394  
FXUS62 KCHS 170208  
AFDCHS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC  
1008 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
KEY MESSAGE #1  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1) MINOR COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE  
SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WITH THE EVENING HIGH TIDE  
CYCLES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
- 2) MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH  
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. INCREASING RAIN CHANCES TO OCCUR  
LATE NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: MINOR COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE  
SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WITH THE EVENING HIGH TIDE CYCLES  
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
ASTRONOMICAL INFLUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW MOON (5/16) AND  
LUNAR PERIGEE (5/17) ALONG WITH A MODEST SOUTHEASTERLY ONSHORE FLOW  
WILL HELP DRIVE ELEVATED TIDE LEVELS THROUGH THE WEEKEND, LEADING  
TO MINOR COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND  
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA COAST. WE HIT 7.36 FT MLLW THIS EVENING AT  
CHARLESTON. WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF REACHING MINOR FLOOD AGAIN  
SUNDAY EVENING, AND A BIT MORE MARGINAL FOR MONDAY EVENING,  
AFTER WHICH THE ISSUES SHOULD BE OVER FOR AWHILE.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2: MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK  
WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. INCREASING RAIN CHANCES TO OCCUR  
LATE NEXT WEEK.  
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXTEND ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE  
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, WITH RIDGING BUILDING ALOFT. THERE COULD BE  
ISOLATED DIURNAL CONVECTION SUNDAY, BUT MOST LOCATIONS WILL LIKELY  
STAY DRY DUE TO LIMITED COVERAGE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMER THAN  
NORMAL. HIGHS WILL AVERAGE IN THE 85-90F RANGE AWAY FROM THE  
IMMEDIATE COAST, WITH MILD OVERNIGHT LOWS.  
 
THERE WILL BE BETTER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING  
THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK. WHILE THERE IS STILL SPREAD BETWEEN  
MODELS, CONSENSUS INDICATES SHORTWAVE ENERGY CROSSING THE REGION  
WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT APPROACHING AND POSSIBLY STALLING  
NEARBY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /02Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
VFR AT KCHS/KJZI/KSAV THROUGH 0Z MONDAY.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK: VFR.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
TODAY AND TONIGHT: A WEAK/SUBTLE COASTAL TROUGH ALONG THE WESTERN  
PERIPHERY OF HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WILL RESULT  
IN A SOUTHERLY WIND REGIME ACROSS LOCAL WATERS FOR THE REMAINDER OF  
THE DAY AND THROUGH THE NIGHT, WITH WITH SPEEDS GENERALLY LESS THAN  
10-15 KT (EXCEPT IN THE CHARLESTON HARBOR THIS AFTERNOON). SEAS WILL  
RANGE BETWEEN 1-3 FT.  
 
SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: NO MARINE CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED. HIGH  
PRESSURE TO THE EAST WILL DRIVE ONSHORE SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW EACH DAY,  
WITH WIND SPEEDS MOSTLY TOPPING OUT IN THE 10-15 KNOT RANGE. EACH  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THERE COULD BE SOME LOCAL ENHANCEMENT ALONG  
THE LAND/SEA INTERFACE WITH THE DIURNAL SEA BREEZE. SEAS SHOULD  
AVERAGE 2-3 FEET THROUGH THE PERIOD.  
 
RIP CURRENTS: THE COMBINATION OF INFLUENCES FROM THE UPCOMING NEW  
MOON CYCLE AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW WILL PRODUCE AN ELEVATED RISK  
OF RIP CURRENTS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A MODERATE RISK OF RIP  
CURRENTS IS IN EFFECT AT ALL SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST  
GEORGIA BEACHES SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 

 
   
CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
GA...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
JRL  
 
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