIES AT TIMES. MODEL CONSENSUS HAS OVERNIGHT TEMPS REMAINING A TAD  
ABOVE NORMAL...FROM MID 40S INLAND TO AROUND 50 AT THE BEACHES.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTH WILL  
KEEP THE FORECAST AREA DRY ON SAT. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION  
AHEAD OF DEVELOPING GULF COAST STORM WILL RESULT IN A LOT OF MID AND  
UPPER LEVEL CLOUDS. ALONG THE COAST COOLER LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL  
RESULT IN SOME LOW CU DEVELOPING...BUT WEAK SUBSIDENCE INVERSION  
BETWEEN 850 AND 750 MB WILL PREVENT ANY PRECIP FROM FALLING. CLOUD  
COVER AND NORTHERLY FLOW WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES A LITTLE COOLER THAN  
FRI...RIGHT AROUND CLIMO.  
 
CLOUD BASES LOWER SAT NIGHT INTO SUN WITH CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING THE  
ATMOSPHERE BECOMING NEARLY SATURATED FROM THE SURFACE THROUGH 200 MB  
AROUND MIDNIGHT WITH LIGHT RAIN DEVELOPING. BEST ISENTROPIC LIFT  
ARRIVES SUN MORNING ACROSS SW PORTIONS...SPREADING OVER NE PARTS OF  
THE FORECAST AREA BY NOON. CANNOT FIND ANY REASON TO NOT GO WITH  
CATEGORICAL POPS ON SUN. BIG QUESTION IS HOW WILL THE SYSTEM EVOLVE  
ONCE IT REACHES THE AREA. DO NOT LIKE THE LATEST NAM SOLUTION WHICH  
TRACKS MAIN LOW WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE FAVORED SOLUTION...AND  
ONE SUPPORTED BY THE LATEST GFS/ECMWF/CANADIAN...TAKES THE LOW INTO  
THE SOUTHEAST US AND DEVELOPS A SECONDARY LOW ALONG OR JUST OFF THE  
COAST. STILL UNSURE EXACTLY WHERE THIS LOW WILL TRACK...BUT LIKE THE  
ECMWF AND CANADIAN SOLUTION WITH THE LOW MOVE NORTHEAST JUST OFF THE  
COAST. THIS WOULD KEEP THE ENTIRE AREA IN STRATIFORM PRECIP AND  
COOLER NORTHERLY FLOW. HAVE TRENDED HIGHS DOWN TO ACCOUNT FOR  
THIS...BUT THERE STILL REMAINS PLENTY OF POTENTIAL FOR THE FORECAST  
TO GO AWRY. LOW PASSING OVER OR WEST OF THE AREA WOULD LEAD TO HIGH  
TEMPS WHILE A LOW FARTHER OFFSHORE WILL RESULT IN MUCH COOLER TEMPS.  
 
CLOUDS LINGER SUN NIGHT BUT PRECIP WILL BE ENDING AS THE SYSTEM  
MOVES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST AND STARTS TO DEEPEN. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL  
INCREASE WITH CLOUDS AND MIXING KEEPING LOWS WELL ABOVE CLIMO.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND COLD  
FRONT MON THROUGH TUES...BUT GFS SHOWS WEAK SHORT WAVE CROSSING THE  
AREA MON NIGHT. PCP WATER CLOSE TO AN INCH MON MORNING WILL DECREASE  
THROUGH THE DAY REACHING DOWN TO AROUND A HALF INCH BY TUES. ANY  
LINGERING PRECIP SHOULD EXIT THE AREA THROUGH MON MORNING. OVERALL  
EXPECT VERY DRY MID LEVELS BUT MAY SEE SOME LOW CLOUDS AND DRIZZLE  
HANGING AROUND THROUGH TUES MORNING. DRIER WESTERLY FLOW TAKES OVER  
THROUGH MID WEEK. TUES NIGHT A COLD FRONT REACHES THE WRN  
CAROLINAS...BUT BECOMES VERY DIFFUSE AFTER CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS  
INTO THE COASTAL CAROLINAS. MAY NOT SEE MUCH IN THE WAY OF PCP AS  
THE FRONT MOVES INTO LOCAL AREA...BUT BOUNDARY WILL REACH THE COAST  
WHILE A COASTAL TROUGH BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED HEADING INTO THURS.  
PCP WATER INCREASES BUT MAY BE MORE IN THE WAY OF UPPER LEVEL  
MOISTURE IN HIGH CLOUDS IN W-SW JET. GFS KEEPS THIS PCP OFF  
SHORE...BUT TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT AND MAY SEE A WETTER FORECAST FOR  
THANKSGIVING DAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST. WITH BOUNDARY SO  
CLOSE AND FORECAST SO OUT IN TIME...WILL KEEP SOME LOW END POPS IN  
FORECAST FOR NOW ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO THE COAST. BY FRI HIGH  
AMPLITUDE MID TO UPPER TROUGH SWINGS ACROSS THE EAST COAST SCOURING  
OUT ALL THE WEATHER AND BRINGING DRY AND COOL HIGH PRESSURE FOR THE  
WEEKEND. DEEP LAYER NW FLOW ADVECTS PLENTY OF DRY AIR IN FOR FRI  
WITH PCP WATER DOWN TO A QUARTER INCH OR LESS.  
 
