647  
FXUS61 KAKQ 232319  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
719 PM EDT FRI OCT 23 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
- COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) CONTINUED DRY WITH SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
2) ELEVATED TIDAL ANOMALIES CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY WITH NUISANCE  
TO MINOR TIDAL FLOODING FORECAST.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
AS OF 245 PM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...CONTINUED DRY WITH SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES THROUGH  
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS BROAD 1030+MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NEAR  
NORTHERN NY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. ALOFT, THE FLOW IS HIGHLY  
AMPLIFIED BETWEEN STRONG RIDGING OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS AND LOW  
HEIGHTS OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES. A WEAKENING CLOSED UPPER LOW IS  
NOTED OFF THE CAROLINA COAST. A SUBTLE SURFACE TROUGH HAS FORMED  
OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA AS HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH  
SPREADS EASTWARD. LOW LEVEL WINDS HAVE BECOME ONSHORE/NE, ALLOWING  
MOISTURE TO INCREASE BELOW A SUBSIDENCE INVERSION ALOFT. SCATTERED  
TO BROKEN STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS HAVE BLOSSOMED OVER THE AREA THIS  
AFTERNOON WITH THE RELATIVE THICKEST CLOUDS MOSTLY CONFINED TO THE  
EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA.  
 
THE HIGH CONTINUES TO BUILD SOUTH AND INTO THE LOCAL AREA LATER  
TONIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH A DEVELOPING SFC TROUGH OF LOW  
PRESSURE OFF THE SE US COAST. THE COMPRESSED PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL  
TEND TO KEEP THE AIRMASS MIXED WITH MILDER TEMPERATURES FOR AT LEAST  
THE SE 1/2 OF THE CWA TONIGHT BUT NORTHERN AND NW SECTIONS SHOULD  
SEE LOWS BACK INTO THE 30S, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO PATCHY FROST BY  
SUNRISE SATURDAY. HELD OFF ON ANY FROST ADVISORIES AFTER  
COORDINATION WITH NEIGHBORING OFFICES, MAINLY DUE TO THE POTENTIAL  
FOR AT LEAST LIGHT WINDS TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. THE TYPICALLY COOLER  
SHELTERED SPOTS IN THE PIEDMONT WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE TO SEE  
SOME PATCHY FROST EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE LOCAL WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE  
REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AND LIKELY WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. NOT MUCH  
CHANGE IN THE FORECAST WITH SEASONAL TEMPERATURES AND NEAR ZERO  
CHANCE FOR RAINFALL RETURNING TO THE REGION. AT THIS TIME, BOTH  
SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY AM AND SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY AM HAVE THE  
POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST PATCHY FROST OVER MUCH OF THE INTERIOR,  
WITH THE GREATEST POTENTIAL IN THE PIEDMONT. HAVE CONTINUED TO  
UNDERCUT NBM AND SOME OF THE STATISTICAL GUIDANCE VALUES BY  
SEVERAL DEGREES EXCEPT AT THE IMMEDIATE COAST.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...ELEVATED TIDAL ANOMALIES CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY  
WITH NUISANCE TO MINOR TIDAL FLOODING FORECAST.  
 
