964  
FXUS62 KCAE 160755  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
255 AM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
COLD AIR DAMMING WILL EXIT THE AREA TODAY WITH TEMPERATURES  
REBOUNDING TO ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH WEDNESDAY. RAIN CHANCES  
INCREASING DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AS WELL. COLDER AIR  
RETURNS BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH A DEEP TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE  
EASTERN US.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- IMPROVING CONDITIONS TODAY WITH MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES  
 
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE UPSTATE EARLY  
TODAY THEN BEGIN ERODING THIS MORNING WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS  
THROUGH THE DAY. EVE N WITH THE WEDGE BREAKING DOWN SKIES WILL  
REMAIN PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE WESTERN PORTIONS WITH  
MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS. THIS WILL COMBINE  
WITH SHORT WAVE RIDGING MOVING INTO THE REGION TO CREATE  
TEMPERATURES WHICH WILL BE SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER HOWEVER A WEST  
TO EAST GRADIENT WILL REMAIN. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM  
THE LOW 60S IN THE WESTERN MIDLANDS AND NORTHERN CSRA TO AROUND  
70 IN THE FAR EASTERN MIDLANDS AND SOUTHERN CSRA. WITH PLENTY OF  
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERING INTO TONIGHT CLOUDS WILL ONCE AGAIN  
REDEVELOP WITH DEFINITE POTENTIAL FOR FOG TO DEVELOP. HAVE  
INCLUDED FOG FROM AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGH SUNRISE AND WILL  
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR DENSE FOG. OVERNIGHT LOWS  
WILL BE IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS EXPECTED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.  
- RAIN CHANCES EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE  
EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA  
 
FOG IS EXPECTED TO FORM LATE TONIGHT AS THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE  
REMAINS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL PROBABLY TAKE A BIT TO  
BURN OFF ON TUESDAY MORNING BUT IT IS UNLIKELY IT DOES MUCH TO  
HAMPER TEMPERATURE RECOVERY THROUGH THE DAY. THE TEMPERATURES ARE  
FORECAST TO BE WARMEST THIS WEEK ON TUESDAY. A WEAK FRONT IS FORECAST  
TO APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTH, WITH SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AND  
MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGING SETTING UP AS WELL. SO WHILE SOME CLOUDS MAY  
HANG AROUND IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE WEAKENING FRONT APPROACHES,  
TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO GET INTO THE LOW AND MID 70S ACROSS THE  
SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA. UPPER 60S ARE MORE LIKELY IN OUR NORTHERN  
COUNTIES WHERE LOW CLOUDS EARLY IN THE DAY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HANG  
AROUND. MOISTURE IS GRADUALLY EXPECTED TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA  
ON TUESDAY NIGHT, WITH CLOUDS REDEVELOPING SPECIFICALLY ACROSS THE  
EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS SHOULD HOLD TEMPS DOWN INTO  
THE LOW OR MID 50S FOR MOST.  
 
AS WE GET INTO WEDNESDAY, OUR FIRST BIG TROUGH OF THE WEEK IS  
EXPECTED TO DEEPEN AND APPROACH THE AREA. GUIDANCE IS SLIGHTLY  
SLOWER AND DEEPER WITH THIS FEATURE THAN IT WAS 24 HOURS AGO. THIS  
DOESN'T CHANGE THE FORECAST TOO MUCH; HOWEVER, IT DOES GIVE THE  
ABILITY FOR MOISTURE TO ADVECT FURTHER NORTH AND THAN WAS SHOWN BY  
OPERATIONAL AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE. WHAT THIS DOES IS RAISE THE  
CONFIDENCE IN RAINFALL EVER SO SLIGHT, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN  
FORECAST AREA WHERE MOISTURE ADVECTION AND PLACING WITHIN SYNOPTIC  
FEATURES MAY BE MOST FAVORABLE FOR RAINFALL LATER IN THE DAY ON  
WEDNESDAY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS STILL SOME  
UNCERTAINTY DESPITE THIS BEING FAIRLY CLOSE IN TIME. MODELS ARE  
STILL CHANGING RUN-TO-RUN AND ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM ONE  
ANOTHER, WHICH DOES MODULATE THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIP. REGARDLESS,  
IT DOES LOOK LIKE CLOUD COVER WILL BE A FEATURE ON WEDNESDAY. TEMPS  
ARE FORECAST TO BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL, WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID  
70S AGAIN. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT,  
WITH LITTLE TO NO PRECIP EXPECTED ALONG IT. LOWS SHOULD FALL INTO  
THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- MUCH COOLER AND DRIER WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD  
 
