945  
FXUS64 KMRX 210522  
AFDMRX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN  
1222 AM EST SAT DEC 21 2024  
   
..NEW AVIATION
 
 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 931 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
NO MAJOR UPDATES TONIGHT. NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES TO PRODUCE  
SOME SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WITH SNOW FLURRIES  
ACROSS THE REGION.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 330 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
A FAST MOVING CLIPPER SYSTEM WAS MOVING INTO THE EAST TENNESSEE  
AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AT MID AFTERNOON AND BEGINNING TO PRODUCE  
RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. SOME  
SLEET HAS BEEN REPORTED BRIEFLY AS WELL. WINDS HAVE INCREASED OUT  
OF THE WEST WITH THIS SYSTEM AND SHOULD REMAIN GUSTY OVERNIGHT  
TONIGHT BEFORE DECREASING SATURDAY. STILL LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE  
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE AREA WILL NOT SEE MUCH RAIN OR  
SNOW. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE MOSTLY A TRACE TO 0.5 INCH OR  
SO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN LOW ELEVATIONS BUT 1 TO 4 INCHES IN THE  
ADVISORY AREA AND THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE SMOKIES AND  
FARTHER NORTH INTO VIRGINIA 5 OR 6 INCHES. ALL AREAS WILL SEE  
MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES TONIGHT AND SATURDAY WITH COLDER AIRMASS  
MOVING IN. HIGHS TODAY WERE IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S WITH  
TEMPERATURES EARLY THIS AFTERNOON DROPPING INTO THE 30S IN MOST  
LOCATIONS BY LATE AFTERNOON. WIND CHILLS WILL BE IN THE 20S LOWER  
ELEVATIONS AND TEEN OR SINGLE DIGITS HIGHER ELEVATIONS OVERNIGHT.  
 
BY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY THE MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM  
MOVES OUT WITH SOME SNOW FLURRIES LINGERING IN THE COLD AIRMASS.  
THE HIGHER EASTERN MOUNTAINS MAY SEE ANOTHER INCH OR SO OF SNOW  
BUT MOST HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE LESS ACCUMULATION SATURDAY  
MORNING. HIGHS SATURDAY SHOULD ONLY RISE 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE  
THE NIGHT TIME LOWS. EXPECT WINDS TO LOWER TO 5 TO 10 MPH BUT  
HIGHER GUSTS IN THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS TO 25 MPH OR SO UNTIL EARLY  
AFTERNOON. CLOUDS WILL LINGER IN THE COLD AIRMASS SATURDAY BUT  
SHOULD DECREASE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 330 PM EST FRI DEC 20 2024  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
1. COLD THROUGH MONDAY.  
 
2. WARMING TREND NEXT WEEK WITH CHANCES FOR RAIN THE SECOND HALF OF  
THE WEEK INCLUDING CHRISTMAS.  
 
DISCUSSION:  
 
WE WILL BEGIN BENEATH A COLD NORTHWEST FLOW THAT WILL REINFORCE THE  
SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPS THROUGH SUNDAY AND MONDAY. MODELS SHOW  
THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE WESTERLY-ZONAL DURING MONDAY, WHICH WILL  
SIGNAL THE ONSET OF WARMING TO DEVELOP.  
 
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DROP OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE  
SOUTHERN PLAINS TUESDAY, WHICH WILL AMPLIFY OUR PATTERN ALOFT INTO A  
TEMPORARY RIDGE THAT WILL BRING MILD WEATHER WITH VALLEY HIGHS IN THE  
50S FROM CHRISTMAS EVE THROUGH FRIDAY, AND MOISTENING DEWPOINTS  
THAT WILL RESULT IN MILDER DAILY LOWS AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES.  
 
ENERGY LOOKS TO CONTINUE TO FLOW INTO THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES THROUGH  
THURSDAY, KEEPING THE STORM PATH IN THE MID SECTION OF THE COUNTRY,  
WHICH WILL HELP PREVENT ORGANIZED WEATHER SYSTEMS FROM REACHING OUR  
AREA. THUS, EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AT BEST FOR CHRISTMAS THROUGH  
FRIDAY.  
 
BEYOND OUR TIMEFRAME, MODELS DO BECOME DISCREPANT, BUT THE GFS  
REMAINS PERSISTENT WITH EASTERN U.S. RIDGING EVEN THROUGH NEXT  
WEEKEND. THE ECMWF DISAGREES. WE WILL WAIT AND SEE IF WE CLOSE OUT  
THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER WITH WELL ABOVE NORMAL WARMTH.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(06Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 1214 AM EST SAT DEC 21 2024  
 
SOME SNOW FLAKES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT NEAR TRI BUT LITTLE  
TO NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. MVFR CIGS WILL LIFT BY EARLY  
AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE NORTHERLY.  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 42 27 46 30 / 0 0 0 0  
KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 39 23 42 25 / 10 0 0 0  
OAK RIDGE, TN 39 23 41 25 / 10 0 0 0  
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 36 19 37 22 / 10 0 0 0  
 

 
   
MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NC...NONE.  
TN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR BLOUNT  
SMOKY MOUNTAINS-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-JOHNSON-SEVIER SMOKY  
MOUNTAINS-SOUTHEAST CARTER-SOUTHEAST GREENE-UNICOI.  
 
VA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LEE-  
RUSSELL-WASHINGTON VA-WISE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...TD  
LONG TERM....GC  
AVIATION...MCD  
 
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