137  
FXUS61 KAKQ 162039  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
339 PM EST SUN FEB 16 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION THIS EVENING, MAINTAINING BREEZY  
CONDITIONS THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS EARLY  
NEXT WEEK BEFORE ANOTHER SYSTEM APPROACHES DURING THE MIDWEEK  
TIMEFRAME, POTENTIALLY RETURNING MORE WINTRY WEATHER TO THE  
LOWER MID-ATLANTIC REGION WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/  
 
AS OF 315 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- BREEZY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING IN THE WAKE OF  
A PASSING COLD FRONT. A WIND ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR AREAS  
WEST OF I-95 THROUGH THIS EVENING AND FROM I-95 EASTWARD  
(INCLUDING THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE) UNTIL MIDNIGHT.  
 
- GRADUAL CLEARING AND DRYING OUT TONIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER  
20S WELL INLAND, AND LOW TO MID 30S FOR MOST OF THE REGION.  
 
LATEST WX ANALYSIS REVEALS ~984MB SFC LOW PRESSURE OVER NE PA  
THIS AFTERNOON. NARROW LINE OF CONVECTIVE SHOWERS PUSHED THROUGH  
EARLIER IN THE DAY LARGELY AS EXPECTED, TAKING THE BULK OF THE  
SHOWERS WITH THEM. THE TRAILING MAIN COLD FRONT WILL CROSS OVER  
THE NEXT FEW HOURS INTO THE EARLY EVENING. HAVE DROPPED THE HIGH  
WIND WARNINGS BACK TO WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE ENTIRE CWA.  
PARTIAL CLEARING AND SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE DEPARTING WAVE SHOULD  
ALLOW FOR A BRIEF WINDOW OF BETTER MIXING OF REMNANT GUSTY  
WINDS ALOFT, WHICH PORTENDS A FEW MORE HOURS OF STRONG WIND  
GUSTS. EXPECT WE'LL SEE GUSTS BETWEEN 30-40 MPH THROUGH EARLY  
EVENING OUT IN THE PIEDMONT, AND INTO THE LATER EVENING ALONG  
THE COAST AND OVER THE EASTERN SHORE.  
 
QUICK CLEARING TONIGHT. RESULTANT COLD AIR ADVECTION ALLOWS  
COOLER/DRIER AIR TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA ON GUSTY W-NW WINDS,  
WHICH SHOULD KEEP THE BOUNDARY LAYER RELATIVELY WELL- MIXED,  
KEEPING TEMPS FROM FALLING TOO FAR. EXPECT LOWS IN THE MID 20S  
TO LOWER 30S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 315 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- DRY MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH MOSTLY SUNNY TO PARTLY CLOUDY  
SKIES AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL CANADA NOSES SE  
INTO THE REGION.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES BUILDS TO THE WEST  
MONDAY AND TUESDAY, LEADING TO RETURN OF COOL/DRY WEATHER TO  
BEGIN THE WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM THE LOW TO MID 40S  
NORTH, 45 TO 50 CENTRAL AND SOUTH. A BIT COLDER MONDAY NIGHT  
WITH LOWS FALLING INTO THE LOW/MID 20S INLAND WITH UPPER 20S TO  
LOW 30S NEAR THE COAST. A FEW DEGREES WARMER ACROSS THE S AND SW  
PORTIONS OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY WITH HIGH TEMPS IN THE UPPER  
40S TO LOW 50S. GUSTY NW WINDS WILL KNOCK TEMPS DOWN A BIT ON  
TUESDAY OVER THE EASTERN SHORE RELATIVE TO MONDAY, WITH HIGHS  
ONLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S. DRY AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION FROM  
THE NORTH TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT  
WILL FALL INTO THE LOW 20S N TO THE UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S SE.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
AS OF 330 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- POTENTIAL CONTINUES TO INCREASE FOR A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM TO  
IMPACT THE REGION WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.  
 
COLD WEATHER REMAINS PERSISTENT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AS  
ANOTHER ARCTIC HIGH MOVES OUT OF CANADA AND INTO THE NORTH-CENTRAL  
PLAINS. THE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH AND EAST. AS THIS OCCURS  
A LOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE GULF COAST AND LIFTS NORTHEAST OFF THE  
ATLANTIC COAST.  
 
