538  
FXUS61 KAKQ 121926  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
326 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH NEXT  
WEEK WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL  
AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/
 
 
AS OF 120 PM EDT SATURDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- HOT AND HUMID INLAND THIS AFTERNOON WITH HEAT INDICES IN THE  
LOWER 100S.  
 
- SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON WITH  
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE.  
 
A SURFACE BOUNDARY WAS LOCATED NEAR THE RICHMOND METRO THIS  
AFTERNOON WHICH HAS SERVED AS A FOCAL POINT FOR CONVECTION. CAMS  
HAVE VASTLY UNDERDONE COVERAGE AND TIMING OF CONVECTION THIS  
AFTERNOON. AS SUCH, HAVE INCREASED POPS ACROSS THE AREA TO  
25-40% (AWAY FROM THE COAST) WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS  
EXPECTED. WILL NOTE THAT THESE POPS ARE ABOVE NBM GUIDANCE BUT  
MAY STILL BE TOO LOW IN SPOTS. GIVEN 3500-4000 J/KG OF SBCAPE,  
1.6-1.7" PWATS, AND VERY SLOW STORM MOTIONS, LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN  
AND FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. THE NEAR-TERM GREATEST FLASH  
FLOODING THREAT IS THE RICHMOND METRO WHERE A FLASH FLOOD  
WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED GIVEN CONGEALING STORMS OVER THE CITY.  
HOWEVER, GIVEN THAT IT IS ONLY 1 PM (AS OF WRITING THIS  
DISCUSSION) THERE IS PLENTY OF DAYLIGHT LEFT FOR ADDITIONAL  
STORM DEVELOPMENT WITH ADDITIONAL FLOODING POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS  
AFTERNOON. WPC HAS MAINTAINED A MARGINAL RISK FOR EXCESSIVE  
RAINFALL ACROSS MOST OF THE INLAND AREAS TODAY. WILL NOTE THAT  
CAMS SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR A LINE (OR CLUSTER) OF STORMS MOVING  
INTO THE PIEDMONT THIS EVENING. WHILE THIS MAY BE TOO LATE, IF  
ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING, A  
LOCALLY HIGHER FLASH FLOODING THREAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.  
 
ADDITIONALLY, GIVEN THE VERY HIGH INSTABILITY AND DCAPE OF  
1100-1200 J/KG, A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE DOWNBURSTS ARE POSSIBLE.  
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE VERY WEAK FLOW ALOFT, CURRENT THINKING IS  
THAT MOST STORMS SHOULD BE OF THE PULSE VARIETY. BRIEF STRONG  
WIND GUSTS ARE THE MAIN THREAT FROM WATER- LOADED DOWNDRAFTS  
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SPC HAS MAINTAINED THE  
WESTERN TIER OF COUNTIES IN A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE.  
 
OTHERWISE, TEMPS AS OF 1 PM RANGED FROM THE MID 80 TO LOWER 90S  
WITH DEW POINTS IN THE 70S AND HEAT INDICES IN THE MID 90S TO  
LOWER 100S. AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S WITH  
MAXIMUM HEAT INDICES IN THE LOWER 100S AWAY FROM THE COAST ARE  
EXPECTED. WARM AND MUGGY OVERNIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE 70S. SOME  
FOG AND LOW STRATUS ARE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT SEE  
RAINFALL DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 305 PM EDT SATURDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SCATTERED STORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY, MONDAY, AND TUESDAY.  
 
- LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY,  
MONDAY, AND TUESDAY.  
 
- THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK FOR A FEW SEVERE STORMS ON SUNDAY  
WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT.  
 
A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION INTO  
NEXT WEEK WITH DAILY CHANCES FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
SCATTERED STORMS. SBCAPE OF 3000-4000 J/KG WILL LIKELY CONTINUE  
THROUGH AT LEAST MON WITH WEAK SHEAR ALOFT. AS SUCH, WHILE  
WIDESPREAD, ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS  
TIME, A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE  
(SIMILAR TO TODAY). FOR NOW, SPC HAS A MARGINAL RISK (LEVEL 1/5) FOR  
DAMAGING WINDS ON SUN ALONG AND WEST OF I-95. HOWEVER, GIVEN GREATER  
STORM COVERAGE ON MON, WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF MON GETS A SEVERE  
THREAT IN FUTURE UPDATES.  
 
POPS INCREASE TO 40-50% SUN AFTERNOON AND 50-65% ACROSS THE NW HALF  
OF THE AREA SUN EVENING. THE HIGHER POPS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING ARE DUE TO CAMS SHOWING A LINE OF STORMS FORMING OFF THE LEE  
TROUGH AND MOVING EAST INTO THE NW HALF OF THE FA. A SIMILAR  
SITUATION IS EXPECTED ON MON WITH POPS AGAIN INCREASING TO 50-65% IN  
THE AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. THE  
DIFFERENCE ON MON IS THAT A LARGER PORTION OF THE AREA IS LIKELY TO  
EXPERIENCE STORMS. A COLD FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY AND WASHES OUT  
ACROSS CENTRAL VA ON TUE. AS SUCH, SCATTERED STORMS WILL AGAIN BE  
POSSIBLE WITH THE HIGHEST CONFIDENCE ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN VA AND NE  
NC. GIVEN THE WET ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS AND DAY AFTER DAY OF  
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN, FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN  
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. WPC HAS A SLIGHT RISK FOR EXCESSIVE  
RAINFALL (ERO) ACROSS THE NW PIEDMONT ON SUN WITH A MARGINAL ERO  
COVERING THE REST OF THE NW HALF OF THE AREA TO ROUGHLY THE  
I-95 CORRIDOR. WPC ALSO HAS A MARGINAL ERO ACROSS NEARLY THE  
ENTIRE FA ON MON AND THE SW THIRD OF THE FA ON TUE. WILL  
REEVALUATE A POTENTIAL FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT TO ALLOW FOR AN  
ASSESSMENT OF HOW MUCH RAIN FALLS TODAY AND TO SEE IF THERE IS A  
STRONGER SIGNAL FOR HEAVY RAIN/FLOODING ON THE 00Z CAMS.  
 
