562  
FXUS61 KAKQ 170206  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
906 PM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A WARM FRONT SLOWLY LIFTS NORTH TONIGHT, WITH LINGERING AREAS  
OF LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE INTO THIS EVENING. WARMER TEMPERATURES  
AND MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL TUESDAY. IT REMAINS MILD WITH  
A HIGHER CHANCE FOR RAIN ON WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
MUCH COLDER WEATHER ARRIVES FRIDAY AND ESPECIALLY THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 905 PM EST MONDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING FOR MOST OF THE  
REGION, WITH HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE NORTHERN 1/2 OF  
THE FA THIS EVENING.  
 
- A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING  
ALONG A WEAK COLD FRONT. OTHERWISE, IT WILL BE QUITE MILD ON  
TUESDAY.  
 
THE LATEST WX ANALYSIS INDICATES STRONG (>1035 MB) SFC HIGH  
PRESSURE WELL OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST, WITH AN INVERTED SFC  
COASTAL TROUGH OFF THE SE US COAST. THERE IS A STRONG SFC LOW  
OVER CENTRAL ONTARIO, MOVING ENE. THE CAD/WEDGE AIRMASS HAS  
BEEN SLOW TO WEAKEN, FOLLOWING CLOSER TO THE CMC/NAM/HRRR  
EVOLUTION. HAVE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THIS BLENDED SOLUTION FOR  
TEMPERATURES INTO THE LATE EVENING. STRATUS AND LOCALLY DENSE  
FOG HAS FORMED ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST IN THE VICINITY OF THE  
COASTAL FRONT, WITH CIGS BOUNCING BETWEEN 2-400 FT AGL. HAVE  
ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVY OVER SOUTHSIDE AND WESTERN HAMPTON ROADS  
THROUGH MIDNIGHT. A WARM FRONT IS LIFTING NE THROUGH W PA AND  
WV/W VA, BRINGING SOME ADDITIONAL SHOWER DEVELOPMENT IN FROM THE  
W. THIS WARM FRONT IS FORECAST TO LIFT FARTHER TO OUR N/NE  
OVERNIGHT, WITH RAIN CHANCES BECOMING CONFINED MAINLY TO THE FAR  
N OR NE PORTIONS OF THE FA AFTER MIDNIGHT. TEMPERATURES THIS  
EVENING WILL LIKELY BE NEARLY STEADY OR ONLY FALL A FEW DEGREES,  
WITH A RISE IN VALUES OVERNIGHT AS SSW WINDS INCREASE IN THE  
PSEUDO WARM SECTOR. LOWS RANGE FROM THE MID 40S N TO THE UPPER  
40S-LOW 50S ELSEWHERE UNDER A MOSTLY CLOUDY SKY. FOG SHOULD EASE  
OR AT LEAST DIMINISH A BIT OVERNIGHT, ESPECIALLY INLAND AS SSW  
WINDS INCREASE SLIGHTLY.  
 
THE FRONT WILL WASH OUT OVER THE AREA TUESDAY, BRINGING  
VIRTUALLY NO COLDER AIR IN ITS WAKE. IN FACT, IN TERMS OF  
SENSIBLE WX, MOST AREAS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER COMPARED TO  
MONDAY. ALOFT, THE FLOW BECOMES QUASI-ZONAL. A SHOWER OR TWO IS  
POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST THROUGH THE MORNING. OTHERWISE, A DRY  
DAY IS EXPECTED WITH GRADUALLY CLEARING SKIES FROM NW TO SE.  
HIGHS WILL BE MUCH MILDER AND IN THE MID-UPPER 60S FOR MOST OF  
THE AREA.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 355 PM EST MONDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- MILD WEDNESDAY WITH RAIN LIKELY LATER IN THE DAY. RAIN  
CHANCES ARE HIGHEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A STRONGER COLD FRONT  
CROSSES THE AREA.  
 
OVERNIGHT LOWS RANGE FROM THE UPPER 30S-LOWER 40S N TO MID-  
UPPER 40S S (LOW 50S NE NC).  
 
