361  
FXUS62 KCAE 211753  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
1253 PM EST FRI FEB 21 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
SKIES ARE CLEAR AS BITTERLY COLD AIR FILTERS INTO THE REGION.  
THIS AIRMASS WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA TODAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND  
WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. A SLOW WARMING TREND IS  
EXPECTED SATURDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS DRY CONDITIONS  
CONTINUE.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- WELL BELOW NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
A COLD AND VERY DRY AIRMASS IS MOVING INTO THE REGION BEHIND  
YESTERDAY'S COLD FRONT. THE ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL  
CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE  
VALLEYS TODAY WITH COLD NORTHERLY WINDS OVER THE SOUTHEAST.  
COLD ADVECTION WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S THIS AFTERNOON.  
HIGHS WILL MAINLY BE IN THE MID 40S, ABOUT 15 TO 20 DEGREES  
BELOW NORMAL. THIN HIGH CLOUDS BEGIN TO ENTER THE SOUTHEAST THIS  
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HINDERING NET RADIATIONAL COOLING  
CONDITIONS. STILL, CALM WINDS AND A COLD AIRMASS WILL ALLOW LOWS  
TO DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 20S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- GRADUAL MODERATION OF TEMPERATURES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
A LATE WINTER 1040MB ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES OFFSHORE THIS  
WEEKEND WITH TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARMING TO NEAR NORMAL FOR LATE  
FEBRUARY BY MONDAY. THE AIRMASS IS EXTREMELY DRY, THEREFORE THERE  
ARE NO PRECIPITATION CONCERNS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGE(S):  
 
- WARMING TREND CONTINUES THROUGH MID WEEK  
- POTENTIAL SYSTEM NEXT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY  
 
A ZONAL FLOW ALOFT AND LOW LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL ALLOW  
TEMPERATURES TO CONTINUE TO MODERATE TO ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS FOR  
LATE FEBRUARY BY MID WEEK.  
 
THERE IS A MODERATE PROBABILITY OF MUCH BELOW H5 HEIGHTS RETURNING  
TO THE EASTERN U.S. TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK. DETERMINISTIC  
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS DEPICT A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING INTO THE  
REGION SOMETIME BETWEEN NEXT THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. RECENT MODEL TRENDS  
HAVE BEEN DECREASING THE PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION WITH THIS  
SYSTEM.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE 24 HOUR PERIOD.  
 
CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT N/NE WINDS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BECOMING  
CALM OVERNIGHT AND THEN PICKING UP OUT OF THE SE TOMORROW.  
ALTHOUGH THE AFOREMENTIONED WINDS DIRECTIONS ARE FAVORED THERE  
MAY BE LARGE PORTIONS OF THE TAF PERIOD WHERE WINDS ARE LIGHT  
AND VARIABLE, ESPECIALLY AT CUB. HIGH CLOUDS ARRIVE LATE THIS  
AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT BUT NO AVIATION IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED.  
DRY AIR AT THE SURFACE WILL NEGATE ANY FOG CONCERNS.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK,  
SHALLOW MOISTURE RETURNS TO THE REGION. THERE MAY BE PERIODS OF  
RESTRICTIONS IN THE EXTENDED BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...  
NEAR TERM...  
SHORT TERM...  
LONG TERM...  
AVIATION...  
 
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