654  
FXUS61 KAKQ 011424  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
1024 AM EDT TUE JUL 1 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST TODAY, WITH MAINLY DRY  
WEATHER THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON, FOLLOWED BY INCREASING STORM  
CHANCES FROM WEST TO EAST LATE IN THE DAY INTO TONIGHT. THE  
FRONT WILL BE VERY SLOW TO CROSS THE LOCAL AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY,  
WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING. MAINLY DRY  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE IN THE WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS  
HIGH PRESSURE BRINGS SOMEWHAT LOWER HUMIDITY TO THE REGION.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
AS OF 1025 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
- SLOWER TIMING OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL LEAD TO A HOT  
AND HUMID DAY WITH LIMITED RAIN CHANCES UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON  
OR EVENING EXCEPT ACROSS THE NW.  
 
- BEST SEVERE THREAT (SLIGHT RISK/LEVEL 2 OUT OF 5) WILL BE  
ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN TIER WHERE BETTER SHEAR RESIDES, AND  
WHERE STORMS ARRIVE EARLIER.  
 
- LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT, MAINLY FOR THE NW 1/2  
OF THE FA WHERE A SLIGHT ERO RISK IS IN EFFECT.  
 
THE LATEST WX ANALYSIS INDICATES AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WELL OFF  
THE SE US COAST, WITH AN APPROACHING UPPER TROUGH FROM THE  
WESTERN GREAT LAKES TO THE LOWER OH VALLEY WHERE THERE IS A LOT  
OF ONGOING CONVECTION EARLY THIS MORNING. THERE IS ALSO AN AREA  
WITH SCATTERED ACTIVITY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN  
APPALACHIANS. DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THIS MORNING WITH  
DEVELOPING LOW-LEVEL CU (IN THE FORM OF CLOUD STREETS) NOTED  
ACROSS MOST OF THE LOCAL AREA. TEMPERATURES HAVE RISEN INTO THE  
LOW-MID 80S, WITH EVEN SOME UPPER 80S ALREADY ON THE MD EASTERN  
SHORE.  
 
FOR TODAY, THE COLD FRONT WILL BE SLOW TO APPROACH FROM THE  
W/NW, AND HAVE GENERALLY SLOWED THE TIMING OF THE ARRIVAL OF  
SHOWERS AND TSTMS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST CYCLE. MOST  
OF THE CAMS, AS WELL AS THE GFS AND ECMWF REALLY DO NOT BRING  
MUCH OF A CHC FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE SE 1/2 OF THE AREA  
UNTIL TONIGHT. THE 01/12Z NSSL REMAINS AN AGGRESSIVE OUTLIER IN  
DEPICTING EARLY, PRE-FRONTAL CONVECTION, BUT THIS IS LIKELY  
OVERDONE. FOR POPS, HAVE MAINLY LEANED TO THE NBM, BLENDING IN  
SOME OF THE CAMS TO SHOW A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IN COVERAGE AND  
TIMING. THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT FAR SE VA  
AND NE NC HAVE A VERY LOW CHC UNTIL TONIGHT (WITH SOME POTENTIAL  
THAT THESE AREAS STAY COMPLETELY DRY THROUGH TONIGHT). MODEL PW  
VALUES IN EXCESS OF 2.0" ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AS  
THE FRONT APPROACHES THIS AFTN, WITH ~1.75" TO THE SE. A  
SOMEWHAT STRONGER FLOW, WITH 850-500MB WINDS OF 25-30KT ARRIVES  
LATER THIS AFTN AND EVENING ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH  
ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE AREA WHERE IMPROVED STORM  
ORGANIZATION AND A SLIGHT RISK FOR SVR IS IN PLACE. MID-LEVEL  
LAPSE RATES APPEAR WEAK, GENERALLY ONLY ~5.5C/KM OR LESS, SO  
THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH HAIL GENERALLY  
UNLIKELY. MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA IS IN A MARGINAL  
SEVERE RISK (WITH JUST GENERAL THUNDER ALONG THE ALBEMARLE  
SOUND). THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO WEAKER FLOW ALOFT THE FARTHER TO  
THE SE, AND ALSO WITH LITTLE CHC FOR ANY STORMS UNTIL AFTER  
SUNSET TO THE SE. TIMING OF THE SEVERE THREAT WILL GENERALLY BE  
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. ADDITIONALLY,  
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED MOISTURE  
RICH AIRMASS, AND WPC HAS A SLIGHT RISK OVER NW PORTIONS OF THE  
FA AND A MARGINAL INTO SE VA. THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT SHOULD  
LINGER LATER INTO THE EVENING COMPARED TO THE SEVERE THREAT.  
 
RAIN CHANCES REMAIN HIGH FOR THE NW 1/2 OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT,  
THOUGH THE LATEST HREF 3"/3HR NEIGHBORHOOD PROBS DROP OFF  
OVERNIGHT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING SO THE INTENSITY OF  
THE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH SOMEWHAT AFTER MIDNIGHT AND  
THEREFORE CONFIDENCE IN A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE NW IS TOO LOW AT  
THIS TIME.  
 