A STRONGER (BUT CERTAINLY NOT UNSEASONABLY STRONG) COLD FRONT AND  
UPPER TROUGH APPROACH ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE CROSSING THE FA FROM NW-SE  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY AM. WEDNESDAY WILL BE OUR LAST MILD  
DAY FOR AWHILE WITH HIGHS WELL INTO THE 60S-70F FOR SOUTHERN  
AREAS (WITH 50S OVER THE FAR N/NW). NOTE THAT DEW POINTS CLIMB  
INTO THE 50S-60F AHEAD OF THE FRONT. IT WILL BE MAINLY DRY  
THROUGH LATE MORNING...BUT SHOWER CHANCES INCREASE (ESPECIALLY  
NW) THEREAFTER. SHOWERS SHOULD PROGRESS SE WED NIGHT WITH THE  
FRONT, WITH RAIN CHANCES ENDING NEAR THE COAST BY AROUND OR  
SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE THURSDAY. MODEL SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO  
DEPICT SOME MODEST INSTABILITY (MUCAPE ~500 J/KG) LATE WEDNESDAY  
AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BUT CONFIDENCE IN THUNDER IS LOW AND WILL  
CONTINUE TO KEEP OUT OF THE FORECAST. ENSEMBLE MEANS STILL  
SUPPORT A BROAD 0.25-0.50" ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA, HIGHEST N.  
LOWS WED NIGHT RANGE FROM THE MID-UPPER 30S N/NW TO 40-45F  
ELSEWHERE.  
 
MAINLY DRY WX AND A COOLING TREND IS EXPECTED THURSDAY, BECOMING  
MOSTLY SUNNY WITH HIGHS TO RANGE FROM THE UPPER 40S N TO LOW-  
MID 50S S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
AS OF 355 PM EST MONDAY...  
 
- TEMPERATURES TREND MUCH COOLER BY FRIDAY, AND TURN COLDER THAN  
AVERAGE FOR THE WEEKEND.  
 
THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD WILL FEATURE A LARGE SCALE UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE DEVELOPS  
ACROSS THE WEST FRI-SAT. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT TEMPERATURES  
WILL PLUMMET DURING THIS PERIOD, ESPECIALLY OVER THE WEEKEND.  
THERE IS REASONABLE MODEL CONSENSUS THAT SHORTWAVE ENERGY (AND  
A STRONGER COLD FRONT) WILL CROSS THE AREA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY  
NIGHT. WHILE THIS WILL BE A MOSTLY DRY SYSTEM, THERE REMAINS A  
CHC FOR SHOWERS ACROSS THE NE PORTION OF THE FA, WITH A NON-ZERO  
CHC FOR MOST OF THE REST OF THE AREA. HIGHS FRIDAY WILL MOSTLY  
BE IN THE 40S, WITH SOME LOWER 50S ACROSS THE S. WITH FALLING  
TEMPERATURES FRI NIGHT, ANY REMAINING MOISTURE WILL HAVE THE  
POTENTIAL TO CHANGE TO SNOW. THE 12Z/16 LREF SHOWS A FEW  
MEMBERS WITH A LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION FRI NIGHT (THOUGH  
DETERMINISTIC MODELS KEEP THE FORECAST MAINLY DRY EXCEPT IN THE  
FAR NE). LOWS IN THE 20S/30S FRI NIGHT, WITH HIGHS UPPER 30S TO  
MID 40S ON SAT. COLDER BUT DRY AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES  
IN FROM THE NW SAT NIGHT-SUNDAY. ANTICIPATE HIGHS NOT GETTING  
OUT OF THE 30S ON SUNDAY AS STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  
TOWARD THE AREA WITH 850MB TEMPS FALLING TO AROUND -10C. LOWS  
SAT NIGHT/SUN AND SUN NIGHT/MON WILL BE IN THE TEENS AND 20S.  
TEMPERATURES MODIFY GOING INTO NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /02Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
AS OF 850 PM EST MONDAY...  
 
