098  
FXUS61 KRLX 312336  
AFDRLX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV  
736 PM EDT FRI JUL 31 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
UPDATED 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION.  
 
UPDATED 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION.  
 
UPDATED THOUGHTS ON THIS WEEKEND'S RAIN CHANCES AND  
THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1) CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND STORMS RETURN THIS WEEKEND. A FEW STORMS  
MAY BE STRONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS, AND THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR  
LOCALIZED FLOODING. NEXT WEEK STILL LOOKS UNSETTLED.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...  
 
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP THE WEATHER QUIET AND COMFORTABLE  
TODAY AND MUCH OF SATURDAY.  
 
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE MIDWEST SATURDAY,  
BRINGING SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG WITH IT FOR THE WEEKEND. THE  
HIGHEST CHANCE OF RAIN WILL BE ON SUNDAY AS THE CENTER OF LOW  
PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY. MODELS SUGGEST THE  
POTENTIAL OF 500-1,000 J/KG OF MLCAPE DEVELOPING BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON  
IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WITH 30-40 KTS OF DEEP  
LAYER SHEAR. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP SUNDAY AFTERNOON  
IF ENOUGH DESTABILIZATION OCCURS, AND THE MAIN THREAT WOULD BE  
LOCALIZED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL RANGE  
FROM 1.80 TO 2.20 INCHES DURING THIS TIMEFRAME, SO THESE  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS. IF TRAINING  
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP, LOCALIZED FLOODING COULD BE A CONCERN.  
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS  
THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW REMAINS PARKED OVER THE EASTERN U.S. MODELS  
PROJECT THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW ESCAPING NORTHEASTWARD INTO NEW ENGLAND  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, BUT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN  
POSSIBLE ACROSS OUR REGION AS THE MID-LEVEL FLOW TURNS  
SOUTHWESTERLY. THIS WILL BRING A STREAM OF MID- LEVEL VORTICITY  
INTO THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY FROM THE SOUTH.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL ACROSS ALL TERMINALS THIS EVENING. MID  
AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDINESS WILL INCREASE FROM THE WEST OVERNIGHT.  
INCREASING CLOUDS AND SOUTHERLY FLOW AROUND 5 TO 10KTS ALOFT  
WILL HELP TO SUPPRESS VALLEY FOG, THOUGH IFR OR LIFR FOG  
REMAINS POSSIBLE AT EKN BETWEEN 08Z AND 12Z. ANY FOG WILL  
DISSIPATE QUICKLY AFTER 12Z SATURDAY.  
 
VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE SATURDAY MORNING WITH SOUTHERLY SURFACE  
WINDS INCREASING TO 8 TO 12KTS AND OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 15 TO 20KTS.  
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD FROM WEST TO  
EAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON, WITH MVFR OR IFR VISIBILITY AND  
CEILING RESTRICTIONS WITH ANY DIRECT TERMINAL HITS. CONFIDENCE  
IS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE ANYTHING OTHER THAN VCTS AT THIS TIME,  
PRIMARILY FOR THE WESTERN TERMINALS.  
 
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY...  
 
FORECAST CONFIDENCE: HIGH.  
 
ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: FOG COULD DEVELOP AT CRW OR MORE FOG THAN  
ADVERTISED COULD DEVELOP AT EKN IF HIGH CLOUDINESS IS THINNER  
THAN EXPECTED OVERNIGHT.  
 
EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY  
OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION:  
H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.  
M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS.  
L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.  
 
DATE SAT  
UTC 1HRLY 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10  
EDT 1HRLY 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06  
CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H  
HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H  
BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H  
EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H L L L  
PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H  
CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H  
 
AFTER 00Z SUNDAY...  
IFR RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WV...NONE.  
OH...NONE.  
KY...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...26  
AVIATION...JP  
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