471  
FXUS61 KAKQ 070643  
AFDAKQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA  
243 AM EDT TUE OCT 7 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
SEASONABLY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TODAY BEFORE A STRONG  
COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL BRING SCATTERED  
SHOWERS WEDNESDAY. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES ARRIVE LATE THIS WEEK  
BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. A COASTAL LOW MAY DEVELOP OFF THE SOUTHEAST  
COAST THIS WEEKEND, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN RAIN AND BREEZY  
CONDITIONS FOR A PORTION OF THE LOCAL AREA.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
AS OF 240 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- CONTINUED MILD AND PLEASANT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
- SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS MOVE INTO WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS  
OF THE AREA TONIGHT.  
 
EARLY THIS MORNING, HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED OFF THE MID ATLANTIC  
COAST. MEANWHILE, A COLD FRONT IS LOCATED WELL TO OUR NORTHWEST,  
CURRENTLY OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION. SKIES ARE MOSTLY CLEAR AND  
WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE. PATCHY FOG (MAINLY THIN,  
GROUND FOG) HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA, WITH THE  
HIGHEST COVERAGE MAINLY OVER INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NE NC AND UP INTO  
INTERIOR SE VA. LOWS ARE ON TRACK TO RANGE FROM THE MID TO UPPER 50S  
WITH LOWER 60S ACROSS THE SE AND ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE BECOMES SITUATED FURTHER OFFSHORE AND THE COLD FRONT  
WILL CONTINUE TO APPROACH FROM THE NW AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE DAY.  
SKIES WILL START OFF SUNNY TO MOSTLY SUNNY, WITH MID AND HIGH LEVEL  
CLOUDS GRADUALLY THICKENING (ESPECIALLY BY THIS EVENING) FROM WEST  
TO EAST. ANY AM PATCHY FOG DISSIPATES QUICKLY AFTER SUNRISE WITH DRY  
WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH SUNSET. ANOTHER MILD DAY WITH HIGHS IN THE  
LOWER 80S (LOCALLY MID 80S).  
 
AS WE HEAD INTO TONIGHT, THE FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION FROM THE  
WEST WITH SKIES BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST. THE NIGHT STARTS  
OFF DRY, BUT SHOWERS BEGIN TO QUICKLY MOVE IN FROM THE WEST, LIKELY  
OVERSPREADING THE NW HALF OF THE AREA BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY AM. TOTAL  
QPF WILL RANGE FROM ~0.10" TO 0.35" ACROSS THE NW THROUGH TONIGHT.  
LOWS REMAIN MILD DUE TO THE INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER/MOISTURE, WITH  
WIDESPREAD READINGS IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/  
 
AS OF 240 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT  
MOVES THROUGH.  
 
- MUCH COOLER WEATHER ARRIVES THURSDAY, WITH 30S ACROSS OUR NW  
COUNTIES THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY AM.  
 
A STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA LATER WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO  
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS (AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS)  
DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT, WITH THE HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES  
FOR MUCH OF THE AREA DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. RAINFALL  
TOTALS HAVE REMAINED CONSISTENT WITH 0.25-0.75" OF RAIN (MOST AROUND  
0.5") EXPECTED. LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS AROUND 1" ARE POSSIBLE. DUE TO  
THE PRECIPITATION AND THE FRONT MOVING INTO THE AREA, TEMPERATURES  
WILL BE COOLER WEDNESDAY, GENERALLY RANGING FROM AROUND 70 NW TO  
AROUND 80 SE. ANY RAIN CHANCES COME TO AN END LATER WEDNESDAY  
EVENING INTO THE FIRST PART OF WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WITH MUCH COOLER AND  
DRIER AIR FILTERING INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT. IT WILL ALSO  
BECOME BREEZY NEAR/ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST WITH NNE WINDS GUSTING  
TO 25 TO 30 MPH (POTENTIALLY UP TO 35 MPH IN SPOTS). TEMPERATURES  
FALL BACK INTO THE 40S INLAND AND 50S ACROSS THE SE AND ALONG THE  
COAST.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS N/NW OF THE REGION ON THURSDAY. MUCH COOLER ON  
THURSDAY WITH TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE LOW TO MID 60S FOR MOST OF  
THE AREA. SKIES WILL RANGE FROM SUNNY TO MOSTLY SUNNY, BUT IT WILL  
REMAIN BREEZY OUT OF THE NE (ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE COAST). IT  
WILL BE A CHILLY NIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT, WITH LOW TEMPERATURES  
DROPPING BACK INTO THE UPPER 30S ACROSS OUR NW COUNTIES TO THE LOW  
TO MID 50S ACROSS THE SE. THE LATEST NBM 25TH PERCENTILE HAS TRENDED  
COOLER, WITH MID 30S ACROSS MUCH OF THE NW PIEDMONT AND THE NBM 10TH  
NOW SHOWING SOME LOWER 30S. GIVEN THIS, WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR THE  
POTENTIAL FOR PATCHY FROST ACROSS PORTIONS OF LOUISA AND FLUVANNA  
COUNTIES. WILL NOTE THAT THIS IS ON TRACK WITH THE FALL MEDIAN (50%)  
FIRST POTENTIAL FROST FOR LOUISA WHICH IS IRONICALLY 10/10 (10/12  
FOR PALMYRA). SEE THE "FALL FIRST FROST AND FREEZE DATES" ON OUR  
WEBSITE FOR MORE SPECIFICS.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
AS OF 240 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGE:  
 
