513  
FXUS61 KAKQ 112014  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
314 PM EST SUN JAN 11 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM SOUTHWEST OF THE AREA  
TONIGHT AND WILL BECOME CENTERED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES ON  
MONDAY. DRY CONDITIONS WITH SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES PREVAIL  
INTO MIDWEEK. A COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE  
REGION THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
AS OF 245 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- A FEW SHOWERS, POSSIBLY GRAUPEL THROUGH SUNSET, OTHERWISE DRY  
TONIGHT AND TURNING COLDER WITH LOWS IN THE 20S AND 30S.  
 
- SEASONABLE, AND MAINLY SUNNY MONDAY.  
 
A SECONDARY COLD FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTN,  
WITH MUCH DRIER AIR PUSHING IN FROM THE WEST. DEW PTS HAVE  
DROPPED INTO THE 20S FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES HAVE  
FALLEN INTO THE LOW- MID 40S NW, BUT REMAIN IN THE UPPER 40S TO  
LOW- MID 50S TO THE SE. ISOLATED/WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS  
PREVAIL BUT GIVEN THE LARGE T/TD DEPRESSIONS, MOST AREAS WILL  
STAY DRY THIS AFTN. GIVEN LOW DEW PTS AND LOWERING SFC WET BULB  
TEMPERATURES, GRAUPEL IS LIKELY WITH THESE SHOWERS, BUT TEMPERATURES  
WILL BE WELL ABOVE FREEZING SO THERE WILL BE NO IMPACTS. WINDS  
WILL GUST TO 25-35 MPH, LOCALLY UP TO 40 MPH THROUGH SUNSET,  
BEFORE DIMINISHING GRADUALLY THROUGH THE EVENING. THE SKY  
BECOMES MAINLY CLEAR TONIGHT WITH LOWS FALLING INTO LL DROP INTO  
THE UPPER 20S TO NEAR 30F AND WINDS WILL START TO RELAX AS HIGH  
PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD BACK IN OVERNIGHT.  
 
MONDAY WILL BE MAINLY SUNNY WITH LESS WIND AS SFC HIGH PRESSURE  
CENTERED OVER THE WESTERN GULF COAST RIDGES ENE INTO THE  
CAROLINAS. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 40S ON THE EASTERN  
SHORE TO THE UPPER 40S/AROUND 50F ELSEWHERE.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 245 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- DRY AND A LITTLE WARMER TUESDAY, WITH MORE CLOUDS BUT STILL  
MAINLY DRY WEDNESDAY.  
 
LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST WILL EXTEND INTO  
EXTEND INTO EASTERN CANADA MONDAY NIGHT, AS HIGH PRESSURE  
BECOMES CENTERED S OF THE LOCAL AREA. THERE WILL BE SOME MIXING  
DUE TO THE COMPRESSED PRESSURE GRADIENT, THE DRY AIRMASS AND  
MAINLY CLEAR SKIES SHOULD ALLOW LOWS TO FALL INTO THE UPPER 20S  
TO LOWER 30S. THE AIRMASS WILL MODIFY QUICKLY ON TUESDAY AS SW  
WINDS INCREASE AS THE LOW PUSHES INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES  
AND HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES ACROSS THE SE. HIGHS WARM INTO THE 50S  
FOR MOST, WHICH IS A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL BUT STILL SEASONABLE.  
MILDER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT, WITH WITH LOWS  
IN THE 30S TO AROUND 40F. THE MID LEVEL FLOW BECOMES MORE  
AMPLIFIED ON WEDNESDAY, AS THE UPPER TROUGH SINKS SOUTH FROM  
ONTARIO INTO THE MID-MS VALLEY, WITH A STRONG SW FLOW DEVELOPING  
ALONG THE EAST COAST. THE MODELS SHOW SOME WEAK SFC TROUGHING  
JUST OFF THE SE US COAST, WITH THE MAIN SFC LOW MOVING EAST  
TO THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY. EXPECT MORE CLOUDS ON WEDNESDAY, BUT  
OVERALL IT LOOKS TO REMAIN DRY (WILL HAVE SOME LOW POPS ACROSS  
THE FAR SE LATER IN THE DAY). STAYING MILD WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN  
THE 50S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
AS OF 310 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE:  
 
