682  
FXUS61 KAKQ 210919  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
419 AM EST THU NOV 21 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
LOW PRESSURE WILL PUSH OFFSHORE OF THE DELMARVA COAST EARLY THIS  
MORNING. MEANWHILE, SEVERAL DISTURBANCES DROP ACROSS THE AREA  
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, BRINGING A PROLONGED PERIOD OF  
GUSTY WINDS AND CHILLY TEMPERATURES. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  
OVER THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEKEND, BRINGING A GRADUAL WARMUP FOR  
THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
AS OF 410 AM EST THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES...  
 
- BLUSTERY AND MUCH COOLER WEATHER CONDITIONS BEHIND A STRONG  
COLD FRONT. NW WINDS AVERAGE 15-20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 TO  
30 MPH (HIGHEST COASTAL AREAS).  
 
- REMAINING MAINLY DRY, ASIDE FROM A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE  
NORTHERN NECK AND THE EASTERN SHORE.  
 
- A FREEZE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THURSDAY NIGHT OVER  
INTERIOR NORTHEAST NC AND PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN TIDEWATER  
AREA.  
 
LATEST ANALYSIS REVEALS A POTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW CENTERED OVER  
THE GREAT LAKES EARLY THIS MORNING. AT THE SURFACE, A STRONG  
~996MB SFC LOW WAS ANALYZED OVER THE UPPER PENINSULA OF  
MICHIGAN, WITH A SECONDARY LOW NOW JUST OFFSHORE OF THE DELMARVA  
COAST.  
 
THE STRONG TROUGH AND ITS ASSOCIATED SFC LOW WILL PIVOT SSE INTO  
THE NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS ALLOWS THE AREA  
TO START DRYING OUT TODAY ON BREEZY NNW WINDS. THERE WILL BE  
MULTIPLE SHORTWAVES TRANSVERSING SE ALONG THE TROUGH, THEREBY  
ALLOWING MULTIPLE REINFORCING SHOTS OF COOLER AIR. THE FIRST  
(AND WEAKEST) OF THESE SHORTWAVES PUSH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON  
AND THIS EVENING. THIS WILL RESULT IN ANOTHER SURGE OF GUSTY  
WINDS TO 20 TO 30 MPH, SOME CLOUDS AND PERHAPS A FEW SHOWERS  
ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE. OTHERWISE, EXPECT MOST OF THE AREA TO  
REMAIN DRY TODAY. HIGHS ONLY TOP OUT IN THE LOW TO MID 50S.  
 
WINDS DO DECOUPLE A BIT INLAND LATER THU NIGHT, WHICH WILL MAKE  
FOR A STARK TEMPERATURE CONTRAST BETWEEN INLAND AREAS AND THE  
COAST. LOOK FOR LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S INLAND, WITH  
MID TO UPPER 30S ALONG THE COAST. THIS WILL PUT A NARROW STRIPE  
OF COUNTIES STILL ACTIVE IN THE FROST FREEZE PROGRAM WITH LOWS  
RIGHT AROUND FREEZING. HAVE GONE AHEAD AND ADDED THESE COUNTIES  
FROM BERTIE/NORTHAMPTON AND GATES NC UP TO JAMES CITY IN A  
FREEZE WATCH FOR TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 410 AM EST THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES...  
 
- ANOTHER DISTURBANCE DROPPING ACROSS THE REGION WILL PROVIDE  
ANOTHER DAY OF GUSTY WINDS, AND INCREASING CLOUDS FOR FRIDAY.  
 
- MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY. A FEW  
INSTANCES OF GRAUPEL OR EVEN SOME WET SNOWFLAKES ARE POSSIBLE  
OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA FRIDAY MORNING INTO EARLY  
AFTERNOON.  
 
