394  
FXUS64 KHUN 181412  
AFDHUN  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL  
912 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2026  
   
..NEW NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
UPDATED AT 912 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2026  
 
- MODERATE (LEVEL 2/4) TO MAJOR (LEVEL 3/4) HEAT RISK WILL BUILD  
INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS WEEKEND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF  
NEXT WEEK, WITH PEAK HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 100 TO 105  
DEGREES LIKELY, AND POTENTIALLY BETWEEN 105-109 DEGREES IN SOME  
LOCATIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY.  
 
- DAILY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WEEKEND INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK. STRONG GUSTY WINDS, FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND  
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSING LOCALIZED FLOODING MAY OCCUR. A FEW  
STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE, WITH  
GUSTY/DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS THE MAIN THREATS.  
 
- SLIGHTLY COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR IS EXPECTED IN THE MIDDLE  
AND LATTER PORTIONS OF NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM
 
 
(REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 912 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2026  
 
SOME AREAS OF LOW STRATUS THAT DEVELOPED ACROSS THE REGION  
OVERNIGHT HAVE BEEN SLOW TO DISSIPATE THIS MORNING THANKS TO A  
STOUT INVERSION. THESE CLOUDS WILL EVENTUALLY SCATTER OUT AND A  
MOSTLY SUNNY SKY WILL REDEVELOP BY THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY  
AFTERNOON. AMPLE HEATING WILL AGAIN ALLOW HIGH TEMPERATURES TO  
REACH THE LOW TO MID 90S -- AND WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 70S, PEAK  
HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REACH THE 100-105 DEGREE RANGE IN MOST  
LOCATIONS. NWS HEAT RISK HIGHLIGHTS A MODERATE (LEVEL 2/4) HEAT  
RISK ACROSS THE ENTIRE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. HEAT WILL  
BE DANGEROUS FOR THOSE WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO HEAT AS WELL AS THOSE  
WHO ARE WITHOUT PROPER HEATING AND HYDRATION. REMEMBER TO LOOK  
BEFORE YOU LOCK AND STAY WEATHER AWARE IF YOU HAVE OUTDOOR PLANS  
TODAY!  
 
ADDITIONALLY, A LOW CHANCE (20-30%) OF DIURNALLY DRIVEN AFTERNOON  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST, WITH THE FOCUS BEING ALONG  
PREEXISTING OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES (ONE NOTABLY OVER NE ALABAMA ALONG  
THE AL/GA BORDER). A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO MARGINALLY  
SEVERE WITH GUSTY/DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS THE MAIN  
THREAT. THIS ACTIVITY WILL WANE AFTER SUNSET, WITH TRANQUIL  
CONDITIONS AGAIN FORECAST OVERNIGHT (SAVE FOR SOME PATCHY FOG IN  
AREAS THAT RECEIVE RAINFALL).  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
(SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 912 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2026  
 
A MODERATE (LEVEL 2/4) TO MAJOR (LEVEL 3/4) HEAT RISK WILL BE THE  
MAIN CONCERN IN THE FORECAST EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDING IN AND A TROPICAL-LIKE AIR MASS IN PLACE UNDER THE RIDGE.  
THIS WILL CREATE DAYTIME HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S EACH DAY,  
WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 100-105 DEGREES ACROSS THE ENTIRE  
TENNESSEE VALLEY (AND SEVERAL LOCATIONS THAT REACH THE 105-109  
DEGREE RANGE BY MONDAY AND ESPECIALLY TUESDAY). HEAT PRODUCTS MAY  
BE NEEDED BY EARLY NEXT WEEK AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR  
FORECAST TRENDS. REGARDLESS, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO PRACTICE HEAT  
SAFETY NEXT WEEK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE OUTDOOR PLANS!  
 
DAILY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL EXIST EACH AFTERNOON, THANKS TO  
DIURNAL HEATING AND RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES IN PLACE. THE  
GREATEST COVERAGE WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON SUNDAY AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE  
CLIPS THE NORTHEAST EDGE OF THE RIDGE, WITH MEDIUM-HIGH (30-70%)  
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS/STORMS. AS THE RIDGE BUILDS EAST, POPS WILL  
LOWER TO 20-40% ON MONDAY AND 10-30% ON TUESDAY THANKS TO STRONGER  
SUBSIDENCE AND A LACK OF FORCING. EACH DAY THERE WILL BE A LOW  
CHANCE OF A FEW STORMS BECOMING LOCALLY STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE,  
WITH GUSTY/DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS THE MAIN THREAT.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 858 PM CDT FRI JUL 17 2026  
 
THE WEATHER PATTERN DURING THE DAY 4-7 PERIOD WILL INVOLVE A STRONG  
TROUGH DEVELOPING OVER THE GREAT LAKES INTO THE MID ATLANTIC AND NEW  
ENGLAND STATES AND AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.  
A LOW LEVEL THERMAL RIDGE (850 MB TEMPS OF 20-23C) WILL ARRIVE ON  
TUESDAY, MAKING FOR A HOT AND HUMID DAY. HEAT RISK WILL REACH THE  
MAJOR CATEGORY (3 OUT OF 4) FOR MUCH OF THE TN VALLEY. HIGH  
TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S, HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 100 TO  
~105F AND WBGTS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 80S ARE EXPECTED. A SHORTWAVE  
TROUGH AXIS AND COOL FRONT WILL DROP SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE TN VALLEY  
THROUGH THE TN VALLEY ON WEDNESDAY, BRINGING A LOW CHANCE OF  
THUNDERSTORMS. BEHIND THE FRONT, SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR WITH HIGHS IN  
THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY, WITH MIDDLE TO  
UPPER 80S ON THURSDAY AFTER MORNING LOWS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S.  
ANOTHER FRIDAY MORNING LOWS IN THE 60S, AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL BE NEAR  
NORMAL AND IN THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90. AND EVEN BETTER, DEW  
POINTS WILL DROP INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S FRIDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(12Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 642 AM CDT SAT JUL 18 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD WITH A LESS  
THAN 30% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT BOTH TERMINALS.  
DUE TO LOW CONFIDENCE, DID NOT ADD RAIN OR THUNDER INTO THE TAFS  
AT THIS TIME BUT AMENDMENTS WILL BE MADE IF COVERAGE WARRANTS.  
OTHERWISE, EXPECT LIGHT WINDS AND SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDS.  
 

 
   
HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
AL...NONE.  
TN...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
NEAR TERM...AMP.24  
SHORT TERM....AMP.24  
LONG TERM....17  
AVIATION...25  
 
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