THE LATEST 12Z/16 OPERATIONAL MODELS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE MODEL  
ENSEMBLES (GFS/ECMWF/CANADIAN) CONTINUE TO SHOW THE POTENTIAL  
FOR AN SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE CWA  
WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY. A SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE IS  
EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES, WITH A LOW  
PRESSURE SYSTEM STARTING TO DEVELOP ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST  
AND THEN LIFTING NORTH-NORTHEAST. THE 12Z OPERATIONAL MODELS  
SHOW A BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE PLACEMENT OF THE LOW. HOWEVER,  
THEY STILL CONTINUE TO VARY ON TOTALS AS WELL AS THE THEIR  
ENSEMBLES. THE EURO AND CANADIAN LOOK TO HAVE SLIGHTLY BETTER  
AGREEMENT WITH POTENTIAL TOTALS THAN THE GEFS. THE GEFS  
CONTINUES TO SHOW LOW VALUES AS IT CONTINUES TO HINT ON A WARM  
NOSE AT 850MB CREEPING ITS WAY SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTH THAN THE  
CANADIAN AND EURO ENSEMBLES. THE PROBAILITIES OF SNOWFALL HAS  
RISEN SLIGHTLY ACROSS ALL ENSEMBLES. THE 12Z EURO AND CANADIAN  
ENSEMBLE SHOWS SWATHS OF 90 TO 100% PROBS OF >=3" OF SNOW WITH  
60 TO 80% PROBS FOR >=6" OF SNOW. THERE HAS EVEN BEEN AN  
INCREASE IN THE CHANCES FOR >=12" PROBS WITH MUCH OF THE AREA  
NOW IN THE 20 TO 30% CONTOUR WITH THE CANADIAN AND EURO. THE  
GEFS CONTINUES TO SHOW SOMEWHAT LOWER PROBABILITIES BUT THE 50TH  
PERCENTILE STILL SHOWS A WIDE FOOTPRINT OF 4-6" ACROSS THE  
REGION. THE OVERALL 12Z GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SLIGHTLY TREND  
COOLER WITH THIS POTENTIAL SYSTEM. THIS COLDER WEATHER WILL HAVE  
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF MIXED PRECIP CORRIDORS WITH  
THIS SYSTEM. HAVE SLIGHTLY INCREASED FREEZING RAIN POTENTIAL  
ACROSS THE FAR SE AS THE ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE DOES SHOW THE  
POTENTIAL WARM NOSE CREEPING ITS WAY INTO THE AREA. WILL ALSO  
NOTE, THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN AS IT APPROACHES THE COAST  
LATE WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY. AS THIS LOW DEEPENS THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO TIGHTEN ESPECIALLY ALONG THE  
FAR SE COAST BRINGING GUSTY WINDS. CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THE TIME  
HOWEVER, THE POSSIBILITY OF NEARING BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS  
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SE COASTAL AREAS CANNOT BE RULED OUT.  
 
THIS EVENT HAS A HIGH CEILING FOR SNOW TOTALS WITH QPF WELL OVER AN  
INCH ACROSS THE REGION. HOWEVER, ANY MIXED PRECIP WILL REDUCE TOTALS  
SIGNIFICANTLY. SPECIFICS SHOULD BECOME MORE CLEAR OVER THE NEXT 24-  
48 HOURS SO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE FORECAST OVER THE COMING DAYS.  
COLD AND DRY CONDITIONS MOVE IN BEHIND THE SYSTEM AS HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDS INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND WILL  
DEPEND HEAVILY ON HOW MUCH SNOW ACCUMULATES AND WHERE.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /21Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
AS OF 315 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
IMPROVING FLYING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA THIS AFTERNOON  
IN THE WAKE OF A POTENT MID-LEVEL TROUGH. THE MAIN CONCERN  
THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE TAF PERIOD WILL BE THE GUSTY WINDS  
IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. W-SW WINDS WILL GUST TO 25-35 KT  
INLAND AND 30-40 KT ALONG THE COAST, ALONG WITH LLWS FROM THE  
SW AT 45-55 KTS. WINDS GRADUALLY DIMINISH ALOFT THIS EVENING,  
WITH SURFACE WINDS TO SIMILARLY DROP OFF THIS EVENING INTO THE  
LATE NIGHT HOURS, WHILE TURNING TO THE W-NW.  
 
