856  
FXUS61 KLWX 040801  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
301 AM EST SUN JAN 4 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS TODAY THROUGH MONDAY, THEN AN AREA OF LOW  
PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.  
STILL, DRY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO PREVAIL FOR MOST OF THE WEEK  
WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES LIKELY DURING THE MIDDLE TO END OF  
THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
A WEAK COLD FRONT OVER WESTERN PA/FAR EAST OH EARLY THIS MORNING  
WILL STEADILY PROGRESS THROUGH OUR AREA BY AROUND SUNRISE. COULD SEE  
A FEW FLURRIES EARLY, BUT NOT REALLY EXPECTING MUCH GIVEN THE DRY  
LOW LEVEL AIRMASS. NORTHWEST WINDS PICK UP THIS AFTERNOON BEHIND THE  
FRONT, WITH SOME AREAS GUSTING AROUND 15-20 MPH FOR A FEW HOURS.  
THAT WILL MAKE IT FEEL RATHER CHILLY ALONG/NORTH OF I-66/US-48 WHERE  
HIGHS ONLY REACH THE MID TO UPPER 30S. TO THE SOUTH, MORE SUNSHINE  
WILL ALLOW HIGHS TO REACH THE LOW TO MID 40S. BY THE LATE AFTERNOON,  
SHOULD SEE ABUNDANT SUNSHINE ACROSS THE AREA. DRY TONIGHT AS LOWS  
SETTLE IN THE LOWER 20S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD EARLY MONDAY WILL SLIDE OFFSHORE BY MONDAY  
AFTERNOON. THE RETURN OF SOUTHERLY FLOW BEGINS A STEADY WARMING  
TREND THAT WILL PEAK LATER IN THE WEEK. HIGHS IN THE 40S TO LOW 50S  
MONDAY JUMP THE 50S TO AROUND 60F ON TUESDAY. AN AREA OF LOW  
PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES TUESDAY, AND THEN  
LIKELY PASSES WELL NORTH OF THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS COULD BRING  
SOME RAIN SHOWERS TO THE ALLEGHENIES AND POTOMAC HIGHLANDS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
FOR THE MID TO LATE WEEK PATTERN, ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WILL BE  
THE NORM OWING TO BUILDING HEIGHTS ALOFT AND MAINLY LOW-LEVEL WARM  
ADVECTION. A NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TRACKING TO THE NORTH DRIVES  
A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY. THIS BRINGS SOME  
SHOWER ACTIVITY TO THE ALLEGHENIES ALONG WITH A WIND SHIFT OVER TO  
NORTHWESTERLY. AS THIS SYSTEM EXITS INTO THE ATLANTIC, MID/UPPER  
HEIGHTS BUILD IN EARNEST FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. OVERALL  
TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD SHOULD RANGE FROM THE 50S TO MID  
60S, WITH 40S TO 50S ACROSS MOUNTAIN LOCALES. AT NIGHT, TEMPERATURES  
LARGELY REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING, PARTICULARLY FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY  
NIGHTS.  
 
THERE ARE HINTS IN THE GLOBAL GUIDANCE OF A PATTERN SHIFT BY LATE IN  
THE WEEK WHICH USHERS IN MORE WIDESPREAD RAIN CHANCES BY FRIDAY.  
THIS EVENTUALLY LENDS ITSELF TO COOLING TEMPERATURES BY LATE NEXT  
WEEKEND WHICH IS EVIDENT IN MULTIPLE ENSEMBLE SYSTEMS. FOR JUST  
BEYOND THIS PERIOD OF INTEREST, ENSEMBLE BOX-AND-WHISKER PLOTS SHOW  
THIS FALL OFF IN TEMPERATURES BY THE JANUARY 11-13 PERIOD. UNTIL  
THEN, ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES SHOULD DOMINATE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /07Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH  
TUESDAY WITH NO PRECIPITATION. NORTHWEST WINDS COULD GUST AROUND 20  
KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON, THEN WINDS TURN SOUTHERLY MONDAY AND  
TUESDAY.  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. A FRONTAL  
SYSTEM TRACKS THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY, BUT ANY SHOWER CHANCES SHOULD  
REMAIN BACK ALONG THE ALLEGHENIES. WINDS SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY FOR  
THE SECOND HALF OF WEDNESDAY. EVENTUALLY A RETURN FLOW ENUES BY  
THURSDAY AFTERNOON WHICH BRINGS SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLIES TO THE AREA.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE WATERS EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH  
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN THROUGH TONIGHT. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PICK  
UP SLIGHTLY THIS AFTERNOON, AND THERE COULD BE OCCASIONAL GUSTS  
AROUND 20 KNOTS FOR A FEW HOURS. IT DOES NOT LOOK WIDESPREAD OR  
CONSISTENT ENOUGH AT THIS TIME TO ISSUE A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY. SO,  
THIS THREAT WILL BE HANDLED WITH MARINE WEATHER STATEMENTS.  
 
THE HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE TONIGHT AND THAT ALLOWS SOUTHERLY WINDS TO  
RETURN MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SOUTHERLY CHANNELING COULD RESULT IN SCA  
CONDITIONS MONDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS MOST OF THE WATERS. BEYOND THAT,  
SUB-SCA WINDS ARE FORECAST THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 
FAVORABLE MARINE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR BOTH WEDNESDAY AND  
THURSDAY. A FRONTAL SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE WATERS MIDDAY WEDNESDAY  
WHICH RESULTS IN A SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. EVENTUALLY WINDS  
TURN SOUTHEASTERLY ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS RETURN FLOW  
COMMENCES.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...KRR  
NEAR TERM...KRR  
SHORT TERM...KRR  
LONG TERM...BRO  
AVIATION...KRR/BRO  
MARINE...KRR/BRO  
 
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