TEMPS WILL HOLD AROUND NORMAL OR ABOVE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK  
UNTIL FRI WHEN COLD AND DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
BIT OF A STRANGE SYNOPTIC SITUATION. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN...BUT  
SOME MVFR STRATA CU HAS MANAGED TO WORK ITS WAY UNDERNEATH THE HIGH  
PRESSURE AND DOWN THE COAST...AFFECTING JUST ILM AT PRESENT. THINK  
THIS DECK COULD WORK ITS WAY WEST AND SOUTH ENOUGH TO AFFECT LBT  
AND CRE RESPECTIVELY...BUT IT SHOULD BE JUST A TRANSITORY FEATURE.  
SOME LIGHT FOG INLAND POSSIBLE...BUT WINDS ALOFT TOO STRONG TO  
SUPPORT ANY HEAVY FOG. SATURDAY...CONTINUED NORTHEAST FLOW WITH A  
VFR STRATA CU CEILING EXPECTED. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF SOME  
LIGHT PATCHY RAIN...BUT NOT ENOUGH TO PUT IN THE TAFS. CONTINUED  
NORTHEAST FLOW WITH THICKENING AND LOWERING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS IN  
ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SYSTEM TOWARD THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
EXTENDED OUTLOOK...VFR SATURDAY. SHOWERS AND LOW CEILINGS MOVE BACK  
IN SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...  
AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER KENTUCKY WILL BUILD  
EAST OVER THE WATERS THRU THE NEAR TERM. PRESENT NORTHERLY FLOW OF  
AROUND 15 KTS WILL VEER NORTHEAST THIS EVENING AS HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDS IN. GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN UP OVERNIGHT AS HIGH BUILDS IN SO  
COULD SEE WINDS INCREASE INTO THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE...ESPECIALLY  
NORTH OF CAPE FEAR...BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY. SEAS WILL BUILD INTO THE  
3 TO 5 FT RANGE AS A RESULT...AGAIN...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF CAPE FEAR.  
WILL HEADLINE OUR NC MARINE ZONES WITH SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE  
CAUTION BANNER FOR THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.  
 
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...  
AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...NORTHEAST FLOW SAT WILL INCREASE LATER IN THE  
DAY AS GRADIENT BEGINS TO TIGHTEN BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH  
AND DEVELOPING GULF COAST LOW. CURRENT FORECAST DOES NOT CALL FOR  
WINDS TO EXCEED SCA CRITERIA DURING THE PERIOD...BUT THERE REMAINS A  
FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY. GULF COAST LOW WILL MOVE NORTHEAST SAT  
NIGHT INTO SUN BUT TRACK OF LOW IS THE BIGGEST QUESTION. FAVORED  
SCENARIO WOULD BE A SECONDARY LOW TO DEVELOP OFF THE SOUTHEAST  
COAST. THIS LOW WOULD THEN MOVE NORTHEAST PASSING EAST OF THE WATERS  
SUN INTO SUN NIGHT. ONCE THE LOW PASSES...NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS  
BECOME OFFSHORE WITH A BRIEF DECREASE IN SPEEDS DURING THE SHIFT.  
THINK SCA WILL BE NEEDED AT SOME POINT...LATER SAT OR SAT NIGHT BUT  
NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO RAISE IT JUST YET.  
 
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...  
AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND  
DEPARTING STORM SYSTEM THROUGH TUES. OFF SHORE FLOW BECOMES  
NORTHERLY BUT REMAINS VERY LIGHT LIGHT...10 KTS OR LESS THROUGH MUCH  
OF PERIOD. SEAS ON A DECREASING TREND THROUGH MON STARTING AROUND  
2-4 FT IN THE MORNING AND ENDING AROUND 3 FT BY MON NIGHT. SEAS WILL  
REMAIN LOW IN A LIGHT NORTHERLY FLOW THROUGH WED. WITH DEVELOPMENT  
OF COASTAL TROUGH HEADING INTO WED NIGHT...SHOULD SEE GRADIENT  
TIGHTEN WITH WINDS BECOMING MORE ON SHORE AND SEAS INCREASING BY END  
OF PERIOD.  
 
 
   
ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
SC...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
NEAR TERM...REK  
SHORT TERM...III  
LONG TERM...RGZ  
AVIATION...43  
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