- BECOMING UNSETTLED, WITH A POTENTIAL ACTIVE WINTER PATTERN  
LATE IN THE WEEK THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST REMAINS, BUT MOST OF THE MODELS  
CONTINUE TO DEPICT AN INCREASING AMPLIFIED UPPER LEVEL PATTERN  
TOWARDS THE LATER PORTION OF THE WEEK. PRIOR TO THIS, THERE IS  
THE PRESENCE OF A "50-50" LOW (50N LATITUDE 50W LONGITUDE) EARLY  
THIS WEEK THAT TRANSLATES ENE TOWARDS GREENLAND BY MIDWEEK,  
SETTING THE STAGE FOR A BLOCKING RIDGE OFF ACROSS ATLANTIC  
CANADA BY MIDWEEK. UPSTREAM, AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS FORECAST TO  
AMPLIFY ALONG THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. THESE FEATURES  
ARE ALL FAVORABLE FOR A MORE ACTIVE PATTERN AND COLDER AIR INTO  
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONUS. AMONG THE 12Z MODEL SUITE, THE  
CANADIAN IS THE ODD MODEL OUT, WITH A MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE AND  
WEAKER SYSTEM THU-FRI. THE ECWMF/GFS (AND THEIR ENSEMBLE MEANS)  
ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE MORE AMPLIFIED SCENARIO, WITH  
THE 2 BLOCKING SYSTEMS DRIVING THE DEEP UPPER TROUGH SOUTH TO  
THE GULF COAST THURSDAY. THERE IS STILL TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY IN  
TIMING AND PLACEMENT FOR LIKELY POPS, BUT HAVE RAISED POPS TO  
HIGH CHANCE THU-THU NIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO MOVE IN  
FROM THE WEST AND THEN INTENSIFY WHILE MOVING OFFSHORE. THE  
AMPLIFIED FLOW WOULD TEND TO SUPPORT ENOUGH SOUTHERLY FLOW FOR A  
RAIN EVENT INITIALLY, THAT WOULD THEN SEE COLDER AIR ON THE  
BACKSIDE OF THE LOW AS IT MOVES OFFSHORE- OF COURSE AT THIS  
RANGE A LOT OF AMPLIFICATION WILL BE NEEDED TO ALLOW THE COLD  
AIR TO MAKE IT BEFORE THE MOISTURE MOVES TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE  
REGION. THE LATEST GEFS AND ENS SHOW ONLY MINIMAL PROBS FOR 3"+  
OF SNOWFALL (ASSUMING A 10:1 RATIO), BUT THEY DO HAVE DECENT  
PROBS FOR 1"+ OF SNOWFALL OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FA.  
BEHIND THIS SYSTEM, THERE WILL BE A DRYING TREND FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY, WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FORECAST THROUGH THE  
FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND. THE MODELS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR  
ANOTHER SYSTEM LATER IN THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
AS OF 100 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
ISOLATED/WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE MOVING INTO CENTRAL AND  
EASTERN VA THIS AFTN, AND WILL PUSH OFF THE COAST BEFORE 00Z. BRIEF  
MVFR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN ANY SHOWERS, WITH  
RAIN OR GRAUPEL, BUT THE COVERAGE IS TOO LIMITED TO INCLUDE IN  
ANY TAF. BKN CLOUD COVER (CIGS 4-7K FT) WILL PREVAIL THROUGH  
LATE AFTN BEFORE CLOUDS DIMINISH INTO THE EVENING AND BECOME SKC  
OVERNIGHT. STRONG W-NW WINDS WILL GUST TO 25-30 KT THROUGH 00Z,  
BEFORE DECREASING AND SHIFTING TO THE NW TONIGHT.  
 
