395  
FXUS62 KCAE 271745  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
1245 PM EST TUE JAN 27 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
UPDATED FORECAST DISCUSSION AND AVIATION SECTION.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1) WELL-BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE THE REST OF THE WEEK AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MULTIPLE  
CHILLY NIGHTS EXPECTED THIS WEEK.  
 
- 2) WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR AN IMPACTFUL  
WINTER STORM THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: WELL-BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE THE REST OF THE WEEK AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MULTIPLE  
CHILLY NIGHTS EXPECTED THIS WEEK.  
 
TEMPERATURES 10-20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL CAN BE EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE THROUGH THE WORK WEEK AND BEHIND THIS WEEKEND'S  
POTENTIAL SYSTEM. AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TROUGHING OVER THE  
EASTERN US AND COLD/DRY HIGH PRESSURE REMAINING IN PLACE WILL  
AID IN BRINGING THESE CONDITIONS WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES  
GENERALLY PEAK IN THE 40S INTO THE LATE WEEK WITH MULTIPLE  
NIGHTS WHERE LOWS INTO THE 20S ARE EXPECTED. RIGHT NOW OVERNIGHT  
LOW VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE COLD WEATHER ADVISORY  
CRITERIA BUT TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE THAT PIPES ARE PROTECTED BY  
DRIPPING FAUCETS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. THIS WEEKEND THE NEXT  
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE IN AND THIS WILL LIKELY BRING  
CONTINUED COLD CONDITIONS WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES BEHIND THIS  
SYSTEM COULD DROP BACK INTO THE TEENS, BUT HOW COLD IT GETS WILL  
PARTLY BE DEPENDENT ON IF SNOW IS SEEN ACROSS THE FA WITH THIS  
WEEKEND'S SYSTEM.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2: WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR AN IMPACTFUL  
WINTER STORM THIS WEEKEND.  
 
NOT MUCH CHANGE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN IMPACTFUL WINTER  
STORM ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS WEEKEND. MOST OF THE GUIDANCE  
CONTINUES TO FAVOR CYCLOGENESIS OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST IN  
RESPONSE TO PHASING OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN JETS AND THE  
AMPLIFICATION OF THE UPPER PATTERN ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS. TIMING  
DIFFERS BETWEEN THE GUIDANCE, BUT PRECIPITATION MAY BEGIN AS  
EARLY AS LATE FRIDAY WITH SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT BEING THE  
MOST LIKELY TIME PERIOD FOR SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS. UNLIKE THE  
PREVIOUS STORM SYSTEM, AMPLE COLD AIR IS ALREADY IN PLACE ACROSS  
THE REGION WITH MODEL GUIDANCE NOT SHOWING ANY WARM AIR  
INTRUSION ALOFT (AT THIS TIME) AND SNOW BEING THE PREDOMINANT  
PRECIPITATION TYPE. PRECIPITATION TYPE METEOGRAMS FROM THE EURO  
SUGGEST THAT PRECIPITATION MAY BEGIN AS EITHER RAIN OR A  
RAIN/SNOW MIX AS COLDER AIR WRAPS INTO THE STORM, ESPECIALLY IF  
THE MODELS SHOWING AN EARLIER START TIME PAN OUT. TEMPERATURES  
COULD POTENTIALLY WARM UP ENOUGH FOR A RAIN/SNOW MIX IN THE CSRA  
ON SATURDAY, AS INDICATED BY THE NBM, WHICH WOULD LOWER ANY  
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. AS SEEN WITH THE LAST EVENT, THE PLACEMENT,  
STRENGTH, AND TIMING OF THE UPPER PATTERN WOULD SHIFT THE AREA  
OF HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION, THEREFORE IT REMAINS TOO EARLY TO  
NAIL DOWN A SPECIFIC CORRIDOR FOR POTENTIAL HEAVY SNOWFALL. THE  
LATEST WSSI-P FOR MODERATE IMPACTS FROM SNOW AMOUNTS RANGES FROM  
20% IN BURKE COUNTY TO 50% IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY SUGGESTING  
THE THE THREAT OF AN IMPACTFUL SNOWFALL INCREASES THE FURTHER  
NORTH AND EAST YOU GO ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA. THIS MAKES SENSE  
GIVEN THE OFFSHORE COASTAL LOW SETUP PRESENTED BY THE MAJORITY  
OF MODEL GUIDANCE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE 24HR FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO RESIDE OVER THE AREA DURING THIS  
PERIOD WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES THROUGH TODAY WITH SOME  
INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS OVERNIGHT. WEST SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS  
EXPECTED AROUND 10 KNOTS TODAY BUT AN INCREASED PRESSURE  
GRADIENT SHOULD RESULT IN SOME WIND GUSTS UP TO 20 KNOTS THROUGH  
THE AFTERNOON BEFORE WINDS DIMINISH A BIT OVERNIGHT. WINDS  
SHOULD STAY UP A BIT THOUGH THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH A 30 KNOT LOW  
LEVEL JET FORECAST. AIR MASS TOO DRY FOR FOG CONCERNS.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS LIKELY THROUGH EARLY  
FRIDAY, THEN IMPACTFUL AVIATION WEATHER BECOMES POSSIBLE AS A  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIKELY MOVES SOMEWHERE NEAR THE REGION  
BRINGING THE POSSIBILITY OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...07/17  
AVIATION...23  
 
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