THE REMAINS OF JOSEPHINE HAVE PUSHED WELL AWAY FROM THE LOCAL AREA,  
BUT WITH SWELL STILL PROPAGATING TOWARD THE COAST AND HIGH PRESSURE  
TO THE NORTH, TIDAL ANOMALIES REMAIN 1.5-2FT ABOVE NORMAL.  
THESE ANOMALIES SHOULD REMAIN STEADY AND/OR SLOWLY FALL TONIGHT INTO  
SATURDAY. THEREFORE, PRIMARILY NUISANCE TO MINOR TIDAL FLOODING IS  
EXPECTED AND COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH THE  
SATURDAY MORNING/EARLY AFTN HIGH TIDE CYCLE FOR SOME LOCATIONS,  
PRIMARILY FOR THE TIDAL RAPPAHANNOCK, SOUTHERN SHORE OF THE TIDAL  
POTOMAC, THE UPPER YORK, AND THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CHES. BAY.  
NUISANCE FLOODING MAY PERSIST INTO SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY AS SWELL  
CONTINUES TO PROPAGATE TOWARD THE COAST WITH PERSISTENT (BUT WEAKER)  
ONSHORE FLOW, AS WELL AS A GRADUAL INCREASE IN ASTRONOMICAL HIGH  
TIDES AS WE APPROACH FULL MOON.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 720 PM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL FOR THE 00Z/24 TAF PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE  
REMAINS TO THE NE. SCT-BKN HIGH CLOUDS ~5,000 FT REMAIN ACROSS THE  
AREAS, WITH CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED TO RETURN FOR MOST OF THE AREA  
OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE, WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE NE TONIGHT ~10 KT  
AT ORF/ECG AND ~5 KT AT RIC/SBY/PHF. CLOUD COVER WILL RETURN AGAIN  
BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BUT SHOULD REMAIN VFR.  
 
OUTLOOK: VFR PREVAILS SUNDAY-EARLY NEXT WEEK. FORECAST WINDS ARE OUT  
OF THE E-NE THROUGH THIS PERIOD, WITH A TYPICAL DIURNAL MAX/MIN  
EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
AS OF 245 PM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- NORTH WINDS BECOME NE AND INCREASE SLIGHTLY BY THIS EVENING AS  
HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS FROM QUEBEC TO NEW YORK TONIGHT THROUGH  
SATURDAY.  
 
- ELEVATED WINDS AND SEAS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND, ESPECIALLY  
ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WATERS, WITH ELEVATED SEAS  
LINGERING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK FOR THE SOUTHERN WATERS.  
 
1030MB HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN QB THIS AFTN. THE  
WIND IS GENERALLY NE 15-20KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25KT FOR THE OCEAN,  
LOWER CHES. BAY, LOWER JAMES, AND CURRITUCK SOUND; AND 10-15KT WITH  
GUSTS TO 20KT FOR THE MIDDLE CHES. BAY AND UPPER TIDAL RIVERS. SEAS  
RANGE FROM 5-6FT IN THE COASTAL WATERS TO 6-8FT IN THE OFFSHORE  
WATERS, WITH 2-3FT WAVES IN THE CHES. BAY (LOCALLY HIGHER AT THE  
MOUTH). HIGH PRESSURE GRADUALLY BUILDS SSE INTO NY AND NORTHERN NEW  
ENGLAND TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY AND BUILDS TO NEARLY 1035MB. THIS WILL  
RESULT IN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN NE FLOW THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY  
SATURDAY MORNING. SCAS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH 1AM FOR THE MIDDLE  
CHES. BAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING FOR THE LOWER  
CHES. BAY, LOWER JAMES, AND CURRITUCK SOUND.  
 
THE SURFACE HIGH SETTLES OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION SATURDAY NIGHT  
THROUGH MONDAY. HOWEVER, A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LINGER  
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE NC OUTER BANKS. THEREFORE, AN ENE WIND WILL  
BE SLOW TO DIMINISH FOR THE SOUTHERN WATERS, WHICH WILL MAINTAIN  
ELEVATED SEAS. SCAS CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE NORTHERN  
COASTAL WATERS, THROUGH SUNDAY FOR THE MOUTH OF THE CHES. BAY, AND  
THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR NOW (AND POTENTIALLY LONGER) FOR THE  
SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS.  
 

 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MD...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR MDZ021>023.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR VAZ075-077.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR VAZ076-078-  
085-086-521-522.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EDT SATURDAY FOR VAZ083-084-  
099-100-518-520-523.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR VAZ089-090-  
524-528.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR ANZ630-631.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR ANZ632-633-  
639.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT SUNDAY FOR ANZ634.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR ANZ650-652.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EDT MONDAY FOR ANZ654-656-658.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...LKB/RHR  
AVIATION...KMC/RHR  
MARINE...AJZ/MRD  
 
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