OUTLOOK: DRY/VFR CONDITIONS RETURN PREVAIL MONDAY WITH WSW WINDS  
GENERALLY 10 KT OR LESS. IT WILL REMAIN DRY THROUGH MID- WEEK.  
ANOTHER SYSTEM MAY BRING DEGRADED FLIGHT CONDITIONS TO THE  
TERMINALS THURSDAY/FRIDAY. THIS WOULD INITIALLY BE RAIN, BUT  
COULD BECOME SNOW ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE SYSTEM THURSDAY  
NIGHT-FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
AS OF 230 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- GALE WARNINGS FOR THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND CHESAPEAKE BAY  
GO INTO EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE E VA RIVERS AND  
CURRITUCK SOUND THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL.  
 
- SCA'S WILL LIKELY REPLACE THE GALE WARNINGS OVER THE CHES. BAY AND  
COASTAL WATERS LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY BEFORE WINDS AND SEAS FALL  
BELOW SCA THRESHOLDS. SUB-SCA CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED FROM  
MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING.  
 
- A BRIEF PERIOD OF SCA IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
BEHIND THE FIRST OF TWO COLD FRONTS TODAY, WINDS ARE CURRENTLY NNW 5-  
10 KT IN THE CHES. BAY AND 10-15 KT ON THE COASTAL WATERS. THE  
SECONDARY COLD FRONT IS SLOWLY APPROACHING THE LOCAL WATERS, WHICH  
WILL BRING A STRONGER SHOT OF COLD AIR ADVECTION AND INCREASED WINDS  
AND SEAS. WINDS WILL SOON BEGIN RAMPING UP FROM DEEP MIXING BECAUSE  
OF QUICKLY STEEPENED LAPSE RATES BEHIND THE FRONT. NW WINDS WILL  
INCREASE TO 25-30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT IN THE CHES. BAY AND  
SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS AND 25-30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT IN THE  
NORTHERN COASTAL WATERS. WHILE NOT QUITE AS HIGH, THE TIDAL RIVERS  
AND CURRITUCK SOUND WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT.  
CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH IN ACHIEVING GALE FORCED GUSTS AND GALE  
WARNINGS WILL SHORTLY GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE CHES. BAY AND COASTAL  
WATERS. SCAS GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE TIDAL RIVERS AND CURRITUCK SOUND  
AT THE SAME TIME. WAVES AND SEAS WILL QUICKLY INCREASE WITH THE  
WINDS TO 3-5 FT IN THE BAY AND 4-7 FT IN THE COASTAL WATERS.  
 
THE GALE FORCED GUSTS WILL DIMINISH AFTER LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY  
MORNING, BUT WINDS AND SEAS REMAINING ELEVATED THROUGH THE MORNING  
WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT IN THE BAY AND 25 KT IN THE COASTAL WATERS AS  
WELL AS LINGERING 5 FT SEAS. SCAS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED BEHIND THE  
GALE WARNING TO COVER THIS.  
 
LATER IN THE DAY MONDAY, HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BACK IN TO THE  
SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST, WITH SUB-SCA CONDITIONS RETURNING WITH MOSTLY  
SW WINDS. A SHORTWAVES COULD RETURN SCA CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT  
INTO WEDNESDAY WITH SW WINDS INCREASING AND SEAS BUILDING TO 3-4 FT.  
THEN, A SERIES OF FRONTS MID TO LATE WEEK ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE LOCAL AREA, WITH INCREASING  
VEERING W-NW WINDS BRINGING ANOTHER PERIOD OF POSSIBLE SCA  
CONDITIONS. WILL NOTE THAT LOCAL PROBS HAVE A NON-ZERO CHANCE OF  
GALE FORCE GUSTS.  
 

 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR ANZ630>632-634-650-  
652-654-656-658.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY FOR ANZ633-635>638.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...LKB  
NEAR TERM...LKB  
SHORT TERM...LKB/NB  
LONG TERM...LKB/NB  
AVIATION...LKB/NB  
MARINE...KMC/MAM  
 
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