455  
FXUS62 KCAE 190136  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
836 PM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA  
TONIGHT AS A COMPLEX LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE EASTERN  
U.S. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BY MIDDAY  
SUNDAY WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN ITS WAKE THROUGH THE  
AFTERNOON. BEHIND THE FRONT, VERY COLD AIR WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD  
ACROSS THE REGION. WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED  
NEXT WEEK AS AN ANOMALOUSLY DEEP TROUGH AND SURFACE HIGH PUSHES  
AN ARCTIC AIR MASS INTO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN US. ON TUESDAY,  
A COASTAL LOW WILL LIKELY INCREASE PRECIPITATION CHANCES WITH  
WINTRY POTENTIAL INCREASING, BUT SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 7 AM SUNDAY MORNING/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN OVERNIGHT.  
 
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CURRENTLY IN SOUTHERN ALABAMA WITH A  
DEEPENING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL US. POSITIVE  
VORTICITY ADVECTION OVER THE AREA WILL LEAD TO INCREASING LIFT  
WHICH COMBINED WITH THE DEEPER MOISTURE RETURNING WITH PWATS  
EXPECTED TO RISE TO ABOVE AN INCH IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE  
FORECAST AREA. HIRES GUIDANCE SUPPORTS PRECIP AMOUNTS AROUND A  
QUARTER INCH TO NEAR A HALF INCH IN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN PORTION  
OF THE AREA. REMAINING MILD TONIGHT WITH CLOUDINESS AND LOW  
TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /7 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH SUNDAY, BRINGING BREEZY  
CONDITIONS AND MUCH COLDER TEMPS OVERNIGHT.  
- THE COLDEST AIRMASS SO FAR THIS SEASON WILL MOVE IN MONDAY WITH  
TEMPERATURES NEAR 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.  
- A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED MONDAY NIGHT.  
 
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...THE HIGHLY AMPLIFIED UPPER TROUGH FROM  
THE UPPER MIDWEST SOUTH THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL BE  
BE SHIFTING INTO THE EASTERN CONUS. A LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL BE  
NEAR THE REGION IN THE MORNING BUT WILL BE LIFTING TO THE  
NORTHEAST. A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS POSSIBLE IN THE MORNING BUT  
ONCE THE STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH AROUND NOON, EXPECT  
DRIER AIR TO BEGIN ADVECTING INTO THE AREA. STRONG COLD  
ADVECTION WILL DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON WITH STRONG MIXING.  
WESTERLY WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30-35 MPH ARE EXPECTED  
AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN THE LOW OFF THE MID  
ATLANTIC COAST AND A VERY STRONG RIDGE IN THE MIDWEST. TEMPS  
MAXING OUT NEAR 60 DEGREES BUT COLDER AIR WILL BE SPREADING IN  
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. COLD ADVECTION CONTINUES  
THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE 20S AS  
THE ARCTIC AIR MASS OVER THE MIDWEST BUILDS EAST.  
 
MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...THE ARCTIC AIR MASS (1040 MB HIGH  
PRESSURE SITUATED TO THE NORTH) WILL BE BUILDING OVER THE AREA.  
THIS IS INDICATED BY THE VERY LOW DEW POINTS, IN THE SINGLE  
DIGITS. EC EFI AND NAEFS CONTINUES TO SHOW THIS AIRMASS WITH A  
CHARACTERISTIC "HIGHLY ANOMALOUS BUT LIKELY NOT HISTORIC"  
SIGNAL. TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE STAYING IN THE 30S ACROSS  
MUCH OF THE REGION WITH FULL INSOLATION DUE TO CONTINUED STRONG  
COLD ADVECTION. NOTE 850MB TEMPERATURES AROUND -10C IN THE  
AFTERNOON. WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE  
TEENS MONDAY NIGHT NEAR THE COLD WEATHER ADVISORY CRITERION.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- MULTIPLE IMPACTFUL HAZARDS EXPECTED.  
 
1) HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE COLDEST AIR OF THE YEAR TUES.-THURS.  
2) CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE FOR IMPACTFUL WINTER WEATHER  
WEATHER TUES. INTO WED.  
 
1) HIGH CONFIDENCE IN COLDEST AIR OF THE YEAR TUES.-THURS.  
 
ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO BE OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION  
TO BEGIN THE LONG TERM PERIOD, WHICH WILL LIKELY ALLOW FOR THE  
COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON TO CONTINUE SETTLING INTO THE REGION.  
EXPECT THIS COLD TO REMAIN IN THE AREA INTO THURSDAY. ALL SIGNS  
CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY WILL NEED TO BE IN  
PLACE FOR THE MID WEEK TIME PERIOD. THE COLD AIR LOOKS TO BE  
REINFORCED BY A PASSING COASTAL LOW (MORE ON THAT IN NEXT PARAGRAPH),  
RESULTING IN HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT THE COLDEST AIR STICKS AROUND INTO  
THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON MIGHT  
STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE 30S, AND THERE IS MODERATE CONFIDENCE  
(~50%) THAT MANY AREAS WON'T TOP THE FREEZING MARK ON WEDNESDAY.  
WITH SUCH A COLD STRETCH EXPECTED, TAKE THE NECESSARY MEASURES TO  
STAY WARM, PREVENT WATER PIPES FROM BURSTING, AND LIMIT TIME  
OUTDOORS.  
 
2) CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE FOR IMPACTFUL WINTER WEATHER  
WEATHER TUES. INTO WED.  
 
CONFIDENCE OF INGREDIENTS BEING IN PLACE FOR AN IMPACTFUL WINTER  
WEATHER SYSTEM CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS MODELS ARE NOW COMING INTO  
BETTER AGREEMENT WITH A COASTAL LOW FORECAST TO MOVE ALONG THE  
SOUTHEAST COAST. THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD AIR IS VERY LIKELY TO BE IN  
PLACE ON TUESDAY. A DEVELOPING LOW IN THE GULF OF MEXICO IS FORECAST  
TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS FLORIDA, THEN ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST.  
LATEST 12Z GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW WINTER PRECIPITATION, LIKELY  
SNOW, LOOKS PROBABLE FOR OUR FORECAST AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO  
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HOWEVER, THERE IS SOME DISAGREEMENT IN THE  
AMOUNT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE EURO ENSEMBLE IS SHOWING 80-90% CHANCE OF  
AT LEAST AN INCH OF SNOW FOR AREAS SOUTH AND EAST OF THE I-20  
CORRIDOR, WHILE THE GEFS ENSEMBLE IS ONLY SHOWING A 20-30% CHANCE IN  
THE SAME AREAS. THE NBM AND LREF ENSEMBLES ARE INDICATING ABOUT A  
50% CHANCE OF AT LEAST AN INCH, WHICH SEEMS REASONABLE TO ME  
GIVEN THE FORECAST SET UP. WITH THE ARCTIC HIGH REMAINING NEAR  
THE AREA, SOME REALLY DRY AIR IS LIKELY TO BE IN PLACE, WHICH  
WILL NEED TO BE OVERCOME FOR SNOW AMOUNTS OVER AN INCH. BECAUSE  
OF THIS DRY AIR, THERE IS LIKELY GOING TO BE A SHARP CUTOFF  
BETWEEN SNOW ACCUMULATION AND LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION. ANOTHER  
FACTOR THAT LOOKS TO LIMIT ACCUMULATION IS THE SPEED THAT THE  
SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH. AS OF NOW, IT'S LOOKING LIKE  
A TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT SYSTEM AND BE OUT OF THE  
AREA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. DESPITE A QUICK MOVING SYSTEM, A  
POINT THAT ALSO NEEDS MENTIONING IS THAT WITH THE COLD AIR IN  
PLACE INTO THURSDAY, ANY SNOW THAT IS ABLE TO FALL/ACCUMULATE IS  
LIKELY TO HANG AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. SO BE PREPARED TO  
DEAL WITH TRAVEL IMPACTS BEYOND THE TYPICAL SNOWFALL IN THIS  
AREA.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /02Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
   
DETERIORATING CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS EVENING.
 
 
SHOWERS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING AND  
ARE ALREADY CAUSING RESTRICTIONS AT THE TERMINALS. CEILINGS ARE  
ALSO EXPECTED TO FALL TO THE LIFR CATEGORY DURING THE NEXT FEW  
HOURS. LOW CEILINGS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY MORNING  
BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION, CLEARING THINGS  
OUT FROM WEST TO EAST. GUSTY WINDS OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS AND QUICKLY  
IMPROVING CEILINGS ARE ANTICIPATED BEHIND THE BOUNDARY SUNDAY  
AFTERNOON.  
   
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK
 
NO SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS ARE  
EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY, BUT COULD RETURN ON TUESDAY  
WITH THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM.  
 

 
   
CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM EST SUNDAY FOR SCZ016-  
018-020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-116-135>137.  
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM EST SUNDAY FOR GAZ040-  
063>065-077.  
 

 
 

 
 
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