941
FXUS61 KAKQ 302341
AFDAKQ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
741 PM EDT FRI MAY 30 2025
SYNOPSIS
A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING INTO
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING, PRODUCING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT CROSSES
THE AREA SATURDAY AFTERNOON, BRINGING ADDITIONAL SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND STORMS. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA EARLY
NEXT WEEK, ALLOWING FOR DRY WEATHER TO RETURN. A WARMUP IS
EXPECTED BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/
AS OF 730 PM EDT FRIDAY...
KEY MESSAGES:
- SHOWERS AND A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE
EASTWARD ACROSS THIS AREA THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING.
SHOWERS WITH A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE
EASTWARD AND EVENTUALLY OFF THE COAST THIS EVENING THROUGH
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. THE
BACK EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE EAST OF THE I-95
CORRIDOR BY 00Z/8PM WITH CLEARING WORKING IN FROM THE WEST
THROUGH THE LATE EVENING. SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLEAR PORTIONS OF
THE SVR/TOR WATCHES BY 8 PM. AS LOW PRESSURE RIDES EASTWARD TO
OUR NORTH (ALONG THE MASON DIXON LINE), THERE WILL STILL BE THE
POSSIBILITY OF SOME LINGERING RAIN UP AROUND THE NORTHERN NECK
AND ONTO THE LOWER MD EASTERN SHORE EARLY SATURDAY (6-12Z). SOME
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE, BUT THE BEST CHANCE OF FLOODING
LIKELY REMAINS NORTH OF THE AKQ CWA. ALL OTHER AREAS SHOULD BE
DRY AFTER 03Z OR SO. WE SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A DECENT
WESTERLY WIND OVERNIGHT (10-15 MPH WITH GUSTS 20-25 MPH) AS THE
DRIER AIR ARRIVES AND WE GET GOOD MIXING POST- FRONTAL. LOWS
TONIGHT GENERALLY 55-60F.
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/
AS OF 230 PM EDT FRIDAY...
KEY MESSAGES:
- SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY SATURDAY AFTERNOON,
POSING THE RISK FOR HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.
- DRY WEATHER RETURNS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.
FOR SATURDAY, THE SHORTWAVES PHASE INTO AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG TROUGH
ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS. AT THE SURFACE, LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS AS IT
TRACKS NE INTO NEW ENGLAND. MEANWHILE, A SECONDARY COLD FRONT
(ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE ENERGY FROM THE PARENT TROUGH)
MOVES ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR VERY
COOL TEMPS ALOFT FOR LATE MAY, WHICH THEREFORE WILL ALLOW FOR VERY
STEEP LAPSE RATES. MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES OF 6.5-7.5 C ARE EXPECTED
WITH THE STEEPEST LAPSE RATES ACROSS THE SW HALF OF THE AREA. EVEN
THOUGH DEW POINTS REMAIN GENERALLY IN THE MID-UPPER 50S SAT
AFTERNOON, THE COOL TEMPS ALOFT WILL ALLOW FOR MLCAPE TO INCREASE TO
AROUND 1000 J/KG ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA (500-1000 J/KG ACROSS THE
NE HALF OF THE AREA). 0-6KM WNW SHEAR INCREASES DURING THE
AFTERNOON, RANGING FROM ~30 KNOTS NORTH TO 40 TO 50 KNOTS FURTHER
SOUTH. GIVEN THE STEEP LAPSE RATES, HIGH LCLS, AND LOW FREEZING
LEVELS, A FAVORABLE SETUP FOR AT LEAST SMALL HAIL IS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON
(POTENTIALLY AS EARLY AS AROUND NOON), MOVING SE WITH TIME. GIVEN
THE FAVORABLE HAIL SETUP, ANY STRONGER SHOWER/STORMS IS LIKELY TO
HAVE AT LEAST SMALL HAIL. HOWEVER, IF A STORM IS ABLE TO BECOME
STRONG ENOUGH, LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE (POTENTIALLY LARGER THAN
QUARTERS) GIVEN SHIP VALUES >1. ADDITIONALLY, THE LAPSE RATES ONLY
STEEPEN TOWARDS THE SURFACE WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG WINDS TO MIX
TO THE SURFACE. ONE CAVEAT IS THAT IF A STORM IS COMPOSED MOSTLY OF
HAIL AND/OR ELEVATED, A STRONG COLD POOL MAY NOT DEVELOP. AS SUCH,
SPC HAS THE ENTIRE AREA UNDER A MARGINAL (LEVEL 1/5) RISK FOR HAIL
AND WIND SATURDAY.
