574  
FXUS61 KLWX 200857  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
357 AM EST THU FEB 20 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FURTHER OFFSHORE  
TODAY WITH BACKSIDE SNOW SHOWERS SWEEPING ACROSS THE REGION.  
HIGH PRESSURE WILL TAKE OVER LATE IN THE WEEK. A FRONTAL SYSTEM  
MAY APPROACH THE AREA BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
THE LULL IN SNOWFALL IS OCCURRING EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH THE  
MAIN MOISTURE EXITING THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND THE APPROACHING  
BACKSIDE MOISTURE APPROACHING FROM WV. POPS INCREASE THROUGHOUT  
THE MORNING HOURS FROM WEST TO EAST. BEST CHANCE FOR SNOW  
SHOWERS TP START ACROSS THE AREA WILL BE BETWEEN NOW (OUT WEST) AND  
11 AM (NEAR THE WATERS). EAST OF THE ALLEGHENIES, THERE SHOULD  
ONLY BE LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH THE MAIN  
THUMP ONLY HAPPENING OVER ROUGHLY A THREE-HOUR PERIOD WITH SOME  
RESIDUAL FLURRIES ON THE ONSET AND BACK-END OF THE SYSTEM.  
GENERALLY, TOTALS UP TO AROUND AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE FOR MOST OF  
THE AREAS EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR  
ACCUMULATING SNOW DURING RUSH HOUR THIS MORNING, A WINTER  
WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE METRO AREAS AND  
SURROUNDING LOCATIONS FROM 7 AM TO 11 AM TODAY. A MORE PROLONGED  
UPSLOPE EVENT ACROSS THE ALLEGHENY FRONT HAS LED TO A WINTER  
WEATHER ADVISORY IN PLACE OUT WEST THROUGH 7 AM FRIDAY FOR  
ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES. CANNOT RULE OUT THE CHANCE FOR  
SNOW SQUALLS LATER TODAY GIVEN THE INCREASE MOISTURE COUPLED  
WITH MODEST CAPE, ESPECIALLY OVER NE MD. MOST MOISTURE EAST OF  
THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY THE MID TO LATE  
AFTERNOON HOURS FROM WEST TO EAST.  
 
WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE SHARPLY DURING  
THE DAYTIME HOURS, WITH 25 TO 35 KNOT GUSTS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT  
THE DAY. THE HIGHEST GUSTS WILL LIKELY BE OVER THE RIDGETOPS  
WHERE SOME GUSTS MAY EXCEED 40 KNOTS BUT WAS NOT CONFIDENT  
ENOUGH IN HOISTING A WIND ADVISORY IN THOSE AREAS. THE GUSTY  
WINDS COUPLED WITH ALREADY FRIGID TEMPERATURES, A COLD WEATHER  
ADVISORY IS IN PLACE FOR PORTIONS OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT FOR  
WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO TONIGHT. OVERNIGHT  
LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS OUT WEST TO THE LOW 20S  
CLOSER TO THE WATERS.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/
 
 
ASIDE FROM LINGERING LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE ALLEGHENY  
FRONT ON FRIDAY, MOST OTHER AREAS SHOULD REMAIN DRY BUT COLD AND  
WINDY. HIGHS WILL LIKELY GET INTO THE MID TO UPPER 30S EAST OF  
THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE DAY WITH GUSTS 25 TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE  
BEFORE SUBSIDING LATER IN THE DAY. ABUNDANT SUNSHINE IS EXPECTED  
DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE  
SETTLES NEARBY AS IT MOVES FURTHER EAST FROM THE HEART OF THE  
CONUS. HIGHS ON SATURDAY MAY BE A DEGREE OR TWO WARMER COMPARED  
TO FRIDAY WITH A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS WHILE HAVING LIGHTER  
WINDS MORE OUT OF THE SOUTH TO SOUTH-WEST.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
THE LONGWAVE PATTERN SHIFTS TOWARD BEING MORE NORTHERN STREAM  
DOMINANT, ALBEIT WITH RATHER LOW AMPLITUDE WAVES. ON SUNDAY, SOME OF  
THESE WEAK IMPULSES IN THE JET TRACK OVERHEAD, BUT THEY AT MOST  
SPAWN A FEW ADDITIONAL CLOUDS OVER THE AREA. OTHERWISE, SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE CENTERED NEAR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MAINTAINS RELATIVELY  
QUIET WEATHER OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. THE STEADY WARM UP  
CONTINUES WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE 50 DEGREE TO  
FINISH OUT THE WEEKEND.  
 