THE SECOND SHORTWAVE COMES FRIDAY AND LOOKS TO BE A BIT  
STRONGER/COOLER WITH HIGHS IN THE MID UPPER 40S ACROSS THE  
PIEDMONT AND LOWER 50S ALONG THE SE COAST. THE LATEST MODELS  
DEPICT THE CORE OF THE UPPER LOW ACROSS EASTERN PA AND NJ  
PIVOTING UP INTO NEW ENGLAND, WITH A RATHER STRONG SHORTWAVE  
DIVING SE ACROSS LOCAL AREA. HAVE INCREASED POPS INTO LIKELY  
RANGE FOR THE NORTHERN NECK AND EASTERN SHORE FOR SHOWERS FROM  
MIDDAY FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVE ALSO INCLUDED SOME LOW END  
POPS FOR ALONG AND TO THE S OF THE I-64 CORRIDOR INTO RIC METRO  
AND HAMPTON ROADS. GIVEN THE RELATIVELY SHALLOW MOISTURE LAYER  
BETWEEN 850-700 MB FARTHER SOUTH, WOULD EXPECT MINIMAL QPF.  
HOWEVER,A GOOD PORTION OF THAT MOISTURE LAYER IS WITHIN THE DGZ  
AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN SOME GRAUPEL OR EVEN A FEW SNOWFLAKES  
MIXING IN OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA FRIDAY MORNING INTO  
THE EARLY AFTERNOON. GROUND TEMPERATURES WOULD BE MUCH TOO WARM  
FOR ANY IMPACTS, BUT CERTAINLY A SHARP CONTRAST FROM JUST A FEW  
DAYS AGO.  
 
DRYING OUT FRIDAY EVENING/NIGHT, BUT REMAINING BREEZY AND PARTLY  
TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH LOW TEMPERATURES NOT QUITE AS COLD IN THE  
UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S.  
 
THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA INTO  
THE GULF OF MAINE SATURDAY, AS UPPER RIDGING BUILDS TO THE EAST.  
THIS WILL ALLOW A MILDER DAY WITH HIGHS WARMING BACK INTO THE  
MIDDLE 50S TO AROUND 60. THE BREEZY CONDITIONS GRADUALLY RELAX  
LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY AS THE TROUGH MOVES OUT OF THE REGION.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
AS OF 410 AM EST THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES...  
 
- HIGH PRESSURE MOVES BACK IN BRINGING DRY WEATHER BACK ACROSS THE  
REGION OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
TEMPERATURES NEXT WEEK ARE EXPECTED GRADUALLY MODERATE EACH DAY  
THROUGH MIDWEEK, AS THE HIGH MOVES OFF THE COAST AND UPPER  
RIDGING CRESTS OVERHEAD MONDAY AND TUESDAY. HIGHS WARMING BACK  
INTO THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60S ON MONDAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE  
LOWER 60S BY MIDWEEK. EARLY MORNING LOWS WARM BACK INTO THE 40S  
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS.  
 
RAIN CHANCES RETURN TO THE FORECAST NEXT WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE  
NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVING FROM THE NW. WILL NOTE, BY THE MIDDLE OF  
NEXT WEEK THE ENSEMBLES DO DISAGREE WITH THE PLACEMENT AND  
STRENGTH OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THEY DO AGREE ON A  
POTENTIAL SYSTEM AND POPS REMAIN TN THE FORECAST AND STAY  
BETWEEN 15-25%.  
 
THE SURFACE LOW SLOWLY SHIFTS INTO THE GULF OF MAIN ON SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON AND NIGHT.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /09Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
AS OF 140 AM EST THURSDAY...  
 
THE WELL-ADVERTISED STRONG COLD FRONT SWEPT ACROSS THE REGION  
EARLIER THIS MORNING, BRINGING GUSTY WINDS, SHOWERS AND VARIABLE  
CIGS TO AREA TERMINALS. CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY IMPROVE  
IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT, WITH A GRADUALLY CLEARING SKY EXPECTED  
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. CIGS HAVE ALREADY RETURNED TO VFR  
INLAND, WITH MVFR LINGERING ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST FROM ECG  
TO SBY THROUGH 07-09Z/2-4 AM EST BEFORE RETURNING TO VFR. NW  
WINDS WILL AVERAGE 10-15 KT THROUGH AROUND AND JUST AFTER  
SUNRISE, THEN INCREASE AND SHIFT TO THE W AT 15-18 KT WITH GUSTS  
TO AROUND 25 KT FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING.  
INCREASING AFTN CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED, BUT CIGS SHOULD REMAIN VFR,  
AVERAGING 6-8 KFT AGL.  
 
