467  
FXUS62 KCHS 071247  
AFDCHS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC  
747 AM EST SAT NOV 7 2009  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN THE DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND. THE COMBINATION OF A STORM SYSTEM LIFTING OUT OF THE GULF  
OF MEXICO AND A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL KEEP  
THINGS UNSETTLED DURING THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK.  
HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD BACK INTO THE REGION BY THURSDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/
 
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO EXTEND OVER THE AREA TODAY  
AS ITS CENTER GRADUALLY MOVES OFF THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA AND  
INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. MEANWHILE...HEIGHTS WILL RISE ACROSS THE  
REGION AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXPANDS EASTWARD FROM THE DEEP SOUTH.  
 
ANTICYCLONIC FLOW AROUND THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL  
RESULT IN A LOW LEVEL ONSHORE FLOW TODAY. THIS COULD ADVECT JUST  
ENOUGH MOISTURE INLAND TO ALLOW FOR SOME STRATOCUMULUS DEVELOPMENT  
THIS AFTERNOON...BUT OVERALL SKIES WILL BE SUNNY OR MOSTLY SUNNY.  
 
THE AIRMASS WILL BEGIN TO MODIFY TODAY AS LOW-LEVEL THICKNESS VALUES  
SLOWLY INCREASE...GENERALLY SUPPORTING HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S  
ACROSS THE AREA.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY/
 
 
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL EXPAND OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. TONIGHT  
AS HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE LINGERS OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC.  
A SYNOPTIC ONSHORE FLOW IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL  
CONTINUE TO ADVECT SOME MOISTURE INLAND...BUT TO WHAT EXTENT IS  
STILL UNCERTAIN. EITHER WAY DO NOT ANTICIPATE MUCH IN THE WAY OF  
CLOUD COVER...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE ACROSS NORTH COASTAL  
GEORGIA. THE ONSHORE FLOW AND MODERATING AIRMASS WILL NOT ALLOW  
TEMPERATURES TO FALL AS SIGNIFICANTLY AS THE PAST COUPLE OF  
MORNINGS...WITH LOW TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM THE LOWER  
40S WELL INLAND TO THE UPPER 40S TOWARD THE COAST. AREAS ALONG THE  
IMMEDIATE COAST WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
FAIRLY GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT INTO MONDAY LEADS TO HIGHER THAN  
NORMAL FORECAST CONFIDENCE...THEN CONFIDENCE LOWERS A BIT THROUGH  
MID WEEK DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARD TO TROPICAL CYCLONE  
IDA...OR ITS REMNANTS.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE THE  
THE HIGH BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN DUE TO THE APPROACH OF A SURFACE AREA  
OF LOW PRESSURE FROM THE SOUTH AND AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FROM THE  
WEST. A STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN QUICKLY BEHIND THE  
DEPARTING TROUGH TUE NIGHT SHOULD HELP KEEP THE LOW /TC IDA OR ITS  
REMNANTS/ SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA. HOWEVER...AN INCREASE IN  
TROPICAL MOISTURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST ALONG WITH THE APPROACHING  
FRONT WILL YIELD INCREASING RAIN CHANCES FROM MONDAY NIGHT AND  
TUESDAY. DRIER WEATHER IS THEN EXPECTED BEHIND THE COLD FRONT  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THE TREND IS FOR LOWER POPS WEDNESDAY SO  
HAVE FOLLOWED SUITE BUT DID NOT PULL POPS COMPLETELY JUST YET.  
ALSO...AS PWATS INCREASE TO AROUND 2 INCHES /WHICH IS ABOUT 2  
STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR/ AND THE AREA  
BECOMES SITUATED IN A FAVORABLE JET ENTRANCE REGION...THERE IS A  
CHANCE FOR AT LEAST A FEW INCHES OF RAIN FROM THIS EVENT.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD EXCEPT  
FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES SUNDAY...MONDAY AND FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /13Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT KCHS AND KSAV THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY.  
THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN EXTREMELY DRY THROUGH THIS MORNING AT BOTH  
TERMINALS...LEADING TO CLEAR SKIES. HOWEVER...A LOW LEVEL ONSHORE FLOW  
COULD ADVECT A FEW STRATOCUMULUS ONSHORE DURING THE AFTERNOON. WINDS  
WILL REMAIN BELOW 10 KT THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH  
MONDAY. THE COMBINATION OF A STORM SYSTEM LIFTING NORTHEAST OUT OF  
THE GULF OF MEXICO AND A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL  
RESULT IN UNSETTLED WEATHER AND THE POTENTIAL FOR MVFR OR IFR  
CONDITIONS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LLWS IS ALSO POSSIBLE  
WEDNESDAY MORNING.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OFFSHORE NORTH OF THE AREA TODAY...CAUSING  
NORTHEAST WINDS TO SHIFT EAST THIS AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE PRESSURE  
GRADIENT WILL NOT BE TIGHT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT WINDS ANY GREATER  
THAN 10-15 KT ACROSS THE WATERS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS WILL  
GENERALLY RANGE FROM 2-3 FT ACROSS THE NEARSHORE WATERS AND 3-4 FT  
ACROSS THE OUTER GEORGIA WATERS.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC TONIGHT...KEEPING  
AN ONSHORE FLOW IN PLACE WITH WIND SPEEDS 15 KT OR LESS AND SEAS 4  
FT OR LESS.  
 
SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...HIGH PRES WILL REMAIN N OF THE AREA EARLY  
NEXT WEEK AS AN AREA OF LOW PRES /POSSIBLY TS IDA/ TRACKS N/NE OUT  
OF THE GULF OF MEX. MEANWHILE...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE  
AREA TUE/TUE NIGHT WHICH WILL KEEP THE LOW S AND E OF THE AREA.  
HOWEVER...A VERY STRONG PRES GRADIENT WILL SET UP B/W THE LOW AND A  
BUILDING HIGH PRES SYSTEM INLAND. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE  
EXPECTED ACROSS ALL WATERS BY TUE AND GALES ARE EVEN POSSIBLE  
WED/WED NIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WATERS BEYOND 20 NM.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
TIDAL DEPARTURES WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THIS MORNING DUE TO A  
PERSISTENT NORTHEAST FLOW. THE POSSIBILITY OF COASTAL FLOODING  
ALONG PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WILL REMAIN IN  
THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AS ANOTHER COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FOR  
SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING MAY BE NEEDED.  
 

 
   
CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
GA...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
JAQ/RJB  
 
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