- A COASTAL LOW IS POSSIBLE BY THIS WEEKEND AND MAY BRING RAIN AND  
BREEZY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA.  
 
ALOFT, A TROUGH REMAINS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
BY THE WEEKEND, A RIDGE ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS BECOMES POSITIVELY  
TILTED AND ORIENTS FROM SW TO NE BETWEEN A TROUGH ACROSS THE PACIFIC  
NORTHWEST AND OVER THE SOUTHEAST. AT THE SURFACE, A STRONG AREA OF  
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN (CENTERED ACROSS INTERIOR NEW ENGLAND) LATE  
THIS WEEK, GRADUALLY LIFTING NORTH BY THIS WEEKEND. THIS WILL RESULT  
IN CONTINUED COOLER WEATHER WITH HIGHS IN THE MID-UPPER 60S INLAND  
(LOWER 70S ACROSS FAR SE VA/NE NC) ON FRIDAY. HIGHS HAVE TRENDED  
COOLER FOR THE WEEKEND WITH TEMPS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE 60S TO  
LOWER 70S SE FOR HIGHS EACH DAY. LOWS WILL BE QUITE COOL AS WELL,  
UPPER 40S NW TO UPPER 50S SE (AROUND 60F ALONG THE COAST) FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY NIGHTS, AND LOW-MID 50S (UPPER 50S ALONG THE COAST) MONDAY  
NIGHT.  
 
THERE REMAINS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST, WITH A  
POSSIBLE COASTAL LOW DEVELOPING OFF THE CAROLINAS THIS WEEKEND.  
CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING THAT THIS LOW WILL DEVELOP GIVEN STRONG  
ENSEMBLE SUPPORT, BUT THE EXACT TRACK OF THE LOW IS A LITTLE MORE  
UNCERTAIN AS SOME GUIDANCE BRINGS IT ALONG OUR COAST, WHILE OTHERS  
HAVE IT DISPLACED FURTHER OFFSHORE. PENDING THE TRACK OF THIS  
COASTAL LOW, THERE IS POTENTIAL THAT WE COULD SEE WIDESPREAD  
RAINFALL AND BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST,  
THIS WEEKEND. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR ANY MODEL TRENDS IN THE  
TRACK AND STRENGTH OF THIS DEVELOPING LOW CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT FEW  
DAYS AND ADJUST THE FORECAST AS NECESSARY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
AS OF 100 AM EDT TUESDAY...  
 
MAINLY CLEAR SKIES/VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING.  
THE POSITION OF THE SFC HIGH OFFSHORE W/ AN APPROACHING COLD  
FRONT TYPICALLY IS NOT FAVORABLE FOR WIDESPREAD FOG, THOUGH  
PATCHY FOG/GROUND FOG WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT  
THROUGH ~12Z, PRIMARILY ACROSS INTERIOR SE VA/NE NC. SCT CU,  
ALONG WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON,  
WITH WINDS BECOMING S AT AROUND 10 KT. A FEW SHOWERS ARE  
POSSIBLE LATE IN THE TAF PERIOD, BUT THIS IS EXPECTED TO STAY W  
OF THE MAIN TERMINALS UNTIL LATER TONIGHT.  
 
OUTLOOK: DEGRADED FLYING CONDITIONS ARRIVE TONIGHT INTO  
WEDNESDAY. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY ALONG  
AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. SKIES WILL CLEAR OUT IN THE WAKE OF  
THE FRONT WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WITH A BREEZY NNE WIND AT THE COAST  
CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY AS A DRIER AIRMASS MOVES IN. ANOTHER  
PERIOD OF SUB-VFR CIGS ARE POSSIBLE AS WE HEAD INTO THIS  
WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
AS OF 220 PM EDT MONDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- BENIGN CONDITIONS TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT, WITH A GOOD  
CHANCE OF AT LEAST SOLID SCA CONDITIONS FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT  
THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY NIGHT WITH NE WINDS.  
 
