751  
FXUS61 KAKQ 262340  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
740 PM EDT THU JUN 26 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
A LARGE RIDGE REMAINS ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS, BRINGING VERY HOT  
CONDITIONS TO THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEK. LOW-END CHANCES FOR  
AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAKE A RETURN THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/  
 
AS OF 245 PM EDT THURSDAY...  
 
- HEAT ADVISORIES IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA TODAY.  
 
- SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP TODAY, WITH MORE  
COVERAGE THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO  
SEVERE.  
 
AFTERNOON SFC ANALYSIS INDICATES A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER  
MUCH OF THE SE CONUS STILL CENTERED SW OF THE LOCAL AREA. A BACKDOOR  
FRONT LOCATED OVER THE NORTHERN MID ATLANTIC IS SAGGING SOUTH TOWARD  
THE AREA. THE UL RIDGE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR SEVERAL DAYS  
CONTINUES TO SLOWLY WEAKEN. TEMPS AS OF LATEST OBS ARE IN THE LOW TO  
MID 90S. HEAT INDICES ARE GENERALLY IN THE 103-107 RANGE AND THE  
HEAT ADVISORY ACROSS THE AREA WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 7PM TONIGHT. LOWS  
TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE LOW-MID 70S.  
 
REGARDING CONVECTION FOR THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING, WE ARE  
LOOKING AT A PRETTY SIMILAR SET UP TO YESTERDAY. ALREADY SEEING A  
FEW STORMS POP UP ON RADAR AND THERE'S A FAIRLY ROBUST CU FIELD  
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA ON SATELLITE. ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS NO  
SHORTAGE OF INSTABILITY WITH SBCAPE BETWEEN 3000-4000 J/KG ON  
MESOANALYSIS (1500-2000 J/KG MLCAPE). THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY SHEAR  
TO SPEAK OF AND WEAK FLOW ALOFT, WHICH MAY SERVE TO LIMIT STORM  
STRENGTH. HOWEVER, DCAPE IS SITTING AT 1000-1500 J/KG, SO ANY  
STRONGER STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING  
WIND GUSTS. THE SPC DID ADD A SLIGHT RISK FOR AREAS NW OF RICHMOND  
WITH THE MID-DAY UPDATE. ELSEWHERE, A MARGINAL RISK REMAINS IN  
PLACE. WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND STORMS MOTIONS SLOWER THAN A  
SNAIL, HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO ISOLATED INSTANCES OF FLOODING  
(MARGINAL ERO FROM WPC). ISOLATED STORMS THIS AFTERNOON LIKELY  
INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE N/NW THIS EVENING (40-50% POPS).  
PRECIP MOSTLY TAPERS OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT, BUT COULD SEE SOME  
LINGERING SHOWERS ACROSS THE FAR N INTO TOMORROW MORNING AS THE  
FRONT DROPS INTO THE AREA.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 315 PM EDT THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED FRIDAY AFTERNOON.  
A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE.  
 
- HEAT ADVISORY ISSUED FOR SE PORTIONS OF THE AREA FOR FRIDAY. A BACKDOOR  
COLD FRONT TO BRING SOME RELIEF FROM THE HEAT TO THE NE  
COUNTIES AND MD EASTERN SHORE COUNTIES.  
 
THE BACKDOOR FRONT DROPS INTO THE AREA FRIDAY MORNING AND STALLS OUT  
SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF I-64 BEFORE LIFTING OUT AGAIN FRIDAY  
NIGHT. THIS WILL BRING A TEMPORARY RELIEF FROM THE INTENSE HEAT TO  
THE MD EASTERN SHORE AND PERHAPS THE NORTHERN NECK WHERE HIGHS WILL  
BE IN THE 80S. LOW CLOUD COVER AND POTENTIALLY SOME FOG ARE EXPECTED  
NORTH OF THE FRONT AS WELL, AT LEAST IN THE MORNING. SOUTH OF THE  
FRONT, HIGHS WILL YET AGAIN BE IN THE LOW TO MID 90S. HEAT INDICES  
WILL BE OVER 100 FOR MUCH OF THE AREA WITH AN AREA OF 105-107 FROM  
RICHMOND DOWN TO ELIZABETH CITY. DID GO AHEAD AND ISSUE A HEAT  
ADVISORY FOR THAT AREA: GENERALLY S OF I-64 AND E OF I-95 GIVE OR  
TAKE A FEW COUNTIES. CANNOT RULE OUT AN EXPANSION OF THE ADVISORY  
BEFORE TOMORROW AS CONFIDENCE INCREASES IN PLACEMENT OF THE FRONT.  
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THE MARGINAL SEVERE  
RISK AND FLOOD THREAT CONTINUING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WOULD ONCE  
AGAIN BE THE MAIN THREAT. HIGHEST COVERAGE LOOKS TO BE IN THE  
W/NW IN THE EVENING. BY SATURDAY, THE FRONT WILL START TO LIFT  
BACK TO THE NORTH, SO WHILE AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
STILL POSSIBLE, THEY WILL NOT BE AS HIGH IN COVERAGE AS FRIDAY.  
WITH THE UPPER RIDGE STILL ACROSS THE REGION, ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON SATURDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE  
LOWER TO MID 90S. HEAT INDICES WILL RANGE BETWEEN 97-104F,  
THOUGH SOME AREAS COULD SEE A BRIEF PERIOD OF 105F+ HEAT  
INDICES.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
AS OF 320 PM EDT THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- HOT WEATHER CONTINUES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
- AN UNSETTLED PATTERN DEVELOPS WITH DAILY, DIURNAL CHANCES FOR  
SCATTERED STORMS.  
 
