821  
FXUS61 KLWX 241838  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
238 PM EDT THU SEP 24 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
THE COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FOR KING GEORGE COUNTY WAS EXTENDED  
TO ENCOMPASS AN ADDITIONAL HIGH TIDE CYCLE AS THEY ARE FORECAST  
TO REMAIN IN MINOR FLOOD STAGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND DURING THE  
HIGH TIDE CYCLES. ADDITIONALLY, A FROST ADVISORY WAS ISSUED  
FOR PORTIONS OF THE ALLEGHENIES FOR TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY  
FRIDAY MORNING.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1) A NOR'EASTER BRINGS BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES, BREEZY  
CONDITIONS, AND GUSTY WINDS THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.  
 
- 2) WARM AND CALM CONDITIONS NEXT WEEK BEFORE RAINFALL CHANCES  
RETURN BY LATE NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...A NOR'EASTER BRINGS BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES, BREEZY  
CONDITIONS, AND GUSTY WINDS THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.  
 
A NOR'EASTER WILL DEVELOP OFF THE EAST COAST THIS EVENING BEFORE  
TRACKING NORTH TOWARDS NEW ENGLAND. THE PROXIMITY OF THE NOR'EASTER  
WILL BRING INCREASED CLOUD COVER, BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES,  
AND BREEZY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SURFACE  
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE WEST WILL MAINTAIN DRY CONDITIONS LOCALLY,  
ALTHOUGH THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL RESULT IN GUSTY WINDS  
DAILY. CLOUD COVER DECREASES OVERNIGHT, WITH CONDITIONS  
FAVORABLE FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING LEADING TO A FROST ADVISORY  
BEING ISSUED FOR THE WESTERN ALLEGHENIES. WHILE MOST OF THE AREA  
WILL DIP INTO THE 40S, HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE TEMPERATURES  
IN THE 30S. TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 33 DEGREES IN THE ALLEGHENIES  
WILL RESULT IN FROST FORMATION. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES  
CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S TO 70S  
AND OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 40S AND 50S.  
 
ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW A GOOD BIT OF UNCERTAINTY  
REGARDING THE EXACT TRACK OF THE NOR'EASTER AS IT TRACKS OFFSHORE.  
SOME SOLUTIONS HAVE THE TRACK FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST, LEADING TO  
GUSTIER WINDS AND POTENTIALLY INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES.  
WHILE MODEL GUIDANCE TRENDED WESTWARD OVERNIGHT, MODELS THIS  
MORNING HAVE BACKED OFF LEADING TO CONTINUED UNCERTAINTY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...WARM AND CALM CONDITIONS NEXT WEEK BEFORE RAINFALL  
CHANCES RETURN BY LATE NEXT WEEK.  
 
AS THIS NOR'EASTER ADVANCES FURTHER OFFSHORE, AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE  
BUILDS OVER THE GREAT PLAINS BRINGING HIGHER PRESSURE, CALMER WINDS,  
AND PREDOMINANTLY DRY CONDTIONS TO OUR REGION. A FEW SHOWERS COULD  
LINGER ACROSS NORTHERN MARYLAND MONDAY MORNING SHOULD THIS WEEKEND'S  
NOR'EASTER TRACK FURTHER WEST. MID-LEVEL RIDGING BUILDING OVER THE  
MIDWEST CONTINUES TO RAISE DAILY TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE WEEK,  
WARMING INTO ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ADVANCING OUT OF THE MIDWEST BRINGS HUMID  
CONDITIONS AND CHANCES FOR SHOWERS BACK TO OUR REGION LATE NEXT  
WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS ALL TERMINALS  
THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. THE BIGGEST IMPACT TO  
TERMINALS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AS A NOR'EASTER TRACKS NEARBY.  
GUSTY NORTH/NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY, BEFORE  
SHIFTING TO NORTH/NORTHWESTERLY ON SATURDAY. EACH AFTERNOON,  
WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 15 AND 25 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE  
TERMINALS.  
 
CEILINGS IMPROVE THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT WITH LIMITED  
CLOUD COVER EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE LOCATED  
TO THE WEST.  
 
ON SUNDAY, OTHER THAN A FEW SHOWERS LINGERING EAST OF I-95, VFR  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS ALL TERMINALS THROUGH THE BEGINNING  
OF NEXT WEEK. NORTHEASTERLY WINDS PERSIST, BUT THE MAGNITUDE OF  
WIND GUSTS CONTINUE TO BE DEPENDENT ON THE TRACK OF THE  
NOR'EASTER.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR ALL WATERS THROUGH SATURDAY  
MORNING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE TIDAL  
POTOMAC AND CHESAPEAKE BAY. HERE, A GALE WATCH GOES INTO EFFECT  
FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS OVER  
THE WATERS REMAIN OUT OF THE NORTH/NORTHEAST GUSTING 20 TO 35  
KNOTS. HIGH END SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS OR POTENTIAL GALE  
FORCE WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY AS THE NOR'EASTER TRACKS  
NEARBY. IF THE NOR'EASTER WERE TO TRACK VERY CLOSE TO THE COAST,  
GALE CONDITIONS WOULD BE LIKELY WITH ADDITIONAL GALE HEADLINES  
NEEDING TO BE ISSUED.  
 
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS PERSIST THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.  
DEPENDING ON HOW CLOSE THIS WEEKEND'S NOR'EASTER TRACKS TO THE  
WEST, SCA LEVEL GUSTS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY BEFORE  
FINALLY WEAKENING BELOW SCA CRITERIA ON MONDAY.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
A LONG DURATION COASTAL FLOOD EVENT WITHIN PERSISTENT ONSHORE  
FLOW IS UNDERWAY. COASTAL FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR  
ANNAPOLIS, STRAITS POINT, AND ALEXANDRIA THROUGH FRIDAY. COASTAL  
FLOOD ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR DC, DAHLGREN, AND SOLOMONS  
ISLAND THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. FURTHER NORTH ALONG THE BAY  
(BALTIMORE NORTHWARD) ANOMALIES ARE FORECAST TO BE LOWER DUE TO  
A SIGNIFICANT NORTHERLY COMPONENT OF THE WIND.  
 
THE FORECAST GETS VERY COMPLICATED LATER FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS  
A COASTAL LOW STRENGTHENS AND POTENTIALLY RETROGRADES WESTWARD  
TOWARD THE AREA. MODEL GUIDANCE SHOWS AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF  
FORECAST SPREAD WITH RESPECT TO TIDAL LEVELS FRIDAY AFTERNOON  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS UNCERTAINTY IS TIED TO UNCERTAINTY IN  
THE PLACEMENT OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COASTAL LOW, AND WHETHER ITS  
ASSOCIATED WIND FIELD WILL ALLOW WATER TO BE ABLE TO START TO  
DRAIN OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE BAY. FURTHER COASTAL FLOOD  
HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, BUT IT'S ALSO  
POSSIBLE THAT WATER LEVELS BEGIN TO DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY  
STARTING FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR DCZ001.  
MD...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR MDZ008.  
COASTAL FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 11 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR MDZ014.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR MDZ016.  
COASTAL FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 5 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR MDZ017.  
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR MDZ018.  
FROST ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR MDZ509-510.  
VA...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR VAZ057.  
FROST ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR VAZ503.  
COASTAL FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 10 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR VAZ054.  
WV...FROST ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR WVZ501-505.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR ANZ530>532-  
535-536-538>542.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR ANZ533-534-537-  
543.  
GALE WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON  
FOR ANZ533-534-537-543.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...AVS/KJP/KVH  
AVIATION...AVS/KVH  
MARINE...AVS/KVH  
 
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