- SCA CONDITIONS (ESPECIALLY DUE TO SEAS) LIKELY CONTINUE FROM FRIDAY  
THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE GUSTS IS  
POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND AS COASTAL LOW PRESSURE POTENTIALLY  
IMPACTS THE AREA.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED JUST OFFSHORE OF THE LOCAL WATERS WITH  
VARIABLE WINDS OF ~5 KT AND 2-3 FT SEAS/1-2 FT. BENIGN MARINE  
CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH WINDS BECOMING S AT 5-10 KT  
AS THE SURFACE HIGH SLOWLY SHIFTS FURTHER OFFSHORE. SOUTHERLY WINDS  
INCREASE TO 10-15 KT BY LATE TUESDAY WELL IN ADVANCE OF AN  
APPROACHING COLD FRONT. WINDS INCREASE FURTHER TO ~15 KTS ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN WATERS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY, WITH MARGINAL  
SCA POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN BAY. THE STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES  
AND CROSSES THE WATERS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING.  
WINDS BECOME N-NE AT 20-25 KT BY WEDNESDAY EVENING-NIGHT WITH  
FREQUENT GUSTS TO 30 KT EXPECTED. WINDS BECOME MORE NORTHEASTERLY ON  
THURSDAY AND REMAIN ELEVATED WITH FREQUENT GUSTS OF ~30 KT EXPECTED  
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. PROBABILITIES FOR GALE FORCE GUSTS REMAIN IN THE  
10-20% RANGE FOR MOST OF THIS TIME. HOWEVER, WE WILL NEED TO WATCH  
FOR A SHORT (~3 HOUR) PERIOD OF 35 KT GUSTS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING  
THE FROPA WEDNESDAY EVENING. COULD CERTAINLY SEE THE NEED FOR AN SMW  
OR TWO. HOWEVER, CONFIDENCE IN A PROLONGED PERIOD OF GALES IS LOW  
DESPITE THE STRONG CAA AS 925-950MB WINDS ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO BE IN  
THE 25-30 KT RANGE FROM WED NIGHT-THU. THEREFORE, NO GALE WATCHES  
WERE ISSUED WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE. SEAS WILL AVERAGE 2-3 FT  
THROUGH TUESDAY. SEAS QUICKLY BUILD BACK TO 6-9 FT BY THURSDAY  
BEHIND THE FRONT.  
 
WHILE WINDS MAY DIMINISH A BIT BY FRIDAY-FRIDAY NIGHT, SEAS LIKELY  
REMAIN ELEVATED. THE FORECAST BECOMES MUCH MORE UNCERTAIN AS WE HEAD  
INTO THE WEEKEND. CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING THAT LOW PRESSURE  
DEVELOPS OFF THE SE CONUS COAST AND DEEPENS AS IT TRACKS NE TOWARD  
LOCAL WATERS. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY  
REGARDING ITS EXACT STRENGTH AND TRACK. REGARDLESS, WINDS WILL  
LIKELY PICK BACK UP ON SAT/SAT NIGHT (WITH ELEVATED WINDS LASTING  
INTO SUNDAY). SOLID SCA CONDITIONS APPEAR LIKELY WITH A PERIOD OF  
GALES POSSIBLE. SEAS OF 8-10 FEET OR HIGHER ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL  
THIS WEEKEND.  
 
RIP CURRENTS: THE RIP CURRENT RISK GRADUALLY DECREASES EARLY THIS  
WEEK. HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN BY WED  
NIGHT/THU DUE TO SHORT PERIOD LARGE BREAKING WAVES.  
 
 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING  
 
AS OF 220 PM EDT MONDAY...  
 
NO COASTAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. GIVEN THE  
VERY HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES COMBINED WITH MODERATELY STRONG NE  
WINDS, MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN AREAS ADJACENT TO THE LOWER  
CHES BAY AND TIDAL YORK/JAMES ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL  
COASTAL FLOODING IS POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MD...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM EDT  
WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ630.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...AJB  
NEAR TERM...AJB  
SHORT TERM...AJB/RMM  
LONG TERM...AJB/RMM  
AVIATION...AJB/LKB  
MARINE...ERI  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...  
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