THE WEAKENED UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK, LEADING TO THE CONTINUATION OF ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES. WHILE TEMPERATURES WILL NOT BE QUITE AS HIGH AS WHAT  
WE SAW THIS PAST WEEK, HIGHS WILL STILL REACH THE LOW TO MID 90S  
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY, WITH HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 98-103F. WE WILL  
CONTINUE TO MONITOR ANY TRENDS IN THE HEAT, AS SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IN  
THE TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS COULD LEAD TO SOME AREAS REACHING  
HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION  
ON TUESDAY, WITH MOISTURE POOLING AHEAD OF IT AND PWS  
APPROACHING 2.0"+ LATER THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WHICH  
MAY RESULT IN A HEAVY RAIN THREAT. THE UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN  
WILL CONTINUE, WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION EACH  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE AFOREMENTIONED  
FRONT IS SET TO MOVE THROUGH TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY, THOUGH IT  
LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT LINGER ACROSS NE NC THROUGH THURSDAY,  
BRINGING HIGHER RAIN CHANCES TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE  
FORECAST AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. WED (BEHIND THE FRONT)  
COULD POTENTIALLY BE OUR FIRST DAY IN A WHILE WITH WIDESPREAD  
HIGHS <90F WITH CURRENT FORECAST HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
AS OF 740 PM EDT THURSDAY...  
 
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS ARE ONGOING WEST OF THE MAIN  
TERMINALS EARLY THIS EVENING AND ARE EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE  
OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE  
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE AREA LATER THIS  
EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT AS A BACK DOOR FRONT DROPS FROM NE TO  
SW BEFORE STALLING. THESE STORMS WOULD MOST LIKELY IMPACT SBY  
BUT HI-RES GUIDANCE KEEPS THE STORMS SW OF THE TERMINAL (OVER  
THE NORTHERN NECK AND CHESAPEAKE BAY) SO WILL NOT MENTION IN THE  
FORECAST FOR NOW. LOW STRATUS AND POSSIBLY REDUCED VSBYS ARE  
LIKELY BEHIND THE FRONT SO HAVE SBY IN IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS  
THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE DAYLIGHT HOURS OF FRIDAY AS WELL.  
IFR CIGS MAY SPREAD AS FAR SW AS RIC AROUND SUNRISE BUT  
CONFIDENCE IS LOW SO WILL SHOW A PERIOD OF LOW-END MVFR WITH  
THIS TAF. ELSEWHERE, VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD  
BUT AFTERNOON CONVECTION WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY,  
ESPECIALLY NEAR WHERE THE FRONT STALLS. HAVE INCLUDED PROB30  
GROUPS AT RIC AND PHF WHERE CONFIDENCE IS HIGHEST BUT ORF COULD  
ALSO SEE SOME STORMS IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING. WINDS ARE MOSTLY  
LIGHT AND VARIABLE TONIGHT, BECOMING SE 5-10 KT BY THE  
AFTERNOON.  
 
OUTLOOK: VFR CONDITIONS ARE PRIMARILY EXPECTED INTO NEXT WEEK  
AS THE FRONT LIFTS BACK NORTH. HOWEVER, LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING  
STORMS ARE POSSIBLE EVERY DAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
AS OF 245 AM EDT THURSDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE  
WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 
FAVORABLE MARINE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS  
HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS DOMINANT ACROSS THE REGION. THE WIND DIRECTION  
WILL BE INFLUENCED BY THE SEA BREEZE DURING THE DAY AS THE LAND  
HEATS UP, THEN WILL BECOME GENERALLY VARIABLE OVERNIGHT. AS THE HIGH  
SHIFTS OFFSHORE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND,  
THE SYNOPTIC WINDS BECOME PREDOMINANTLY SOUTHERLY AREAWIDE. SEA  
BREEZES MAY STILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE NEAR THE SHORE IN THE AFTERNOON  
HOURS, WHICH WOULD SHIFT THE WIND TO THE E OR SE. A FEW WIND GUSTS  
TO 20-25 KT ARE POSSIBLE BY THE WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT WEEK, BUT  
PREDICTABILITY IS LOW AT THIS RANGE GIVEN THE EFFECTS OF POTENTIAL  
CONVECTION. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE  
AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS TODAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WHICH COULD BRING  
STRONG WIND GUSTS TO THE WATERS, WITH WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER WITHIN  
ANY CONVECTION.  
 
SEAS IN THE OCEAN REMAIN AROUND 2 FT FOR THE WEEK, INCREASING TO 2-3  
FT BY FRIDAY. WAVES IN THE BAY AND RIVERS OF 1-2 FT OR LESS  
THROUGH THE PERIOD.  
 
 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR NCZ014>017-031-  
032-102.  
VA...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR VAZ080>083-  
088>090-092-093-095>098-512>516-523>525.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...AJB/RMM  
NEAR TERM...AC  
SHORT TERM...AC/NB  
LONG TERM...AC/NB  
AVIATION...RHR  
MARINE...ESS  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab VA Page
The Nexlab NC Page
The Nexlab MD Page
Main Text Page