HIGHS TODAY WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 90S ACROSS THE SE, AND  
MOSTLY IN THE LOWER 90S ELSEWHERE. PEAK HEAT INDICES IN THE  
UPPER 90S W TO NEAR 105F SE (NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD  
ENOUGH FOR A HEAT ADVISORY). OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 70S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 355 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- THE FRONT WILL BE SLOW TO PUSH SE, LIKELY STALLING NEAR VA/NC  
BORDER, BRINGING INCREASED RAIN CHANCES TO SE VA AND NE NC  
WEDNESDAY (SLIGHT ERO FOR WED IN SE ZONES).  
 
01/00Z GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO TREND SLOWER WITH THE FRONT AS IT  
PUSHES SE WEDNESDAY, KEEPING INCREASED RAIN CHANCES AREA-WIDE,  
WITH HEAVY RAIN THREAT SHIFTING TO SE VA AND NE NC THROUGH WED  
EVENING. THERE APPEARS TO BE AMPLE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FOR  
HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE SE WED AS THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS CROSSES  
THE AREA IN TANDEM WITH PW VALUES > 2.00". THEREFORE, THE  
PRIMARY HAZARD WEDNESDAY WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AND THE 01/00Z HREF  
3"/3HR NEIGHBORHOOD PROBS HAVE INCREASED TO 30-50% FOR THE VA  
EASTERN SHORE AND HAMPTON ROADS. A FLOOD WATCH MAY NEED TO BE  
CONSIDERED BY LATER SHIFTS IF THIS CONTINUES. IN ADDITION, SOME  
OF THE GUIDANCE DEPICTS SOME ADDITIONAL HEATING WITH LOWER  
MORNING POPS, ESPECIALLY FOR SOUTHSIDE HAMPTON ROADS AND NE NC,  
WHICH COULD ALLOW FOR SOME LOCALIZED STRONG WIND GUSTS GIVEN  
MOISTURE LADEN UPDRAFTS IN A HIGH PW AIRMASS. HIGH TEMPERATURES  
DROP INTO THE 80S WEDNESDAY (SOME AREAS COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN  
THE UPPER 70S) WITH POPS RANGING FROM 40-60% N TO 70-90% SE  
WITH THE FRONT LINGERING OVER THE LOCAL AREA. OVERALL, NW ZONES  
WILL TEND TO SEE DIMINISHING POPS BY LATE AFTN AS DRIER AIR  
MOVES IN. 01/00Z EPS/GEFS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE FRONT PUSHING SE  
OF THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY, WITH PW VALUES  
DROPPING TO WELL BELOW PERCENT OF NORMAL THURSDAY. A SECONDARY  
COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE N THURSDAY. HOWEVER, POPS ARE  
GENERALLY < 15% GIVEN A DRIER AIRMASS, WITH 15-20% NEAR THE  
ALBEMARLE SOUND. HIGH TEMPERATURES RETURN TO THE LOWER 90S, WITH  
HEAT INDICES IN THE MID/UPPER 90S AS DEWPOINTS DROP INTO THE  
UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S THURSDAY. LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT DROP INTO  
THE MID TO UPPER 60S WELL INLAND TO THE LOW 70S NEAR THE COAST.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
AS OF 400 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- MAINLY DRY THROUGH INDEPENDENCE DAY AND THE UPCOMING  
WEEKEND.  
 
- LOWER DEW POINTS WILL BRING SOME RELIEF TO THE AREA.  
 
