749
FXUS62 KCAE 161520
AFDCAE
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
1120 AM EDT MON MAR 16 2026
WHAT HAS CHANGED
KEY MESSAGE #1 UPDATED. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS COMING TO
AN END ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER, RAIN AND GUSTY
NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS REMAIN POSSIBLE.
KEY MESSAGES
- 1. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT IS COMING TO AN END. RAIN AND
GUSTY NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS REMAIN POSSIBLE.
- 2: A FREEZE WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY
MORNING, MAINLY ALONG/NORTH OF I-20. A FREEZE WATCH IS IN
EFFECT TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH A HARD FREEZE
POSSIBLE.
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGE 1: SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT IS COMING TO AN END.
RAIN AND GUSTY NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS REMAIN POSSIBLE.
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO RACE ACROSS THE
FA THIS MORNING AND IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING THE I-95 CORRIDOR.
THEREFORE, THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN DROPPED FOR ALL EXCEPT OUR
EASTERN COUNTIES. THE LINE OF CONVECTION WILL CLEAR THE
FORECAST AREA DURING THE NEXT HOUR, PUTTING AN END TO THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT. RAIN CONTINUES BEHIND MAIN LINE OF CONVECTION
AND WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY, ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.
STRONG NON-THUNDERSTORMS WINDS REMAIN POSSIBLE TODAY. THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT IS ALREADY RAMPING UP ACROSS THE AREA. THESE
GUSTS SHOULD FREQUENTLY INCREASE INTO THE 25-35 MPH RANGE, WITH
OCCASIONAL GUSTS UP TO 40-45 MPH. THE FRONT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH
SOMETIME IN EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON, DROPPING TEMPERATURES
QUICKLY AS IT PASSES.
KEY MESSAGE 2: A FREEZE WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT INTO
TUESDAY MORNING, MAINLY ALONG/NORTH OF I-20. A FREEZE WATCH IS
IN EFFECT TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH A HARD
FREEZE POSSIBLE.
THE ROBUST COLD FRONT IS ENTERING NORTHERN ALABAMA AS OF
WRITING THIS, HALLMARKED BY THE NEARLY 20F TEMPERATURE GRADIENT
ACROSS IT FROM NE ALABAMA TO NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THIS VERY
IMPRESSIVE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE FA THIS
AFTERNOON, QUICKLY DROPPING TEMPERATURES AS FLOW BECOMES
INCREASINGLY WESTERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY. SKIES SHOULD GRADUALLY
CLEAR BEHIND IT WITH STRONG CAA ON THE ORDER OF 2-6 C/HR PUSHING
IN. THIS SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL INTO THE LOW TO MID
30S TONIGHT WITH SOME NORTHERN SPOTS POTENTIALLY DIPPING INTO
THE UPPER 20S. WHILE LINGERING UNCERTAINTY EXISTS MAINLY FOR THE
EASTERN MIDLANDS DUE TO LESS RESIDENCE TIME UNDER THE STRONG
CAA AND SURFACE WINDS THAT LOOK TO REMAIN A BIT STRONGER FROM
THE DEPARTING FRONT, CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED IN SUB-FREEZING
TEMPERATURES MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR. THE
LATEST HREF PROBABILITIES FOR SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN THIS
AREA HAVE PEAKED AROUND 60-80% WITH SIMILAR VALUES IN NBM
GUIDANCE. DUE TO THIS, THE FREEZE WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A
FREEZE WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 10AM TUESDAY MORNING. THERE IS
POTENTIAL THIS MAY NEEDED TO BE EXPANDED TO THE REMAINDER OF THE
FA, BUT WITH GREATER UNCERTAINTY IN THE EASTERN MIDLANDS, HAVE
HELD OFF AT THIS TIME.
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN WIDESPREAD SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES EXISTS
TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE
MOVES OVERHEAD WITH NEAR IDEAL RADIATIONAL COOLING EXPECTED.
THE LATEST PROBABILITIES FOR SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN
BLENDED GUIDANCE IS NOW REACHING 70-90% ACROSS THE WHOLE FA
WHERE THE NORTHERN MIDLANDS AND PEE DEE COULD DROP TOWARD
26-29F. DUE TO THIS, ANOTHER FREEZE WATCH IS IN EFFECT TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS THE FA, WHICH WILL LIKELY BE
UPGRADED TO A FREEZE WARNING IN COMING FORECAST PACKAGES. THERE
IS POTENTIAL FOR A HARD FREEZE ACROSS THE AREA, ESPECIALLY
ACROSS NORTHERN SPOTS SO BE SURE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES
FOR SENSITIVE OUTDOOR PLANTS. ONE LAST NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES
IN THE LOW TO MID 30S WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO
THURSDAY, BUT CONFIDENCE IN WIDESPREAD SUB- FREEZING
TEMPERATURES IS LOW AT THIS TIME, SO STAY TUNED FOR ANY
FROST/FREEZE PRODUCTS THAT COULD BE NEEDED.
AVIATION /15Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
MVFR CEILINGS THIS MORNING AHEAD OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT
WILL PUSH THROUGH IN COMING HOURS. GUSTY WINDS LIKELY MOST OF
THE TAF PERIOD.
THE STRONG LINE OF CONVECTION IS NOW ENTERING THE UPSTATE WITH
SCATTERED STORMS SOUTH OF IT NEARING AGS/DNL. THE FORECAST
REMAINS LARGELY ON TRACK FOR THE BIGGEST IMPACTS FROM THE MAIN
LINE OF CONVECTION TO MOVE THROUGH THE AUGUSTA TERMINALS
BETWEEN 13-15Z, THE COLUMBIA TERMINALS BETWEEN 14-16Z, AND OGB
BETWEEN 15-17Z WHERE THE IMPACTS SHOULD BE IFR VISIBILITIES AND
ERRATIC GUSTS EXCEEDING 40 KTS. AHEAD OF THIS LINE OF
CONVECTION, BREEZY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 25-30 KTS
WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH MVFR CEILINGS. THESE STRONG SOUTHERLY
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST UP TO 30 KTS THROUGH THE MORNING
BEFORE TURNING MORE WESTERLY TO WEST-NORTHWESTERLY THIS
AFTERNOON AS THE ROBUST FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. MAJORITY
OF ANY THUNDERSTORM/SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD CLEAR THE TERMINALS
BY 19-21Z WITH MVFR CEILINGS EXPECTED TO BEGIN CLEARING BY THEN
AS WELL. WESTERLY WINDS SLOWLY DECAY OVERNIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY
MORNING, THOUGH GUSTS TO 20-25 KTS MAY LINGER ACROSS THE AREA
MUCH OF THE NIGHT. SKIES GRADUALLY CLEAR INTO TUESDAY MORNING
WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED.
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK... A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS IS
ANTICIPATED FOR TUESDAY ONWARD WITH DECAYING WINDS.
CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR SCZ016-018-
020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-116-135>137.
FREEZE WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 10 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR SCZ018-
020>022-025>028-030-035-115-116.
FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SCZ016-018-020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-116-
135>137.
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR GAZ040-063>065-
077.
FREEZE WARNING FROM 4 AM TO 10 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR GAZ040-
063>065-077.
FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR GAZ040-063>065-077.
DISCUSSION...7
AVIATION...HC
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