329  
FXUS61 KLWX 180744  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
344 AM EDT SUN OCT 18 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
INCREASED WINDS SLIGHTLY OVER THE WATERS, BUT OTHERWISE NO MAJOR  
CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE FORECAST.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1) BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH FROST AND FREEZE  
CONCERNS CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.  
 
- 2) POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND BREEZY CONDITIONS NEXT  
WEEK AS A NOR'EASTER LURKS OFFSHORE.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH FROST AND FREEZE  
CONCERNS CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.  
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC TODAY  
THROUGH MONDAY WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. A  
FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS MORNING FOR AREAS  
ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WITH A FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT  
FOR AREAS WEST OF I-95 AND EAST OF FREEZE WARNING. HIGH  
TEMPERATURES TODAY RISE INTO THE 50S TO LOW 60S ACROSS THE  
FORECAST AREA WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT DROPPING INTO THE 30S  
TO MID 40S. ADDITIONAL FROST ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED  
FOR MONDAY MORNING, BUT ANY HEADLINES DECISIONS WILL NEED TO  
WAIT UNTIL IT IS DETERMINED WHERE THE GROWING SEASON CONTINUES  
AFTER THIS MORNING.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND BREEZY  
CONDITIONS NEXT WEEK AS A NOR'EASTER LURKS OFFSHORE.  
 
PARTICULARLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG OR EAST OF I-95, A DEVELOPING  
NOR'EASTER OFF OF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST GUIDES WEATHER CONDITIONS  
LATE NEXT WEEK. EAST OF I-95, SCATTERED SHOWER POTENTIAL, WIND  
STRENGTH, AND COASTAL FLOOD RISK ARE DEPENDENT ON THE TRACK OF THIS  
SYSTEM. REGARDLESS OF WHERE THIS NOR-EASTER TRACKS, LOCATIONS  
FURTHER INLAND, PARTICULARLY WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND CATOCTIN  
MOUNTAIN RANGES, ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN DRY IN PART DUE TO  
DOWNSLOPING WEST OF THESE MOUNTAIN RANGES. DAILY DAYTIME  
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN FAIRLY CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT  
THIS TIME PERIOD REACHING INTO MID TO UPPER 60S (50S AT HIGHER  
ELEVATIONS). COOLER THAN AVERAGE OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY  
PERSIST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
AN OMEGA BLOCK SETUP AND A PREDOMINANTLY ZONAL FLOW NEXT WEEK  
GENERALLY LEADS TO UNCERTAIN BUT WEAKER SYSTEMS. CURRENT GUIDANCE  
CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT MODERATE SPREAD WHEN IT COMES TO THE PLACEMENT  
OF THE LOW AND TIMING AS IT MEANDERS ALONG THE COAST. ON MONDAY, A  
DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS LOCATED OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA  
COAST. DURING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, THIS NOR'EASTER CRAWLS  
NORTHWARD, REMAINING OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST. GUIDANCE DIFFERS  
MOST AT TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. MOST  
SOLUTIONS KEEP THIS NOR'EASTER WELL OFF SHORE, MAINTAINING DRY  
CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. SOME GUIDANCE MEANDERS THE LOW  
TOWARD THE COAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR  
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND BREEZIER CONDITIONS EXCLUSIVELY ALONG AND EAST  
OF THE I-95 CORRIDOR. AS FOR ANY MARINE AND COASTAL FLOODING  
CONCERNS, SEE THE CORRESPONDING DISCUSSIONS BELOW.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
NORTH/NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND MONDAY,  
GUSTING AROUND 15 KNOTS EACH AFTERNOON. WINDS SHIFT TO  
NORTHWESTERLY ON TUESDAY, GUSTING 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE  
AFTERNOON. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY WITH SURFACE  
HIGH PRESSURE YIELDING DRY CONDITIONS.  
 
TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED  
AMONGST ALL TERMINALS WITH PERIODS OF SUB-VFR MAINLY TO THE EAST,  
POTENTIALLY INCLUDING BWI, DCA, AND MTN. A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE  
ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ZDC AIRSPACE WITH THE NOR'EASTER LURKING  
OFFSHORE. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 20  
KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE WATERS.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TODAY WITH  
NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING AROUND 20 KNOTS. ELEVATED WINDS CONTINUE  
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A NOR'EASTER DEVELOPS OFF THE CAROLINA  
COAST WITH SCA CRITERIA WINDS POSSIBLE, MAINLY IN THE OPEN  
PORTIONS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.  
 
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, A DEVELOPING NOR'EASTER OFF THE MID-  
ATLANTIC COAST DELIVERS A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SCA CONDITIONS. OVER  
THE WIDER, CENTRAL CHESAPEAKE BAY, GALE CONDTIONS ARE A POSSIBILITY  
THIS PERIOD. CONFIDENCE IS CURRENTLY LOW FOR GALES BASED UPON THE  
TRACK OF THE SYSTEM WITH PROJECTED WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHEAST AT 10-  
20 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS AT TIMES.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
TIDES BEGIN SNAPPING BACK TODAY AS NORTHERLY WINDS BEGIN TO  
SLACKEN. A DEVELOPING NOR'EASTER OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST WILL  
LEAD TO TIDAL ANOMALIES RISING MORE INTO THE UPCOMING WEEK.  
SENSITIVE LOCATIONS (I.E. ANNAPOLIS) WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO REACH  
MINOR FLOODING THRESHOLDS DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE SUNDAY  
NIGHT, AND AGAIN DURING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. CONSIDERABLE  
UNCERTAINTY REMAINS ON HOW EXACTLY THIS NOR'EASTER WILL TRACK  
AND SUBSEQUENTLY AFFECT THE TIDE LEVELS.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR MDZ008.  
FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR MDZ003>006-501-  
502-507-509-510.  
FROST ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR MDZ503-505.  
VA...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR VAZ025>031-  
503>505-507-508.  
FROST ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR VAZ036>040-050-  
051-501-502-506-526.  
WV...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR WVZ050>053-055-  
501>506.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR ANZ530-  
531-538-539.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR ANZ532-  
537-540>542.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 AM EDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR ANZ533-534-  
543.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EDT THIS  
EVENING FOR ANZ533-534-543.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR  
ANZ536.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...AVS/KVH/ADS  
AVIATION...AVS/KVH  
MARINE...AVS/KVH  
 
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