220  
FXUS61 KAKQ 250123  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
923 PM EDT WED APR 24 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPS THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING KEEPING A  
CHANCE FOR SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST. STRONG HIGH  
PRESSURE THEN BUILDS EAST FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION ON THURSDAY  
BEFORE SHIFTING OFFSHORE TO END THE WEEK. AFTER A COUPLE OF COOLER  
DAYS, EXPECT A SIGNIFICANT WARMING TREND NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
AS OF 920 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...  
 
SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE WEAK COLD FRONT IS SITUATED FROM  
ABOUT FVX-SBY, WITH A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE ALOFT TRACKING OVER WEST  
VIRGINIA TRACKING TOWARD THE AREA FROM THE WNW. SCATTERED  
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS HAVE FORMED JUST TO THE SE OF THE  
BOUNDARY (MESOANALYSIS SHOWS STEEP 0.5-2 KM LAPSE RATES DESPITE  
THE DEVELOPING INVERSION NEAR THE SFC W/ THE LOSS OF DAYTIME  
HEATING...RESULTING IN 200-500 J/KG OF MUCAPE). NO SEVERE WX IS  
EXPECTED, BUT SMALL HAIL AND GUSTS TO 35 MPH CANNOT BE RULED  
OUT. THE HIGHEST TSTM CHANCES THROUGH 06Z/2 AM ARE IN AREAS JUST  
TO THE WEST OF THE CHES BAY, WITH JUST ISOLATED-SCATTERED  
SHOWERS POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE. PRECIP CHANCES GRADUALLY DIMINISH AS  
THE COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA LATER TONIGHT. OVERNIGHT LOWS  
FALL INTO THE MID-UPPER 40S INLAND, WITH LOWER 50S NEAR THE  
COAST AND ACROSS MOST OF NE NC.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 230 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...  
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION ON  
THURSDAY AND EXTENDS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND THE MID-ATLANTIC. PARTLY  
CLOUDY SKIES ARE EXPECTED WITH COOLER HIGH TEMPERATURES THANKS TO  
ONSHORE FLOW. FORECAST HAS UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S ACROSS THE EAST  
AND NORTHEAST, WITH MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST. LOWS  
THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE IN THE LOWER 40S, WITH NORTHERN AREAS  
DROPPING TO AROUND 40 DEGREES. INLAND SPOTS OF THE MARYLAND  
EASTERN SHORE MAY SEE UPPER 30S BY FRIDAY MORNING. THIS COULD  
RESULT IN SOME PATCHY FROST ACROSS THESE LOCATIONS. THE HIGH  
SLIDES JUST OFFSHORE OF NEW ENGLAND ON FRIDAY KEEPING ONSHORE  
FLOW ONGOING. ANOTHER COOL DAY WILL BE ON TAP WITH HIGHS VERY  
SIMILAR TO THURSDAY. IT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MILDER FRIDAY NIGHT  
AS THE AIRMASS MODIFIES ALONG THAT PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW,  
WITH LOWS STAYING IN THE MID 40S INLAND.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 230 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...  
 
A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE AXIS WILL BE OVERHEAD ON SATURDAY, WITH  
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING IN JUST OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. A  
LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL WEAKEN AS IT DRIFTS NORTHWARD ACROSS  
MINNESOTA, SENDING A WARM FRONT ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND  
INTO THE NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC SATURDAY MORNING. IT MAY EXTEND JUST  
FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO GIVE US A VERY SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN  
SHOWERS, PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST SECTION OF THE  
CWA. ELSEWHERE, EXPECT MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND SLIGHTLY WARMER  
TEMPERATURES, TOPPING OUT AROUND 70 DEGREES INLAND.  
 
THE UPPER RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE ON SUNDAY. SKIES WILL BECOME PARTLY  
CLOUDY AS TEMPERATURES WARM RAPIDLY. EXPECTING HIGHS TO REACH 80  
DEGREES TO START OFF THE NEW WEEK. THE RIDGE BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN A  
BIT LATER MONDAY AS THE AXIS SHIFTS OFFSHORE. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM  
EVEN MORE AS SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ENHANCES OVER THE AREA. HIGH TEMPS  
MONDAY ARE FORECAST TO HIT THE MID 80S FOR MOST LOCATIONS. A COLD  
FRONT MAY PUSH THROUGH LATER TUESDAY GIVING US OUR NEXT CHANCE OF  
RAIN, HOWEVER, MODELS DISAGREE ON ITS STRENGTH AND PRECISE TIMING.  
FOR NOW, KEPT TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S AS A LATE DAY  
FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL ALLOW FOR PEAK HEATING TO OCCUR. KEPT A SLIGHT  
CHANCE OF RAIN/STORMS FOR THE AREA IN THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT LOW  
TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S DURING THIS  
PERIOD.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /01Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
AS OF 735 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...  
 