CONVECTION QUICKLY TAPERS OFF BY SATURDAY EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF
DIURNAL INSTABILITY WITH DRY WEATHER RETURNING SATURDAY NIGHT INTO
SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN. HIGHS RANGE FROM THE MID 70S N TO
THE UPPER 70S S SAT AND SUN. LOWS COOL TO THE UPPER 40S NW TO THE
LOW-MID 50S SE (UPPER 50S ALONG THE COAST) SAT NIGHT AND AROUND 50F
NW TO THE UPPER 50S SE (AROUND 60F ALONG THE COAST) SUN NIGHT. ONE
FINAL SHORTWAVE PIVOTS THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SE BY LATE
SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY, WHICH WOULD LEAD TO ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED SHOWERS MAINLY SUNDAY NIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY, BUT THIS
WOULD BE MUCH LESS IMPACTFUL THAN PREVIOUS SYSTEMS.
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
AS OF 230 PM EDT FRIDAY...
KEY MESSAGES:
- GENERALLY DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK.
- A WARMUP IS EXPECTED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.
ALOFT, AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH LINGERS OVER THE EAST COAST ON MONDAY
BEFORE SLIDING OFFSHORE TUESDAY WITH A RIDGE MOVING INTO THE EAST
COAST FROM MID TO LATE WEEK. HOWEVER, MODELS DIFFER WITH RESPECT TO
THE EXACT EVOLUTION OF THIS PATTERN CHANGE. THE GFS/GEFS IS STILL
MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE TROUGH EXITING THE COAST WHEREAS THE
EURO/EPS BUILDS THE RIDGE INTO E CANADA BUT THAT ALLOWS FOR A PIECE
OF THE TROUGH OVER THE EAST COAST TO BECOME A CUTOFF LOW LINGERING
NEAR OR OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA OR JUST OFFSHORE INTO THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. IF THE GFS/GEFS IS CORRECT, A QUICK WARMUP IS
EXPECTED BY TUE WITH HIGHS WELL INTO THE 80S BY TUE AND APPROACHING
90F BY WED/THU. HOWEVER, IF THE EURO/EPS IS CORRECT, LINGERING CLOUD
COVER WOULD KEEP TEMPS COOLER WITH EPS HIGHS ONLY IN THE UPPER 70S
ON TUE FOR RICHMOND AND CLIMBING INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S BY
WED/THU. FOR NOW, KEPT NBM TEMPS IN THE FORECAST GIVEN HOW FAR OUT
IT IS. OTHERWISE, HIGH PRESSURE KEEPS MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH
MOST OF THE WEEK. SHOWER/STORM CHANCES INCREASE NEXT FRIDAY.
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
AS OF 0740 PM EDT FRIDAY...
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES WIND DOWN FROM WEST TO EAST
LATER THIS EVENING, THOUGH SBY MAY GET WRAP AROUND MOISTURE
OVERNIGHT, RESULTING IN LINGERING SHRA FROM 6-11Z. WINDS WILL
BECOME WESTERLY BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE AND INCREASE TO
10-15KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20-25KT, HIGHEST CLOSER TO THE COAST.
CIGS GENERALLY IMPROVE TONIGHT, WITH SOME CLEARING WEST TO EAST.
ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED TSRA IS EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
HAIL AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN.
