882  
FXUS61 KLWX 171415  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
1015 AM EDT SAT OCT 17 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
UPDATED HOURLY TRENDS IN THE GRIDDED DATABASE. MADE SMALL  
CHANGES TO THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AND FROST/FREEZE EXPIRATION  
TIMES BASED ON EXPECTED CONDITIONS.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1) FROST AND/OR FREEZING TEMPERATURES THIS  
WEEKEND.  
 
- 2) DAILY CHANCES FOR SHOWERS NEXT WEEK AS A NOR'EASTER  
DEVELOPS OFF THE CAROLINA COAST.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...FROST AND/OR FREEZING TEMPERATURES THIS  
WEEKEND.  
 
MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS IS CROSSING THE APPALACHIANS AS OF MID  
MORNING. ANAFRONTAL RAIN CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE  
FORECAST AREA BUT SHOULD DEPART BY THIS AFTERNOON. DRIER AIR IN  
THE WAKE OF THE UPPER JET STREAK IS SEEN IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY  
AND IS LEADING TO CLOUD BREAKS WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. GRADUAL  
CLEARING SHOULD SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
TEMPERATURES DROP TODAY IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT WITH  
HIGHS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 50S FOR MOST (40S MTNS). GUSTY WINDS  
OF 25-35 MPH CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY BEFORE DECREASING TONIGHT.  
TONIGHT'S COLD AIR WILL BE DRIVEN MAINLY BY ADVECTION, ALTHOUGH  
SOME DECOUPLING MAY OCCUR WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WHICH WILL BE  
CLOSER TO THE SURFACE HIGH. WINDS REMAIN MUCH MORE UNCERTAIN TO  
THE EAST, AND WHILE IT WILL BE CHILLY, THIS MAY MAINTAIN NOTABLE  
TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT SPREADS (THE LATTER OF WHICH WILL BE IN  
THE UPPER 20S) TO PREVENT FROST FORMATION. UNLESS 12Z GUIDANCE  
SHIFTS, FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE FROST ADVISORY IS UNLIKELY.  
WHILE THE FREEZE WARNING AREA STILL APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE,  
IT MAY NOT BE A WIDESPREAD FREEZE ALONG/EAST OF I-81.  
 
TEMPERATURES BEGIN GRADUALLY WARMING ON SUNDAY ALTHOUGH  
ADDITIONAL FROST ADVISORIES ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT WEST OF  
THE BLUE RIDGE WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE 30S (IN ANY  
AREAS WHERE THE GROWING SEASON DOES NOT END TONIGHT). BEGINNING  
EARLY NEXT WEEK, CHANCES FOR FROST/FREEZE DIMINISH AS  
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO WARM.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...DAILY CHANCES FOR SHOWERS NEXT WEEK AS A NOR'EASTER  
DEVELOPS OFF THE CAROLINA COAST.  
 
AS AN UPPER TROUGH ADVANCES THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC TODAY, PART OF  
IT CUTS OFF ALONG A STALLED FRONT SOUTH OF OUR REGION THIS WEEKEND.  
HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK, THIS CUTOFF UPPER-LEVEL LOW RESULTS IN THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF A NOR'EASTER OFF THE CAROLINA COAST. THIS SYSTEM THEN  
MEANDERS OFFSHORE AND NEAR THE COAST, BUT GUIDANCE IS UNCERTAIN ON  
ITS TRACK AND STRENGTH. FORECAST MODELS SHOW CONSIDERABLE SPREAD  
WITH RESPECT TO THE LOCATION NOR'EASTER NEXT WEEK. SOME SOLUTIONS  
KEEP THE SYSTEM OFFSHORE, WHILE OTHERS HAVE IT RETROGRADING FURTHER  
WESTWARD. IF THIS SYSTEM DOES TRACK FURTHER WESTWARD, IT COULD LEAD  
TO LOCAL IMPACTS. WITH THIS MID-LEVEL LOW BEING CUT OFF FROM THE  
MAIN STEERING FLOW, IT COULD LINGER THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK.  
NORTHEAST BREEZES AND DAILY CHANCES FOR SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE.  
REGIONS ALONG AND EAST OF I-95 HAVE THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS  
NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /13Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
LINGERING RAIN SHOULD EXIT CHO SHORTLY. VFR CEILINGS WILL  
GRADUALLY CLEAR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTY 20  
TO 30 KNOTS TODAY BEFORE DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT. WINDS SHIFT TO  
NORTH/NORTHEASTERLY SUNDAY AND MONDAY, GUSTING AROUND 15 KNOTS  
EACH AFTERNOON.  
 
FOR TERMINALS IN THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA,  
SUB-VFR CONDITIONS COULD DEVELOP NEXT WEEK FROM SHOWERS  
ASSOCIATED WITH A NOR'EASTER LURKING OFFSHORE. NORTHEAST WINDS  
COULD BECOME BREEZY AT TIMES DEPENDING ON HOW CLOSE THE SYSTEM  
GETS.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TODAY IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG  
COLD FRONT, WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES AND GALE WARNINGS IN  
EFFECT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS CONTINUE SUNDAY WITH  
NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING AROUND 20 KNOTS. ELEVATED WINDS CONTINUE  
MONDAY AS A NOR'EASTER DEVELOPS OFF THE CAROLINA COAST WITH SCA  
CRITERIA WINDS POSSIBLE, MAINLY IN THE OPEN PORTIONS OF THE  
CHESAPEAKE BAY.  
 
NEXT WEEK, NORTHEAST WINDS AROUND A NOR'EASTER MAY REMAIN GUSTY  
THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES AND GALES ARE  
POSSIBLE AT TIMES OVER THE WIDER/SOUTHERN WATERS.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...FREEZE WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR  
MDZ003>006-501- 502-507-509-510.  
FROST ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR MDZ503-505.  
VA...FREEZE WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR VAZ025>031-  
503>505-507-508.  
FROST ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR VAZ036>040-050-  
051-501-502-506-526.  
WV...FREEZE WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR  
WVZ050>053-055- 501>506.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR  
ANZ530-531-536- 538>542. GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR  
ANZ532>534-537-543. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS  
EVENING FOR ANZ535.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...ADS/AVS/KVH  
AVIATION...ADS/AVS/KVH  
MARINE...ADS/AVS/KVH  
 
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