WHILE THE WEATHER LOOKS INCREASINGLY COLD, DRY, AND BENIGN, THE  
SYNOPTIC PATTERN DRIVING IT SHOULD BE PROGRESSIVE AND MERIDIONAL.  
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO POINT TO AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG ZONAL UPPER  
LEVEL JET STREAK ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC DURING THIS PERIOD. THIS  
WILL BE THE MODULATING FEATURE FOR THIS PERIOD, WITH SEVERAL  
SHORTWAVES DEVELOPING AS IT BREAKS DOWN OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CONUS.  
SUCH AN INTENSE FEATURE INTRODUCES SOME UNCERTAINTY THAT NEEDS TO BE  
BAKED INTO THE FORECAST, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS NOT ABLE TO BE  
SAMPLED BY UPPER AIR SOUNDINGS. KEEPING THAT IN MIND, GUIDANCE  
MAINTAINS RELATIVELY GOOD CONSISTENCY REGARDING THE DRY AND COOL  
PATTERN EXPECTED THROUGH THE LONG TERM. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY  
SHOULD SEE TRANSIENT SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE PASS THROUGH BEHIND  
WEDNESDAY'S FRONT. THE AIRMASS LOOKS VERY DRY, WITH PWS FALLING  
BELOW NORMAL DURING THE PERIOD. HIGHS AND LOWS WILL LIKELY BE  
NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL BOTH DAYS.  
 
A SHARP SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO RACE SOUTHEASTWARD &  
DIG THE LARGE SCALE TROUGH DEEPER ALONG THE EAST COAST FRIDAY  
AND INTO THE WEEKEND. A DRY FRONT SHOULD PUSH THROUGH ON FRIDAY,  
WITH ANOTHER ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE PUSHING IN OVER THE WEEKEND.  
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ON THIS, AS MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY  
CONSISTENT RUN TO RUN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. MINOR  
CHANGES ARE POSSIBLE BUT SHOULDN'T HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON  
THE DETAILS OF THE FORECAST. ECM EFI IS SIGNALING THAT THIS  
PERIOD (SAT/SUN/MON) SHOULD FEATURE WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPS,  
ADDING TO OVERALL CONFIDENCE IN THIS FORECAST. THE WEATHER  
SHOULD REMAIN DRY WITH GEFS AND EC ENS MEAN PWS 30-40% OF NORMAL  
BENEATH STRONG SUBSIDENCE ON THE BACK SIDE OF A LONGWAVE  
TROUGH.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /08Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED THROUGH LATE MORNING THEN RETURNING TO  
VFR.  
 
SURFACE WEDGE AND PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAIN IN  
CONTROL OF THE AREA WITH A MIX OF CONDITIONS ACROSS THE  
TERMINALS. THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS EXPECT CONDITIONS TO  
DETERIORATE WITH MVFR CIGS AND TEMPO VSBY RESTRICTIONS. TODAY  
THE WEDGE WILL BREAK DOWN WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING THROUGH THE  
MORNING HOURS TO VFR FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH THE EVENING  
HOURS. CONCERN RETURNS AT THE END OF THE PERIOD AS REMAINING LOW  
LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ONCE AGAIN PRODUCE LOW CLOUDS. HAVE  
REMAINED WITHOUT MENTION ATTM DUE TO LOW CONFIDENCE IN TIMING OF  
ONSET. WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL BE NORTHERLY AT 5 KNOTS OR  
LESS.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND ASSOCIATED  
RESTRICTIONS WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.  
 

 
   
CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SC...NONE.  
GA...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...  
NEAR TERM...  
SHORT TERM...  
LONG TERM...  
AVIATION...  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab SC Page
The Nexlab GA Page Main Text Page