892  
FXUS62 KCAE 061041  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
641 AM EDT WED MAY 6 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
AVIATION DISCUSSION UPDATED FOR 12Z TAFS.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1. PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT  
INTO THURSDAY WITH SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE.  
 
- 2. RAIN CHANCES PICK BACK UP LATE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WITH SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE.  
 
OVERVIEW: A COLD FRONT WILL WORK ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST WEDNESDAY  
THROUGH THURSDAY COINCIDING WITH STRONG UPPER SUPPORT AND  
STRONG MOISTURE ADVECTION. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE  
WITH A FLASH FLOODING THREAT LIMITED TO MAINLY URBAN AND FLOOD  
PRONE AREAS. THERE IS A MARGINAL THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AS TWO  
MAIN ROUNDS OF CONVECTION ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE  
FORECAST AREA. THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD PUSH  
ACROSS THE FA ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING POTENTIALLY  
FOLLOWED BY A SECOND ROUND OF CONVECTION LATER IN THE DAY AS THE  
FRONT APPROACHES. FAIRLY BREEZY WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE  
THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY WHERE A LAKE WIND ADVISORY MAY BE  
NEEDED.  
 
RAINFALL: AS ONGOING CONVECTION MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST ON  
WEDNESDAY, STRONG MOISTURE ADVECTION AND SHORTWAVE ENERGY SHOULD  
SUSTAIN THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NIGHT AS THE LINE MOVES INTO  
THE FORECAST AREA. THE 35-45KT LOW LEVEL JET THAT DEVELOPS  
OVERNIGHT WILL PROMOTE HEAVY RAINFALL AND POTENTIALLY TRAINING  
CELLS. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL PROPAGATE SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH  
THE NIGHT SO THE OVERALL MOTION OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD PREVENT  
WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING, HOWEVER URBAN AND OTHER FLOOD PRONE  
AREAS WILL STILL BE AT RISK. MEAN QPF AMOUNTS FROM THE NBM RANGE  
FROM 0.5 TO 1 INCH WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS TO THE WEST, POSSIBLY  
DUE TO CAMS TRYING TO PROPAGATE THE DEEPEST CONVECTION INTO  
SOUTHERN GA OVERNIGHT. WE EXPECT LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WITH  
SOME PMM VALUES IN THE REFS AROUND 1.5 INCHES IN THE CSRA.  
 
SEVERE THREAT: MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED,  
FIRST WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING WITH ANOTHER ROUND  
POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE OVERALL SEVERE THREAT IS  
SOMEWHAT MUTED BY THE NOCTURNAL TIMING OF THE FIRST ROUND AND  
THE UNCERTAINTY IN INSTABILITY RE-DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE SECOND  
ROUND. POOR LAPSE RATES OVERNIGHT SHOULD HINDER MIXING STRONGER  
WINDS TO THE SURFACE, MAKING FLOODING THE GREATER THREAT  
OVERNIGHT. THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL SHIFT EAST DURING THE DAY  
WITH WESTERLY FLOW ALLOWING MORE DISCRETE CONVECTION JUST AHEAD  
OF THE FRONT. DRIER AIR ALOFT AND SLIGHTLY STEEPER LAPSE RATES  
COULD ALLOW FOR A DOWNBURST OR HAIL THREAT BUT INSTABILITY IS  
EXPECTED TO BE WEAK WITH MEAN REFS SBCAPE VALUES LESS THAN 500  
J/KG. THE SEVERE THREAT IN THE AFTERNOON WILL BE LARGELY  
DEPENDENT ON THE FIRST ROUND OF CONVECTION AND LINGERING CLOUD  
COVER AND RAINFALL THROUGH THE MORNING.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2: RAIN CHANCES PICK BACK UP LATE WEEK AND INTO THE  
WEEKEND  
 
WHILE MUCH OF THE FORECAST IN THE EXTENDED REMAINS ON TRACK THE  
BIGGEST CHANGE IS THE REDUCTION OF POPS FOR FRIDAY AS MODEL  
CONSENSUS NARROWS TO A DRIER SOLUTION. A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN FOR  
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD APPEARS LIKELY. THE MOST  
ACTIVE PERIOD LOOKS TO BE THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH  
A DEEP UPPER TROUGH WORKING ACROSS THE EASTERN US SUPPORTING A  
HIGH CHANCE OF POPS FROM SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WEDNESDAY, COLD FRONT  
BRINGING RAIN AND POSSIBLE RESTRICTIONS TOMORROW MORNING.  
 
SOUTHERLY WINDS SHIFTING SOUTHWESTERLY THIS MORNING WILL  
INCREASE AS THE INVERSION BREAKS WITH GUSTS AROUND 20 KNOTS  
EXPECTED. MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE WITH A LINE OF  
SHOWERS AND POTENTIALLY THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE TERMINALS  
ASSOCIATED WITH A FRONT. WHILE ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE  
POSSIBLE THIS EVENING, THE MOST LIKELY TIMING OF WIDESPREAD RAIN  
AND ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS IS TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.  
WHILE THE TIMING OF THE LINE DOES NOT FAVOR WIDESPREAD  
THUNDERSTORMS, THERE REMAINS LOW CHANCES FOR THUNDER TO IMPACT  
THE TERMINALS. CONFIDENCE REMAINS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE THUNDER FOR  
NOW BUT MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY LEAD TO AT LEAST  
TEMPORARY VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...SYSTEM BRINGS A CHANCE FOR RESTRICTIONS  
ONCE AGAIN WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STARTING THURSDAY  
MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAIN CHANCES THIS WEEKEND.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...CJR  
AVIATION...96  
 
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