WIDESPREAD LOW STRATUS, AND PREDOMINATE LIFR TO IFR CONDITIONS  
ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. CIGS WITH HEIGHTS 200-400 FT FOR  
MUCH OF THE AREA, WITH VSBY 4-6 SM INLAND AND 1-2SM OR LESS  
ALONG THE COAST NEAR BY A LINGERING COASTAL/WEDGE FRONT. LOW  
STRATUS SLOWLY MIXES OUT AROUND AND JUST AFTER SUNRISE TUE,  
CLEARING PRE-DAWN OVER INLAND AREAS AS WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH OF  
THE REGION. WINDS CALM LATE TONIGHT BECOME LIGHT SWRLY ON TUE  
GENERALLY AROUND 5 KT. THE TRAILING, AND INCREASINGLY  
DIFFUSE/WEAKENING COLD FRONT DROPS INTO THE AREA TUESDAY AFTN  
AND EVENING, AND WILL SHIFT WINDS MORE TO THE WSW, BRINGING A  
TREND TOWARD PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS.  
 
OUTLOOK: ANOTHER SYSTEM BRINGS INCREASING CHANCES FOR RAIN AND  
FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WED, LINGERING INTO WED NIGHT AS A STRONGER  
COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH. DRYING OUT THURSDAY WITH A GUSTY N  
WIND. GENERALLY DRY THU NIGHT-SAT, THOUGH THERE WILL BE AT  
LEAST A LOW CHC FOR RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS LATER FRI-FRI NIGHT,  
ESPECIALLY AT SBY.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
AS OF 355 PM EST MONDAY...  
 
- SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES TONIGHT, BUT REMAINS BELOW SCA LEVELS  
THROUGH MID-WEEK.  
 
- A STRONGER COLD FRONT ARRIVES WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY  
MORNING WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES LIKELY.  
 
WEAKENING HIGH PRESSURE IS SLIDING OFFSHORE WELL TO THE N THIS  
AFTERNOON WITH A RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING DOWN THE EAST COAST TOWARD THE  
GULF OF MEXICO. STILL SEEING AN INVERTED TROUGH ALONG THE COAST,  
THOUGH IT HAS WEAKENED SINCE THIS MORNING. FLOW CONTINUES TO BE VERY  
LIGHT, WITH ONLY A FEW LOCATIONS EVEN ABOVE 5KT AS OF LATEST OBS.  
SEAS CONTINUE TO DIMINISH, AND SCAS FOR THE COASTAL WATERS SHOULD BE  
FINE TO EXPIRE AT 4PM AS PLANNED. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO  
MOVE FURTHER OFFSHORE OVERNIGHT AS A WEAKENING COLD FRONT APPROACHES  
THE REGION. AHEAD OF IT, FLOW WILL TURN SOUTHERLY AND INCREASE TO 10-  
15KT (15-20KT FOR MD COASTAL WATERS) LATE TONIGHT. THIS COULD PUSH  
SEAS BACK TO ~5FT OFFSHORE N OF PARRAMORE IS. (NEAR 20NM) LATE  
TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. WINDS WEAKEN AND BECOME WESTERLY  
THROUGH THE DAY TUES AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES BACK OVERHEAD.  
 
A STRONGER COLD FRONT ARRIVES WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SW FLOW  
INCREASES AGAIN WED EVENING AHEAD OF THE FRONT TO ~10-15KT IN THE  
BAY/RIVERS AND 15-20KT OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. SCAS ARE LIKELY FOR  
NW WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT INCREASING TO 20-25KT. SEAS BUILD TO 4-6FT  
BEHIND THE FRONT WITH 3-4FT WAVES IN THE CHES. BAY. A STRONG UPPER  
TROUGH BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH SCA CONDITIONS  
LIKELY ONCE AGAIN THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF  
CAA.  
 

 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR VAZ093-  
095>098-524-525.  
MARINE...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ632-634-  
637-638.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...LKB  
NEAR TERM...LKB  
SHORT TERM...LKB  
LONG TERM...LKB/SW  
AVIATION...KMC/LKB/MAM  
MARINE...AJZ/AM  
 
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