BY FRIDAY, IN THE WAKE OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT, SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES AND MOVES SE INTO  
THE LOCAL AREA. DEWPOINTS ARE FORECAST TO ONLY BE IN THE LOW-MID  
60S INTO CENTRAL VA TO THE UPPER 60S SE. HIGHS FRIDAY ARE IN  
THE MID 80S TO NEAR 90F BEHIND THE SECONDARY FRONT, WITH LOWS  
FRIDAY NIGHT DROPPING INTO THE 60S FOR MOST OF THE AREA, SO SOME  
RELATIVE RELIEF (AT LEAST FOR EARLY JULY STANDARDS) IS  
EXPECTED. UPPER RIDGING WILL START TO BUILD ACROSS THE NORTHEAST  
AND MID- ATLANTIC BY NEXT WEEKEND. HIGHS TREND BACK TOWARD THE  
90S, BUT DEWPOINTS WILL BE SLOWER TO RECOVER AND MAINLY DRY  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY  
WEEKEND. MORE HUMID CONDITIONS ALONG WITH LOW CHANCES OF DIURNAL  
SHOWERS/TSTMS ARRIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK WELL IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER  
COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE GREAT LAKES.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /14Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
AS OF 715 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
MAINLY VFR THROUGH LATE AFTN AT THE MAIN TERMINALS (WITH HIGHER  
PROBS FOR TSTMS NW OF RIC) AS A COLD FRONT GRADUALLY APPROACHES  
WITH A PREFRONTAL TROUGH ACROSS THE AREA. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR  
SCATTERED STORMS TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.  
HAVE CONTINUED WITH PROB30 WORDING FOR TSTMS AT RIC AND SBY,  
PARTICULARLY FROM 20-22Z THROUGH 00-02Z. NOT AS CONFIDENT  
FARTHER TO THE SE, HAVE INCLUDED PROB30 FOR TSRA AT PHF, BUT  
ONLY A PROB30 FOR -SHRA AT ORF/ECG LATER TONIGHT. STORMS MAY  
PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE WINDS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT,  
WITH THE GREATEST CHC FOR THIS AT RIC/SBY. CIGS REMAIN MAINLY  
VFR WITH CU DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON (~5000 FT CIGS). MVFR OR  
IFR VSBYS WITH MVFR CIGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH CONVECTION,  
PARTICULARLY TONIGHT WITH MVFR/IFR CIGS SPREADING ACROSS THE  
AREA OVERNIGHT (LOWER CONFIDENCE IN THIS ACROSS THE SE  
TERMINALS). OTHERWISE, WINDS WILL AVG SW 10-15 KT WITH GUSTS UP  
TO 25 KT TODAY.  
 
THE COLD FRONT WILL BE SLOW TO CROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY  
WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS/STORMS LIKELY. THESE  
SHOWERS/STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS  
(MAINLY DUE TO VSBYS) IN HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH A CHC FOR SOME  
LOCALIZED STRONG WINDS. VFR CONDITIONS RETURN THURSDAY THROUGH  
SATURDAY AS DRIER AIR BUILDS INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE COLD  
FRONT.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
AS OF 1025 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES INTO EFFECT THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY  
WEDNESDAY FOR MOST OF THE LOCAL WATERS.  
 
- BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS RETURN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE  
EXTENDED PERIOD.  
 
SW FLOW CONTINUES THIS MORNING WITH HIGH PRESSURE WELL TO THE SW  
OFFSHORE AND A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE W. WINDS EARLY THIS  
MORNING ARE GENERALLY 10-15KT WITH GUSTS AROUND 20KT, THOUGH MIDDLE  
PORTIONS OF THE CHES BAY ARE 20 TO 25KT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE  
IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL WATERS SOUTH OF PARRAMORE ISLAND AND THE  
CURRITUCK SOUND, THE CHES. BAY AND LOWER JAMES RIVER. WINDS WILL  
LIKELY HAVE A BRIEF DECREASE IN THE LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON  
TODAY AS THE MARINE LAYER BECOMES MORE STABLE, BUT WILL INCREASE  
ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORM ASSOCIATED WITH  
THE FRONT AS EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY RAIN AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING  
WIND GUSTS. SCAS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEED. APPROX. TIME FRAME IS  
BETWEEN LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. SCA FOR THE  
NORTHERN COASTAL WATERS WILL GO INTO EFFECT 11 AM THIS MORNING AS  
WINDS AND SEAS INCREASE LATE MORNING. WAVES WILL PEAK IN THE BAY  
EARLY MORNING THIS AT 2-3 FT WITH AN OCCASIONAL 4 FT WAVE. LATE  
AFTERNOON/EVENING, SEAS WILL PEAK AT 3-5 FT. WINDS AND SEAS REMAIN  
ELEVATED THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE STARTING TO TAPER  
OFF. LOOKING AT THE EXTENDED FORECAST, BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS WILL  
RESUME BY MID-WEEK AND ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE HOLIDAY  
WEEKEND.  
 
THE RIP CURRENT RISK FOR TODAY IS MODERATE ACROSS THE NORTHERN  
BEACHES (INCLUDING OCEAN CITY), BUT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO LOW  
ACROSS SOUTHERN BEACHES DUE TO WEAK SWELL AND NEARSHORE WAVES  
ONLY ~1 FT.  
 
 
   
CLIMATE  
 
JUNE 2025 RANKED IN THE TOP 10 WARMEST AT ALL 4 LONG TERM  
CLIMATE STATIONS:  
 
* SITE: AVG TEMP (RANK)  
 
- RIC: 78.1 (5TH WARMEST)  
- ORF: 78.8 (7TH WARMEST)  
- SBY: 75.6 (9TH WARMEST)  
- ECG: 78.6 (10TH WARMEST)  
 
 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ630>632-  
634-638.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ633-654-  
656-658.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ650-652.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...AJZ/LKB  
NEAR TERM...LKB/SW  
SHORT TERM...AJZ/LKB  
LONG TERM...AJZ/LKB  
AVIATION...LKB  
MARINE...AC/KMC/SW  
CLIMATE...  
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