OUTLOOK: GUSTY W-NW WINDS CONTINUE FRI-SAT, WITH LESS WIND BY  
SUNDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS  
ARE EXPECTED ACROSS N/NE SECTIONS OF THE AREA FRIDAY AFTN/FRI  
NIGHT.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
AS OF 410 AM EST THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- GALE WARNINGS REMAINS IN EFFECT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR THE CHESAPEAKE  
BAY, LOWER JAMES RIVER, AND COASTAL WATERS.  
 
- WINDS REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.  
 
- ANOTHER PERIOD OF GALE CONDITIONS IS INCREASINGLY LIKELY LATE  
FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
EARLY MORNING SURFACE ANALYSIS DEPICTED A COLD FRONT E OF THE LOCAL  
WATERS WITH AN OCCLUDED LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND A SECONDARY LOW  
OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. WINDS WERE NW 25-30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO  
40 KT ACROSS THE CHES BAY, COASTAL WATERS, AND LOWER JAMES RIVER. AS  
SUCH, GALE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM FOR THESE AREAS.  
WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED TO SCA LEVEL ACROSS THE UPPER RIVERS AND  
CURRITUCK SOUND WHERE GALE WARNINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH SCAS.  
WINDS GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS MORNING AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT  
WEAKENS, EVENTUALLY BECOMING W THIS AFTERNOON. A PERIOD OF  
POTENTIALLY SUB-SCA CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE UPPER RIVERS  
AND CURRITUCK SOUND LATER THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON WITH W  
WINDS 15-20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT ACROSS THE CHES BAY AND  
SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS. HOWEVER, W WINDS INCREASE BACK TO 20-25 KT  
WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT BEHIND A  
SECONDARY COLD FRONT. A FEW GUSTS UP TO 35 KT ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS  
THE COASTAL WATERS AND LOWER BAY WITH THIS SURGE, HOWEVER, WIND  
PROBS FOR GUSTS OF 34 KT ARE <40% (LOWER FOR ZONAL AVERAGES).  
ADDITIONALLY, THE SURGE LOOKS TO BE BRIEF (~3 HRS). AS SUCH, WILL  
REFRAIN FROM ISSUING GALE WARNINGS FOR THIS SURGE AT THIS TIME.  
 
WINDS REMAIN ELEVATED (ALTHOUGH TRENDING LOWER) INTO FRI BEFORE A  
TROUGH MOVES THROUGH, REINFORCING THE CAA YET AGAIN. WIND PROBS FOR  
34 KT GUSTS ARE HIGH FOR THIS SURGE WITH PROBS APPROACHING 100%  
ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS AND 70% ACROSS THE CHES BAY. AS SUCH,  
EXPECT W WINDS TO INCREASE TO 25-30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT ACROSS  
ALL LOCAL WATERS LATE FRI AFTERNOON THROUGH FRI NIGHT. WHILE CHANCES  
FOR GALE CONDITIONS LATE FRI INTO FRI NIGHT ARE HIGH, WILL HOLD OFF  
ON GALE WATCHES FOR NOW GIVEN ONGOING GALE WARNINGS ACROSS THE SAME  
ZONES FOR THIS MORNING'S SURGE. HOWEVER, GALE WATCHES FOR LATE FRI  
INTO FRI NIGHT WILL BE NEEDED ONCE CURRENT GALE WARNINGS ARE ALLOWED  
TO EXPIRE. SCA CONDITIONS CONTINUE SAT BEFORE WINDS GRADUALLY  
DIMINISH SAT NIGHT INTO SUN AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.  
 
WAVES AND SEAS OF 3-5 FT AND 4-6 FT (LOCALLY HIGHER POSSIBLE)  
RESPECTIVELY CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS MORNING. WAVES  
SUBSIDE TO 2-4 FT LATER THIS MORNING WITH SEAS REMAINING ELEVATED  
INTO SAT NIGHT. ANOTHER PERIOD OF 4-5 FT WAVES IS POSSIBLE WITH THE  
FRI AFTERNOON INTO NIGHT SURGE.  
 
 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR  
NCZ012>014-030.  
VA...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR  
VAZ089-090-092-093-096.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR ANZ630>632-634-  
638-650-652-654-656-658.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST SATURDAY FOR ANZ633-  
635>637.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...LKB  
NEAR TERM...HET/LKB/JKP  
SHORT TERM...HET/MAM  
LONG TERM...HET/MAM  
AVIATION...LKB/MAM  
MARINE...RMM  
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