OUTLOOK: MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. THOUGH CAN'T RULE OUT A FEW COASTAL SHOWERS ON
SUNDAY.
MARINE
AS OF 215 PM EDT FRIDAY...
- GALE WARNINGS ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND COASTAL
WATERS.
- SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE RIVERS AND
CURRITUCK SOUND.
- STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING, AND AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON WEATHER ANALYSIS SHOWS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING
ALONG THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. A WARM FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
LOW HAS MOVED THROUGH THE AREA ALLOWING WINDS TO BE BACKED OUT OF
THE SOUTH AROUND 10 KT WITH GUSTS UPWARDS OF 15 KT. SEAS THIS
AFTERNOON ARE BETWEEN 1 TO 2 FT IN THE BAY AND 2 TO 3 FT ACROSS THE
OCEAN. AS THIS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS VA THIS AFTERNOON IT WILL
BE ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL POSE THE RISK OF STRONG
WIND GUSTS, HAIL, AND POTENTIAL WATERSPOUTS. AS FOR WINDS, THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE OUT OF THE SSW BETWEEN 15 TO 20 KT
SUSTAINED AND GUSTS BETWEEN 25 TO 30 KT. THEN BY LATE TONIGHT AND
EARLY TOMORROW MORNING WINDS WILL SHIFT OUT OF THE W AS A COLD FRONT
PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. WIND GUST PROBABILITIES OF >= 34KT CONTINUE
TO INCREASE FOR THE OCEAN AND CHES. BAY, AND 950MB WIND IN THE NAM
AND RAP HAVE INCREASED TO 35-45KT. WITH THE HIGHER PROBABILITIES AND
BETTER MODEL AGREEMENT THE SCA FOR THE BAY AND OCEAN HAVE BEEN
UPGRADED TO GALE WARNINGS FROM MIDNIGHT TO 7 AM. SCA WILL REMAIN IN
EFFECT FOR THE CURRITUCK SOUND AND THE RIVERS. SEAS BUILD TO 4-6FT
LATE TONIGHT, WITH WAVES IN THE CHES. BAY BUILDING TO 3-4FT.
WINDS SATURDAY WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE WSW BETWEEN 15 TO 20 KT WITH
GUSTS UPWARDS OF 25KT. THESE ELEVATED WINDS SHOULD REMAIN THROUGH
MIDDAY AND BY THE EVENING LOWER JUST BELOW SCA CRITERIA. WILL NOTE
THAT SCA WILL MOST LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR THE BAY STARTING AROUND
EARLY MORNING SATURDAY ONCE THE GALE WARNING IS DROPPED. BY EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW A SURGE OF
COOLER AND DRIER AIR ACROSS THE BAY WHICH COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER
ROUND OF SCA. HOWEVER, CONFIDENCE IN THIS SECOND SURGE IS LOW AT
THIS TIME. SEAS/WAVES SUBSIDE TO 3-4FT/2-3FT SATURDAY. HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS INTO THE REGION LATE THIS WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK,
BEFORE SETTLING OFFSHORE BY MIDWEEK. THIS WILL BRING BENIGN MARINE
CONDITIONS TO THE AREA.
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
AS OF 215 PM EDT FRIDAY...
A MODESTLY STRONG WESTERLY WIND IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT. THIS
COULD POTENTIALLY BRING NUISANCE TO MINOR COASTAL FLOODING TO THE
BAY-SIDE OF THE EASTERN SHORE DURING HIGH TIDE TONIGHT.
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MD...NONE.
NC...NONE.
VA...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR
ANZ630>632-634-650-652-654-656-658.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR ANZ633.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT SATURDAY FOR ANZ635>638.
SYNOPSIS...AJB/RMM
NEAR TERM...AJB/JDM
SHORT TERM...AJB/RMM
LONG TERM...AJB/RMM
AVIATION...JDM/JKP
MARINE...AJZ/HET
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...AKQ
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page