A COLD FRONT IS STILL TO THE NW OF THE TERMINALS THIS EVENING,  
BUT IT WILL CROSS THE TERMINALS TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL  
PERSIST INVOF RIC/PHF THROUGH 04-06Z BEFORE GRADUALLY  
DIMINISHING. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHC OF A TSTM, BUT THIS IS MOST  
LIKELY TO THE SW OF RIC/PHF. FLIGHT CONDITIONS SHOULD REMAIN  
VFR THROUGH TONIGHT AS THE SHOWERS WILL BE FAIRLY LIGHT. RAIN  
CHANCES END AFTER 06Z. WINDS INCREASE OUT OF THE NE (ESPECIALLY  
NEAR THE COAST WHERE GUSTS OF ~20 KT ARE EXPECTED) BY 08-12Z AS  
THE FRONT MOVES WELL TO OUR SOUTH. SOME MVFR STRATUS IS  
POSSIBLE NEAR THE COAST FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MUCH OF  
THURSDAY WITH THE ONSHORE FLOW, WITH VFR CIGS EXPECTED TO  
PREVAIL AT RIC.  
 
OUTLOOK: DRY/VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FROM THU NIGHT THROUGH  
THE WEEKEND. CAN'T RULE OUT A STRAY SHOWER ON SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
AS OF 245 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SCAS FOR THE COASTAL WATERS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH THURSDAY  
EVENING. FURTHER EXTENSION INTO FRIDAY IS LIKELY DUE TO LINGERING  
5FT+ SEAS  
 
- ANOTHER ROUND OF SCAS IN EFFECT FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY STARTING  
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.  
 
A COLD FRONT IS LOCATED NW OF LOCAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON WITH HIGH  
PRESSURE SUPPRESSED TO THE SOUTH. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, A LINE OF  
SHOWERS IS CROSSING OVER THE SOUTHERNMOST WATERS, LEADING TO  
OCCASIONAL GUSTINESS (~20KT). LATEST OBS SHOW WSW WINDS AT 10-15KT.  
WAVES ARE 1-2FT AND SEAS ARE 4-5FT. BEHIND THE FRONT, WINDS WILL  
TURN TO THE NE AND A RELATIVELY BRIEF SURGE OF WINDS IS EXPECTED.  
WINDS INCREASE AFTER 06Z. WINDS OVER THE BAY WILL REACH 15-20KT  
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING, THEN DIMINISH TO 10-15KT BY THE AFTERNOON.  
WAVES WILL REACH 2-4FT (5FT IN MOUTH OF BAY). EXPECTING LONGER  
DURATION AND A BIT STRONGER WINDS (20-25KT) OVER THE COASTAL WATERS.  
WINDS WILL DIMINISH OVER COASTAL WATERS LATE THURSDAY EVENING, BUT  
WILL REMAIN ONSHORE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THEREFORE, SEAS OF 5-6FT  
WILL LINGER, POTENTIALLY INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
SUB-SCA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SAT-TUES. ONSHORE WIND DIRECTION  
WILL PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE SITUATED JUST TO  
THE N OF LOCAL WATERS. HIGH PRESSURE GETS PUSHED TO THE S THROUGH  
MID-WEEK, ALLOWING WINDS TO TURN TO THE S ON SUNDAY.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
AS OF 855 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...  
 
A PROLONGED PERIOD OF NE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT  
BEHIND A COLD FRONT PASSAGE, LINGERING INTO FRIDAY. WHILE  
WIDESPREAD COASTAL FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED, LOCALIZED COASTAL  
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE JAMES RIVER WITH NUISANCE  
TO MINOR FLOODING POSSIBLE DURING THE THURSDAY NIGHT HIGH  
TIDE AT SMITHFIELD, VA.  
 

 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 4 AM TO 10 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR  
ANZ630-631.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 4 AM TO 7 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ632-  
634.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR  
ANZ633.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 4 AM TO 4 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ638.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ650-652-  
654-656-658.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...MAM/JKP  
NEAR TERM...ERI/JKP  
SHORT TERM...JKP  
LONG TERM...JKP  
AVIATION...ERI/JKP  
MARINE...AM  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...AKQ  
 
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