845  
FXUS62 KCAE 161657  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
1257 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO KEY MESSAGE 1, MAINLY TO HIGHLIGHT THUNDER  
CHANCES ON SUNDAY. AVIATION DISCUSSION UPDATED FOR 18Z  
ISSUANCE.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- 1. HIGH CONFIDENCE IN ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AS WE GET INTO  
NEXT WEEK. RAIN CHANCES ARRIVE BY THE MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT  
WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: HIGH CONFIDENCE IN ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AS  
WE GET INTO NEXT WEEK. RAIN CHANCES ARRIVE BY THE MIDDLE TO END OF  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH IN THE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS,  
WITH LIMITED WEATHER IMPACTS EXPECTED UNTIL THURSDAY OR FRIDAY  
OF NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES ARE ON TRACK TO REACH THE UPPER 80S  
TO AROUND 90 DEGREES TODAY COURTESY OF LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS  
AROUND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVING TO THE EAST. A DEEP TROUGH  
IS FORECAST TO DIG INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES OVER THE NEXT 24  
HOURS, WHICH WILL ONLY HELP TO AMPLIFY THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL  
HEIGHTS ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. SENSIBLE  
WEATHER WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE COMBINATION OF THE RIDGING & THE  
SURFACE HIGH BEING TO OUR EAST. MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO BE  
HIGHER THAN IT HAS BEEN AS PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW ALLOWS FOR  
DEWPOINTS TO BUMP UP INTO THE LOW AND MID 60S FOR MUCH OF THE  
NEXT 7 DAYS. ONE INTERESTING NUGGET WITHIN THIS FORECAST IS THE  
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/STORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING. GUIDANCE  
SHOWS AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH COINCIDING WITH A WEAKNESS IN  
THE 500 HPA HEIGHTS SUNDAY AFTERNOON, IN ADDITION TO FAIRLY  
ROBUST CAPE (HREF MEAN SUGGESTS 1500-2000 J/KG). THE GREATEST  
CONCENTRATION OF CONVECTION LOOKS TO BE ACROSS CENTRAL GA CLOSER  
TO THE WEAKNESS IN THE HEIGHTS. HOWEVER, GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO  
SHOW CONVECTION REACHING INTO THE CSRA, SO MAINTAINED A SLIGHT  
CHANCE OF THUNDER, MAINLY FOR OUR GEORGIA COUNTIES. BEYOND  
THAT, THE ANOMALOUSLY WARM TEMPS ARE THE MOST IMPACTFUL WEATHER  
FEATURE. TEMPS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY BEFORE A SLOW MOVING FRONT ARRIVES THURSDAY/FRIDAY  
AND BRINGS AN INCREASE IN RAIN CHANCES.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
LOW STATUS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT....  
 
VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON WITH WEST TO  
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE AROUND DEPARTING HIGH  
PRESSURE. CLOUDS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY SHOULD CONSIST OF  
PASSING CIRRIFORM CLOUDS AND ISOLATED TO SCATTERED FAIR WEATHER  
CUMULUS WITH NO CEILING RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED. AS MOISTURE  
INCREASES ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR  
LOW STRATUS TO DEVELOP TOWARDS DAYBREAK, ESPECIALLY AT  
CAE/CUB/OGB WHICH HAVE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF SEEING BRIEF IFR  
RESTRICTIONS. WHILE A 20-25 KNOT LOW-LEVEL JET FAVORS LOW  
CLOUDS, PATCHY FOG CANNOT BE RULED OUT, ESPECIALLY AT THE  
TYPICALLY FOG PRONE OGB AND AGS. ANY LOW CLOUDS SHOULD QUICKLY  
BURN OFF SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...LOW RISK OF A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM  
NEAR AGS/DNL LATE SUNDAY. OTHERWISE, INCREASED MOISTURE MAY  
RESULT IN BRIEF RESTRICTIONS AT THE TERMINALS DUE TO LOW CLOUDS  
AND/OR FOG EACH DAY THIS WEEK. RAIN CHANCES INCREASE TOWARDS THE  
END OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
SC...NONE.  
GA...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...7  
AVIATION...7  
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