868  
FXUS62 KCAE 022006  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
306 PM EST MON FEB 2 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
ADJUSTED AVIATION DISCUSSION.  
 
NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY IS TRENDING WETTER  
FOR THE AREA, ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF I-20.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1) BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH  
WARM UP TOMORROW. PATCHY BLACK ICE TONIGHT WHERE THERE IS  
LINGERING SNOW OR LIQUID ON ROADS.  
 
- 2) RAIN CHANCES RAMP UP MID WEEK AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE #1: BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THROUGH  
TONIGHT WITH WARM UP TOMORROW. PATCHY BLACK ICE TONIGHT WHERE  
THERE IS LINGERING SNOW OR LIQUID ON ROADS.  
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS IN PLACE TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA, ALONG  
THE GULF COAST. THIS AIR MASS CONTINUES TO MODERATE TODAY WITH  
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 5-10 DEGREES WARMER TODAY COMPARED  
TO YESTERDAY. BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO CONTINUE  
TONIGHT, ALTHOUGH RADIATIONAL COOLING WILL BE LIMITED BY A  
STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL JET ALOFT. BLENDED GUIDANCE STILL FAVORS  
TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE LOW TO MID 20S, AND EVEN INTO THE  
TEENS IN THE NORTHEASTERN-MOST PORTION OF THE FORECAST. WHILE  
THE BLACK ICE THREAT TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING WILL LIKELY BE  
MUCH MORE LIMITED WITH SIGNIFICANT MELTING AND DRYING TODAY,  
THERE REMAINS SOME CONCERN WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOW FELL, MOSTLY  
IN SHADY SPOTS NORTHEAST OF COLUMBIA. TOMORROW THE WARMING TREND  
CONTINUES AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFFSHORE AND WINDS  
INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST LEADING TO WARM ADVECTION AHEAD OF  
A COLD FRONT.  
 
KEY MESSAGE #2: RAIN CHANCES RAMP UP MID WEEK AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT.  
 
A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA WITH MOSTLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT BUT  
AS IT MOVES IN MODELS FAVOR A DEEPENING 500MB TROUGH TO THE WEST  
LEADING TO STRENGTHENING SOUTHWEST FLOW. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SLOWER  
PROGRESSION OF THE SYSTEM THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA WHICH WITH  
INCREASING PWATS (HREF MEAN INDICATING APPROACHING AN INCH) AND LOW  
LEVEL CONVERGENCE, EXPECT WIDESPREAD RAIN DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA  
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. GENERALLY TREND HAS BEEN WETTER AMONG  
BLENDED MODEL GUIDANCE WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS FAVORED SOUTH OF I-20  
WHERE PWATS WILL LIKELY INCREASE THE MOST. THIS WOULD AMOUNT TO SOME  
BENEFICIAL RAIN FOR THE AREA, BUT HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.  
JUST A NOTE THAT WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RUMORS OF SNOW WITH THIS  
NEXT SYSTEM, FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE CONSISTENT IN SHOWING DRY AIR  
MOVING IN ALOFT BEFORE COLDER AIR ARRIVES. EVEN IF THERE WAS  
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLDER AIR, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT  
THERE WOULD BE ICE IN THE CLOUD WITH THE MOISTURE REMAINING TOO  
SHALLOW.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /20Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE.  
 
A WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION COULD BRING A FEW  
MID-LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE,  
SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR AND CONDITIONS VFR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  
AS FOR SURFACE WINDS, MUCH BETTER MIXING HAS OCCURRED THIS  
AFTERNOON ACROSS THE AREA, ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE A LITTLE  
MORE THAT PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. WINDS WILL AGAIN BECOME LIGHT  
AND VARIABLE TO CALM BY SUNSET. WINDS ON TUESDAY WILL BECOME  
MORE SOUTHWESTERLY AROUND 5 KNOTS BY LATE MORNING AS HIGH  
PRESSURE MOVES EAST.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...ANOTHER SYSTEM AND FRONT MOVING  
INTO THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY COULD BRING  
RESTRICTIONS BACK TO THE REGION.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...96  
AVIATION...73  
 
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