OUTSIDE OF DAILY CONVECTION, TYPICALLY SUMMER HEAT CONTINUES WITH  
HIGHS IN THE MID 80S NE TO LOWER 90S SW (MOST IN THE UPPER 80S TO  
LOWER 90S) SUN AND MON AND UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S EVERYWHERE ON TUE.  
GIVEN DEW POINTS IN THE MID-UPPER 70S EACH DAY, HEAT INDICES IN THE  
UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S IS EXPECTED ALL THREE DAYS. THAT BEING SAID,  
CURRENT MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGEST WE SHOULD REMAIN BELOW HEAT ADVISORY  
CRITERIA. OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE LOW-MID 70S ARE EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
AS OF 325 PM EDT SATURDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE:  
 
- SEASONALLY HOT WEATHER CONTINUES THROUGH NEXT WEEK.  
 
- A WET PATTERN CONTINUES WITH DAILY, MAINLY DIURNAL CHANCES  
FOR SCATTERED STORMS THROUGH THE WEEK.  
 
ALOFT, A RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE EAST COAST DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE  
WEEK BEFORE SLIDING OFFSHORE BY LATE WEEK. AT THE SURFACE, A WASHED  
OUT FRONT REMAINS ACROSS THE FA THROUGH LATE WEEK WITH A COLD FRONT  
APPROACHING BY NEXT WEEKEND. AS SUCH, EXPECT TEMPS TO WARM FROM THE  
UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S ON WED TO THE LOWER 90S THU AND LOW-MID 90S  
FRI. TEMPS IN THE LOWER 90S ARE EXPECTED SAT. DEW POINTS REMAIN IN  
THE 70S THROUGH THE WEEK WITH HEAT INDICES IN THE UPPER 90S TO LOWER  
100S WED AND SAT AND LOWER 100S ON THU AND FRI. THERE DOES APPEAR TO  
BE SOME POTENTIAL FOR HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA BY THU AND FRI WITH THE  
BEST CHANCE ON FRI (HEAT INDICES POTENTIALLY 105-109F).  
ADDITIONALLY, THE WET PATTERN CONTINUES WITH DAILY CHANCES FOR  
MAINLY DIURNAL AFTERNOON AND EVENING SCATTERED STORMS THROUGH THE  
WEEK. GIVEN THE RECENT RAINFALL AND THE RAINFALL EXPECTED TO FALL  
BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, LOCALIZED FLOODING LOOKS TO CONTINUE  
TO BE A CONCERN.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /20Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
AS OF 153 PM EDT SATURDAY...  
 
SCATTERED CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON HAS LED TO DEGRADED FLIGHT  
CONDITIONS AT RIC AND ECG. TEMPOS ARE IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND  
WILL NEED TO BE EXTENDED IF THE CONVECTION MAINTAINS ITSELF THROUGH  
19Z. CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN THE TIMING AND LOCATION OF ADDITIONAL  
STORMS DEVELOPING NEAR ORF, PHF, AND SBY BUT THEY CANNOT BE RULED  
OUT. STORMS SHOULD DECREASE IN COVERAGE HEADING INTO THE EVENING.  
OUTSIDE WITH LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT, PATCHY FOG/LOW STRATUS  
IS POSSIBLE.  
 
OUTLOOK: ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON-LATE EVENING TSTMS ARE  
EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, ALONG WITH  
THE POTENTIAL FOR EARLY MORNING FOG/STRATUS.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
AS OF 320 AM EDT SATURDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS CONTINUE OUTSIDE OF LOCAL INFLUENCES FROM  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
SUB-SCA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THIS WEEKEND AND CONTINUE  
THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS ANCHORED  
OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST. THE WIND IS MAINLY S 5-10KT EARLY THIS  
MORNING. A WEAK FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE COAST LATER THIS MORNING  
RESULTING IN A WIND SHIFT TO NE 5-10KT. BY THIS AFTN INTO THIS  
EVENING, THE WIND WILL BECOME ESE AND MAINLY 5-10KT, WITH THE  
EXCEPTION OF 10-12KT IN THE CHES. BAY. THE WIND IS EXPECTED TO BE SE  
5-10KT SUNDAY WITH A SLIGHT DIURNAL INCREASE DURING THE LATE  
AFTN/EARLY EVENING HOURS, AND THEN MAINLY S TO SW 5-10KT EARLY NEXT  
WEEK, BEFORE POTENTIALLY BECOMING SW 10-15KT LATER WEDNESDAY. SEAS  
WILL MAINLY BE 2-3FT THIS WEEKEND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK,  
WITH 1FT TO OCCASIONALLY 2FT WAVES IN THE CHES. BAY. AFTN/EVENING  
SHOWERS/TSTMS WILL HAVE LIMITED COVERAGE TODAY AND SUNDAY, WITH  
POTENTIALLY HIGHER CHANCES BY MONDAY AFTN/EVENING, AND THEN LESS  
COVERAGE TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH TSTMS  
WILL BE BRIEF STRONG WIND GUSTS AND FREQUENT LIGHTING.  
 

 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...RMM  
NEAR TERM...RMM  
SHORT TERM...RMM  
LONG TERM...RMM  
AVIATION...RHR/NB  
MARINE...AJZ  
 
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