797  
FXUS62 KCAE 261520  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
1120 AM EDT FRI APR 26 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE COASTAL AREAS TODAY AS  
A WEAK FRONT WILL BE MOVING WEST OF THE AREA LEADING TO A SLIGHT  
CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE NORTHERN CSRA AND WESTERN MIDLANDS.  
FAIR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH A GRADUAL WARMING TREND. A WEAK  
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS LATE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MAINLY NORTHERN AND  
EASTERN AREAS.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS RIDGING DOWN THE EAST COAST TODAY AS  
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES OVER THE SOUTHEAST. DRY MID-LEVELS  
AND A SUBSIDENCE INVERSION WILL HINDER CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT  
HOWEVER THERE COULD BE A FEW SPRINKLES TODAY IN THE WESTERN AND  
NORTHERN MIDLANDS. ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS WOULD BE VERY LIGHT, IF  
MEASURABLE AT ALL. WITH LOW LEVEL EASTERLY, ONSHORE FLOW WE WILL  
SEE LOW CLOUDS DISSIPATE THROUGH THE MORNING. IT WILL WARM UP  
QUICKLY IN THE AFTERNOON WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 70S ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN MIDLANDS WHERE CLOUD COVER WILL HANG IN LONGER.  
ELSEWHERE EXPECT HIGHS IN THE MID 70S TO AROUND 80 DEGREES DUE  
TO THE GREATER INSOLATION.  
 
RIDGING ALOFT AND EASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW SHOULD SET UP A  
SIMILAR SITUATION TONIGHT WITH LOW CLOUDS DEVELOPING ALONG THE  
COASTAL PLAIN AND SPREADING INTO CENTRAL SC AND THE CSRA. A  
STRONGER LOW LEVEL JET TONIGHT POINTS TO STRATUS FAVORED OVER  
FOG. WITH OVERCAST OR MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES EXPECT MILD TEMPS  
OVERNIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/
 
 
UPPER RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND. AT THE SURFACE, HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO BE  
CENTERED OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC/NORTHEAST COAST. THIS HIGH IS  
ANTICIPATED TO WEAKEN AND DRIFT SOUTH. THE COMBINATION OF  
RIDGING ALOFT AND SURFACE HIGH CENTERED TO OUR EAST IS EXPECTED  
TO LEAD TO FAIR WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND AND START A GRADUAL  
WARMING TREND. SOME GUIDANCE IS SHOWING A SUBTLE BOUNDARY  
WORKING ITS WAY AROUND THE SURFACE HIGH, WHICH CAN MAINLY BE  
SEEN IN BRIEF LOWERING OF PWATS BEHIND IT. THIS FEATURE COULD  
BRING SHOWERS NEAR THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE  
ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE. THAT SAID, THE EURO  
AND GEFS ENSEMBLES ARE SHOWING A LOW CHANCE (~10-20%) FOR  
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, MAINLY IN THE CSRA. IN  
CONTRAST, THE NBM IS SHOWING 0% CHANCE OF RAIN ON SUNDAY.  
FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOME SORT OF  
FORCING STRONG ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT TO GET SHOWERS IN  
THE AREA, WHICH I'M NOT CONFIDENT THE BOUNDARY WILL BE.  
THEREFORE, HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP POPS BELOW 10%.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
UPPER RIDGING AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REMAIN IN PLACE TO  
START THE WORK WEEK, ALLOWING FOR A WARMING TREND TO CONTINUE AS  
TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S. A SHORTWAVE AND  
ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ARE FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE  
REGION AROUND MIDWEEK, BRINGING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND  
AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM. DESPITE THE POTENTIAL SHOWERS, WARM  
TEMPERATURES ARE ANTICIPATED TO CONTINUE. A DEEPER TROUGH  
APPROACHES THE AREA TOWARD THE END OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD,  
WHICH LOOKS TO GIVE US A BETTER CHANCE OF MORE WIDESPREAD  
RAINFALL LATE NEXT WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. THAT SAID, IT'S STILL  
SEVERAL DAYS AWAY SO CONFIDENCE IS ON THE LOWER SIDE STILL.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /15Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
THROUGH THE MORNING AND INTO MID-DAY, WE WILL SEE CEILINGS LIFT  
WITH SITES RETURNING TO VFR BY 18Z. EASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL  
CONTINUE TO BRING ADDITIONAL MOISTURE INTO THE AREA THROUGH THE  
24 HOUR TAF PERIOD. THIS SHOULD FAVOR ANOTHER ROUND OF STRATUS  
TONIGHT WHICH DEVELOPS ALONG THE COASTAL PLAIN AND PUSHES INTO  
THE TERMINALS IN THE MORNING. THIS SHOULD BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF  
CEILING RESTRICTIONS ON SATURDAY MORNING. IFR/LIFR VISIBILITY  
RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT AS LIKELY GIVEN THE 25 KT LLJ WHICH IS  
STRONGER THAN LAST NIGHT. CEILINGS SHOULD LIFT THROUGH SATURDAY  
MORNING BUT COULD REMAIN MVFR THROUGH 18Z. WINDS THROUGH THE  
PERIOD WILL BE EASTERLY FROM 5 TO 10 KTS.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...EARLY MORNING FOG OR STRATUS WILL BE  
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD. SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM TUESDAY ON.  
 

 
   
CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SC...NONE.  
GA...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
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