LOOKING TO THE NEXT WORK WEEK, NORTHERN STREAM AMPLIFICATION IS  
NOTED IN SOME OF THE MODEL GUIDANCE. HOWEVER, ANY SUCH  
DISTURBANCE SEEMS TO BE SOMEWHAT MOISTURE STARVED. THUS, EXPECT  
ANY CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION TO BE RELEGATED TO THE ALLEGHENY  
FRONT WHERE A RAIN/SNOW MIX IS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. GIVEN THE  
MILDER PATTERN SETTING UP, ANY WINTRY COMPONENT SHOULD LARGELY  
FOCUS DURING THE NIGHTTIME HOURS. OTHERWISE, A MAINLY DRY  
PATTERN PERSISTS ELSEWHERE WITH CONTINUED MILD TEMPERATURES. ON  
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, FORECAST HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE SLATED TO  
PUSH WELL INTO THE 50S. AN UPSTREAM FRONTAL SYSTEM TRACKS  
THROUGH BY MID-WEEK WITH SOME COOLING LIKELY THEREAFTER.  
ENSEMBLE TEMPERATURE SPREAD INCREASES MARKEDLY WITH SOME  
POTENTIAL FOR A WETTER SYSTEM TOWARD THE END OF THE NEXT WORK  
WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /08Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE BRIEF  
HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS POTENTIALLY REDUCE VSBYS AND CIGS FOR THE  
TERMINALS LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. MOST  
GUIDANCE HAS SNOW BEGINNING AT KMRB BY 12Z AND GETTING TO KBWI  
BY 15/16Z. THE CURRENT TAF REPRESENTS AROUND A 3 HOUR WINDOW FOR  
THE IMPACT SNOW SHOWERS. THERE MAY BE A 1-2 HOUR PERIOD BEYOND  
THE WINDOW THAT COULD STILL HAVE SOME RESIDUAL LIGHT FLURRIES  
AROUND. VFR CONDITIONS RETURN LATE IN THE DAY TODAY WITH GUSTY  
NORTHWEST WINDS PERSISTING THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
HOURS.  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DRY WEATHER  
IS ANTICIPATED DURING THIS PERIOD AT ALL TERMINALS. A GUSTY  
NORTHWESTERLY WIND DOES PERSIST ON FRIDAY WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 TO  
30 KNOTS POSSIBLE BEFORE SUBSIDING LATER IN THE DAY AND LIGHTER  
WINDS PREVAIL OUT OF THE SOUTH ON SATURDAY.  
 
CONTINUED VFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OWING TO SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE NEARBY. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON  
SUNDAY BEFORE WINDS SHIFT TO SOUTHERLY ON MONDAY AHEAD OF A  
FRONTAL SYSTEM WELL OFF TO THE WEST. DRY WEATHER PERSISTS INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
WINDS INCREASE TODAY AND REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH FRIDAY. GALES  
REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE PERIOD OF HIGHEST CONFIDENCE IN THE  
STRONGEST WINDS, WHICH IS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY.  
 
GALE CONDITIONS MAY PERSIST INTO FRIDAY MORNING, ESPECIALLY OVER THE  
MORE SOUTHERN WATERS. ALTHOUGH NORTHWESTERLY WINDS DIMINISH IN  
STRENGTH THROUGH THE DAY, SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE  
NEEDED THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY EVENING. WINDS GENERALLY DIMINISH ON  
SATURDAY WITH SUB-SCA GUSTS EXPECTED. SOME SOUTHERLY CHANNELING  
IS POSSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY SATURDAY NIGHT, THAT  
COULD RESULT IN OCCASIONAL GUSTS AROUND 15-20 KNOTS.  
 
THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH PRESSURE ON THE LOCAL WEATHER WILL  
MAINTAIN SUB-ADVISORY CALIBER WINDS ACROSS THE MARINE ZONES  
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. SUCH WINDS SHOULD TURN MAINLY SOUTHERLY THE  
SECOND HALF OF SUNDAY INTO THE START OF THE WORK WEEK.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN SOME SNAPBACK OF THE WATER LEVELS WITH  
RISING TIDAL ANOMALIES, THIS SHOULD BE SHORT LIVED. BEHIND A  
STRONG COLD FRONT, A GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY WIND WILL HELP LOWER  
WATER LEVELS AGAIN TODAY. THUS, EXPECT CONTINUED LOW WATER  
ISSUES ACROSS THE TIDAL POTOMAC AND WESTERN SHORES OF THE  
CHESAPEAKE BAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SOME IMPROVEMENTS ARE POSSIBLE  
OVER THE WEEKEND AS WINDS TURNS MORE SOUTHERLY.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 11 AM EST THIS MORNING  
FOR DCZ001.  
MD...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR MDZ008.  
GALE WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM EST FRIDAY FOR  
MDZ008.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 11 AM EST THIS MORNING  
FOR MDZ004>006-011-013-014-016>018-503>506.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM EST  
FRIDAY FOR MDZ001.  
VA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 11 AM EST THIS MORNING  
FOR VAZ053>057-501-502-505-506-526-527.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM EST  
FRIDAY FOR VAZ503.  
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 AM EST  
FRIDAY FOR VAZ503-504.  
WV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 AM EST  
FRIDAY FOR WVZ501-505.  
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 AM EST  
FRIDAY FOR WVZ501-505-506.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR  
ANZ530>534-537-539>541-543.  
GALE WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM EST FRIDAY FOR  
ANZ530>534-537-539>541-543.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 PM EST THIS  
AFTERNOON FOR ANZ535-536-538-542.  
GALE WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 1 AM EST FRIDAY FOR  
ANZ535-536-538-542.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...ADM  
NEAR TERM...ADM  
SHORT TERM...ADM  
LONG TERM...BRO  
AVIATION...BRO/ADM  
MARINE...BRO/ADM  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...BRO  
 
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