811  
FXUS61 KAKQ 021033  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
633 AM EDT FRI MAY 2 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
VERY WARM WEATHER IS EXPECTED TODAY, ALONG WITH ISOLATED TO  
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS EACH DAY. A COLD FRONT APPROACHES  
THIS WEEKEND, BUT LIKELY REMAINS TO OUR WEST. SCATTERED TO  
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AND  
SUNDAY. COOLER TEMPERATURES WITH UNSETTLED CONDITIONS WILL  
CONTINUE EARLY NEXT WEEK IN ASSOCIATION WITH A SLOW  
MOVING/CUTOFF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. SHOWER CHANCES LIKELY LINGER  
THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
AS OF 630 AM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE:  
 
- VERY WARM WEATHER CONTINUES TODAY WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S.  
 
- A FEW SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF  
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING.  
 
EARLY MORNING ANALYSIS SHOWS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE NOW MOVING OFF THE  
EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AND A POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH MOVING  
IN ACROSS THE MIDWEST. AT THE SURFACE, A 1002MB LOW IS NOW CENTERED  
JUST NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES AND A 1022MB HIGH PRESSURE OVER  
BERMUDA. THE WARM FRONT FROM YESTERDAY HAS LIFTED NORTH OUT OF THE  
AREA THIS EVENING. BEHIND THE FRONT STILL REMAINS A MIX OF MID AND  
HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE CWA HELPING KEEP TEMPERATURES WARM THIS  
EVENING. TEMPERATURES AS OF 215 AM ARE IN THE UPPER TO MIDDLE 60S.  
 
THE LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES VICINITY WILL  
CONTINUE TO MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST AND ITS COLD FRONT WILL  
SLOWLY APPROACH THE AREA BEFORE STALLING OUT NORTH AND WEST OF  
THE AREA. AHEAD OF THE FRONT TEMPERATURES WILL WARM BACK UP INTO  
THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 80S UNDER PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES.  
THERE IS THE POTENTIAL OF SCATTERED TO ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM  
DEVELOPMENT WEST OF I-95 LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. A LEE  
TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP HELPING INITIATE THESE  
SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. THESE SHOWERS COULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY  
GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. HOWEVER, THE SEVERE THREAT IS  
LIMITED DUE TO THE LACK OF WIND SHEAR. THESE CHANCES OF SHOWERS  
CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS OF TONIGHT BUT THE CHANCES OF  
THUNDERSTORMS DECREASE AS THE INSTABILITY DECREASES. LOWS FOR  
TONIGHT WILL BE MILD ONCE AGAIN WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO  
THE MIDDLE TO LOWER 60S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 315 AM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SHOWERS/STORMS ARE LIKELY ON SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES  
THE REGION. THE FRONT REMAINS TO OUR WEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
- SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES RETURN BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND.  
 
BY SATURDAY, THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE POSITIONING ITSELF ACROSS  
THE MOD-ATLANTIC. AT THE SURFACE, THE STALLED COLD FRONT WILL BE  
POSITIONED NORTH OF VIRGINIA, WITH A NEW SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING  
ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. THE LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO  
SHOW THE BETTER CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE  
WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA. SPC HAS MAINTAINED A MARGINAL RISK FOR  
STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ON SATURDAY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM  
NEAR WINDSOR, NC NORTHEAST TO SALISBURY, MD. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND  
HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW  
THE BETTER WIND SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE  
CWA. IF THUNDERSTORMS ARE ABLE TO DEVELOP SATURDAY THE GREATEST RISK  
OF THESE SEVERE HAZARDS ABOVE WILL BE ACROSS THE WEST. TEMPERATURES  
SATURDAY WILL WARM BACK UP INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 80S ACROSS VA/NC  
ACROSS THE EASTERN SHORE TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE LOWER 80S.  
 
THE UNSETTLED WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE UPPER  
CIRCULATION FROM THE TROUGH DETACHES AND BECOMES A CUT OFF LOW. THIS  
LOW ALOFT WILL LINGER AND HELP BRING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN SUNDAY. MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW MINIMAL  
INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR ACROSS THE AREA HOWEVER, THESE SHOWERS  
COULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY WINDS. WITH THE CUT OFF LOW LINGERING  
AND FETCHING IN MORE MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER TEMPERATURES WILL BE  
SLIGHTLY COOLER WITH HIGHS SUNDAY IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 70S.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
AS OF 315 AM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE:  
 