OUTLOOK: VFR AND DRIER CONDITIONS ARRIVE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT  
MONDAY. WIND GUSTS UP TO 20-25 KT RETURN MONDAY LATE MORNING AND  
AFTERNOON, BEFORE DIMINISHING AGAIN AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS  
INTO THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDING INTO THE REGION FROM THE NW LOOKS TO MAINTAIN DRY/VFR  
CONDITIONS MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. LOOKING AHEAD,  
DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE LOOKS TO BRING WINTRY PRECIPITATION BACK  
INTO THE FORECAST IN THE FORM OF SNOW AND/OR WINTRY MIX WEDNESDAY  
INTO THURSDAY WITH DEGRADED FLIGHT CONDITIONS LOOKING LIKELY.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
AS OF 335 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- GALE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ALL WATERS FOR SW WINDS  
TODAY BECOMING WEST THIS EVENING FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL  
PASSAGE. GUSTS TO 35- 40 KT ARE EXPECTED, ALTHOUGH GUSTS OF 45  
KT ARE LIKELY NEAR THE LAND/WATER INTERFACE DURING THE  
AFTERNOON TODAY.  
 
- SUB-SCA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT-TUESDAY  
 
- ANOTHER MORE WINTRY SYSTEM WILL BRING SOLID SCA TO GALE  
CONDITIONS TO THE WATERS FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.  
 
A STRONG COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING THE LOCAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON  
WITH ELEVATED WINDS AHEAD OF IT. LATEST OBS INDICATED SW WINDS  
GENERALLY 20-25KT WITH GUSTS OF 30-40KT. GALE WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR  
ALL WATERS INTO TONIGHT. BUOY OBS SHOW THAT SEAS ARE 6-8FT AND WAVES  
ARE 4-5FT. THE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE WATERS WITHIN THE NEXT FEW  
HOURS WITH WINDS TURNING TO THE W BEHIND THE FRONT. ELEVATED WIND  
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AS INCREASED MIXING OVER THE WATERS ALLOWS THE  
STRONGER WINDS ALOFT TO MIX DOWN TO THE SFC ALONG WITH A TIGHT  
PRESSURE GRADIENT. EXPECTING W WINDS OF 25-30KT WITH GUSTS AROUND  
35KT. SEAS WILL STAY AT 6-8FT AND WAVES 4-5FT OVERNIGHT.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA MONDAY, LEADING TO GRADUALLY  
IMPROVING CONDITIONS. WHILE THE LOWER BAY AND SOUTHERN COASTAL  
WATERS WILL LIKELY DROP BELOW GALE CRITERIA EARLY MON, CONDITIONS  
COULD LINGER INTO THE AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHERN WATERS WHERE THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE TIGHTER. SCAS WILL THEN LIKELY LAST INTO  
MON EVENING. BY EARLY AFTERNOON, WEST WINDS WILL BE 15-20KT FOR MOST  
WATERS, BUT ~25KT FOR THE NORTHERN COASTAL WATERS. SUB-ADVISORY  
CONDITIONS ARE THEN ANTICIPATED FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY  
NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES INTO PLACE. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO A  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SET TO SLIDE UP THE COAST WED INTO THURSDAY. NE  
WINDS LOOK TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO WED NIGHT, BECOMING  
NW AS THE LOW PUSHES N AND AWAY FROM THE AREA EARLY THURS. WHILE  
THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE TRACK OF THE LOW,  
THERE IS INCREASING CONFIDENCE IN THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF  
GALES WITH THIS SYSTEM.  
 
 
   
HYDROLOGY  
 
AS OF 315 PM EST SUNDAY...  
 
A RIVER FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE JAMES RIVER AT  
CARTERSVILLE, AS THAT POINT WILL LIKELY RISE ABOVE MODERATE FLOOD  
STAGE BY LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN  
IN EFFECT FOR THE JAMES RIVER AT RICHMOND-WESTHAM AND THE  
RICHMOND LOCKS, AND ALSO FOR THE APPOMATTOX RIVER AT FARMVILLE  
AND MATTOAX. ADDITIONAL MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE  
ALONG THE JAMES, APPOMATTOX, AND CHOWAN BASINS THROUGH EARLY  
NEXT WEEK. SEE WATER.NOAA.GOV/WFO/AKQ FOR THE LATEST SITE  
SPECIFIC INFORMATION.  
 
 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MD...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR MDZ021>025.  
NC...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR NCZ012>017-  
030>032-102.  
VA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR VAZ075>078-  
080>090-092-093-095>100-512>525.  
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR VAZ048-060>062-  
064>069-079-509>511.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST MONDAY FOR ANZ630-631-650-652-654.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY FOR ANZ632-634-656-658.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ633.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY FOR ANZ635>638.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...MAM  
NEAR TERM...MAM  
SHORT TERM...MAM/RHR  
LONG TERM...HET  
AVIATION...MAM  
MARINE...AC  
HYDROLOGY...  
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