213  
FXUS62 KGSP 201800  
AFDGSP  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC  
200 PM EDT WED MAY 20 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
THE FORECAST CONTINUES TO TREND WET AND COOL, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE  
MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND.  
 
THE AVIATION DISCUSSION WAS UPDATED TO REFLECT THE 18Z TAF ISSUANCE.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1. A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA TOMORROW AND THEN STALLS  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK BRINGING A NOTICEABLY  
WETTER AND COOLER FORECAST.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA TOMORROW AND THEN  
STALLS THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK BRINGING A  
NOTICEABLY WETTER AND COOLER FORECAST.  
 
AN UPPER LOW ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL UPPER TROPOSPHERIC TROUGH  
(TUTT) CONTINUES TO SPIN JUST OFF THE CAROLINA COAST WHILE UPPER  
RIDGING BREAKS DOWN AND GETS SHUNTED EAST AND OFFSHORE. THIS IS  
OCCURRING AS BROAD TROUGHING BECOMES ESTABLISHED FROM THE ROCKIES  
THROUGH THE GREAT PLAINS. THIS IN TURN PLACES THE SOUTHEAST STATES  
WITH A MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW REGIME WITH MULTIPLE SHORTWAVES AND  
PERTURBATIONS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE BACKGROUND FLOW REGIME. A SURFACE  
COLD FRONT IS ALSO DROPPING ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY AND TOWARDS THE  
APPALACHIANS. ANOTHER WARM SUMMER-LIKE DAY CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON  
WITH TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S. ISOLATED TO  
WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE  
MAINLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE  
EVENING. BY TOMORROW, THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY FINALLY PUSHES INTO THE  
AREA AND WILL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH PEAK HEATING TO INSTIGATE  
MUCH GREATER COVERAGE OF CONVECTION ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA.  
CONVECTIVE INITIATION WILL OCCUR LATE ENOUGH IN THE DAY THAT  
TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE WARM, BUT A FEW DEGREES BELOW TODAY.  
MODEST INSTABILITY WILL BE IN PLACE ALONG WITH AT LEAST SOME FLOW  
THROUGH THE COLUMN. CAMS DO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A COUPLE  
LOOSELY ORGANIZED MULTICELL CLUSTERS AND PERHAPS LINEAR SEGMENTS  
WHICH COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCE LOCALLY  
GUSTY WINDS AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUST OR TWO.  
MEAGER LAPSE RATES AND A LACK OF MORE DOWNDRAFT CAPE WILL LIKELY  
LIMIT ANY SEVERE THREAT, HOWEVER.  
 
THE MOST NOTICEABLE CHANGES WILL OCCUR FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND AS A  
STOUT SURFACE HIGH MIGRATES FROM THE GREAT LAKES INTO NEW ENGLAND.  
THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A RATHER IMPRESSIVE LATE SEASON COLD AIR DAMMING  
WEDGE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA. AFTERNOON HIGHS MAY REMAIN BELOW  
80 AND SOME LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR MAY  
STRUGGLE TO REACH 70. THE WEDGE LIKELY PERSISTS INTO SATURDAY BEFORE  
FACING ITS DEMISE BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
ISENTROPIC ASCENT ATOP THE WEDGE IN CONCERT WITH CONTINUED MOIST  
SOUTHWEST FLOW AND A PASSING UPPER IMPULSE WILL FOSTER THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SURFACE-BASED  
INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED WITHIN THE WEDGE, BUT ELEVATED CAPE ABOVE  
THE INVERSION LAYER SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT AT LEAST  
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDER EVEN WITHIN THE COOLER AIR. GUIDANCE  
CONTINUES TO PAINT A WET PATTERN INTO NEXT WEEK AS WELL, EVEN AS THE  
CAD ERODES. ANOTHER FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPS DOWN FROM THE NORTH AND  
MAY STALL NEAR THE AREA KEEPING CONTINUED RAIN CHANCES AROUND.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
AT KCLT AND ELSEWHERE: VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT  
MOST TERMINALS THROUGH THE PERIOD. AN AFTERNOON CUMULUS FIELD IS IN  
THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA ALONG WITH HIGH CLOUDS  
STREAMING OVERHEAD. COVERAGE OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD  
REMAIN LIMITED TO THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHERE A  
PROB30 HAS BEEN CARRIED AT KAVL. A GENERALLY QUIET OVERNIGHT PERIOD  
IS EXPECTED, BUT A FEW INSTANCES OF MOUNTAIN VALLEY FOG CANNOT BE  
DISCOUNTED, ESPECIALLY WHERE RAINFALL OCCURS TODAY. A FRONT  
APPROACHES THE AREA TOMORROW AND WILL BRING GREATER COVERAGE OF  
AFTERNOON/EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY  
WILL OCCUR AFTER THE CURRENT 18Z END TIME OF THE TAF, BUT WENT AHEAD  
AND INCLUDED MENTION AT KCLT FOR THE END OF THE 30 HOUR TAF PERIOD.  
 
OUTLOOK: AN APPROACHING FRONT AND INCREASING MOISTURE WILL BRING  
A MORE ACTIVE PATTERN FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN CONTINUING  
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. COLD-AIR DAMMING MAY PRODUCE WIDESPREAD  
MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR  
OVERNIGHT FOG/LOW CLOUDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE PERIOD AS WELL.  
 
 
   
GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
GA...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
TW  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab SC Page
The Nexlab NC Page
The Nexlab GA Page
Main Text Page