- THE FORECAST FOR LATE IN THE WEEKEND INTO THE EARLY/MIDDLE PORTION  
OF NEXT WEEK REMAINS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN, BUT CONFIDENCE IS  
INCREASING THAT SHOWER/ISOLATED STORM CHANCES WILL PERSIST ACROSS  
THE AREA FROM SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
THE 00Z/02 ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW BETTER AGREEMENT WITH  
HANDLING THE DEVELOPING CUTOFF LOW. THE GEFS IS NOW LINING UP  
SIMILAR WITH THE CMC/ECMWF. BY MONDAY THE LOW WILL REVERT WEST, THIS  
WILL ALLOW FOR MORE MOISTURE TO MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS THE AREA  
BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE  
REGION. THE PWS WILL BE THE HIGHEST ACROSS THE EASTERN SHORE AND  
COASTAL ZONES ON MONDAY WITH VALUES BETWEEN 1.2- 1.5". AS THE WEEK  
PROGRESSES THE CUTOFF LOW WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER AND CHANCES OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE  
CHANCES OF SHOWERS DO DECREASE WEDNESDAY AS THE LOW FINALLY EXITS  
THE AREA. HOWEVER, THE LATEST ENSEMBLES SHOW A NEW CUTOFF LOW  
DEVELOPING ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH BU LATE NEXT WEEK THAT WILL BRING  
MORE CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /12Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
AS OF 630 AM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL AT ALL MAJOR TERMINALS THROUGH THE 12Z/02  
TAF PERIOD. WINDS THIS MORNING REMAIN OUT OF THE SW JUST UNDER  
10 KT. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THROUGH THE MORNING  
AND AFTERNOON TO 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UPWARDS OF 20 KT ACROSS  
ALL TERMINALS. THEN BY THIS EVENING WINDS WILL DECREASE OUT OF  
THE SW BETWEEN 5 TO 10 KT. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN VFR WITH  
SOME SCT TO BKN HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA THIS  
MORNING THAN POSSIBLE CUMULUS CLOUDS MOVING ACROSS THE REGION  
LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL OF ISOLATED SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, CONFIDENCE IS  
LOW AT THIS TIME TO ADD PROB 30 OR VCSH TO SBY, ECG, PHF, AND  
ORF. THERE IS HIGH ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN POSSIBLE SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS NEAR RIC THIS EVENING AND A PROB 30 WILL CONTINUE  
THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
OUTLOOK: ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON/EVENING. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON  
SATURDAY WHICH COULD BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS SATURDAY  
EVENING INTO SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
AS OF 315 AM EDT FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SCA CONDITIONS APPEAR TO BE PROBABLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO  
SATURDAY NIGHT FOR MOST OF THE MARINE AREA AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM.  
 
- SUB-SCA CONDITIONS FAVORED EARLY NEXT WEEK DESPITE A LOW PRESSURE  
SYSTEM MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE NORTHEAST.  
 
SSW WINDS 10-15 KT WITH GUSTS AROUND 20 KT ARE OCCURING ACROSS THE  
MARINE AREA THIS MORNING. SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATER  
THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, GUSTS UP TO 25 KT WILL  
OCCUR ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  
SSW WINDS AROUND 15 KT WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY  
MORNING. SEAS 2-4 FT TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING WITH WAVES 1-2  
FT IN THE BAY.  
 
THE BEST CHANCE AT SEEING SCA CONDITIONS (S WIND GUSTS ~25 KT) WILL  
COME SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT  
TIGHTENS UP A BIT MORE WITH THE APPROACH OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM  
FROM THE WEST. AT THIS TIME, SEAS ARE LIKELY TO BUILD BETWEEN 4 TO 5  
FT N OF PARRAMORE ISLAND WITH WAVES TO ~3 FT IN THE BAY. THE  
GRADIENT WILL TEND TO WEAKEN BY SUNDAY. BEYOND THE WEEKEND, THE  
MODELS GENERALLY SHOW A SFC TROUGH LINGERING ALONG OR JUST INLAND  
FROM THE COAST, WITH WINDS BACKING TO THE SE, AND REMAINING 10-15 KT  
WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT THROUGH MIDWEEK. SEAS WILL TEND TO CONTINUE  
IN THE 3-4 FT RANGE (POTENTIALLY HIGHER IF THE WINDS WERE TO BACK  
MORE TO THE EAST). SUB-SCA CONDITIONS ARE FAVORED AT THIS TIME.  
 
 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...HET/RHR  
NEAR TERM...HET  
SHORT TERM...HET  
LONG TERM...HET/RHR  
AVIATION...HET  
MARINE...JDM/LKB  
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