473  
FXUS61 KRNK 151246  
AFDRNK  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA  
746 AM EST FRI NOV 15 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
UPSLOPE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL PERSIST TODAY FOR PARTS OF THE  
MOUNTAINS. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR THE WEEKEND AND EARLY  
NEXT WEEK BRINGING DRY WEATHER AND WARMING TEMPERATURES. A LOW  
PRESSURE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA ON TUESDAY  
AND WEDNESDAY, BRINGING THE NEXT WIDESPREAD CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 743 AM EST FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- WARMER TODAY  
- CLEARING IN THE PIEDMONT  
- RAIN ENDING IN MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS BY THIS AFTERNOON  
 
UPDATE FOR MORE DRIZZLE/CLOUDS IN THE MOUNTAINS PER SURFACE  
REPORTS/RADAR AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS. A MIX OF LIGHT  
SHOWERS/DRIZZLE SHOULD TAPER OFF FOR MOST OF THE MOUNTAINS BY  
MIDDAY/EARLY AFTERNOON, BUT EXPECT CLOUDS TO LINGER IN THE  
MOUNTAINS AND ALSO OVER TOWARD FARMVILLE TO STAUNTON RIVER STATE  
PARK, WITH SUNSHINE INCREASING ALONG/EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE INTO  
THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.  
 
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...  
 
MSAS ANALYSIS WAS SHOWING THE LARGEST SURFACE PRESSURE FALLS JUST  
OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST ALONG WITH A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE  
SYSTEM. DEEPER MOISTURE AND THE PRECIPITATION AROUND THIS LOW  
HAD MOVED EAST INTO EASTERN VIRGINIA AND EASTERN NORTH  
CAROLINA. HOWEVER, LOW LEVEL MOISTURE EXTENDED WEST THROUGH THE  
TENNESSEE AND OHIO VALLEYS. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE WEST AND  
NORTHWEST THIS MORNING WHICH WILL KEEP UPSLOPE CLOUDS AND  
SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND HELP ERODE CLOUDS EAST  
OF THE BLUE RIDGE.  
 
ALREADY STARTING TO SEE LARGER BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS OVER THE NORTH  
CAROLINA FOOTHILLS. LOCATIONS THAT CLEAR OUT BEFORE SUNRISE WILL  
LIKELY FOG IN. DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE BEFORE 7AM. BUT, ONCE MIXING  
BEGINS IN THE MORNING, THE FOG WILL DISSIPATE. ENOUGH SUN AND  
DOWNSLOPE HEATING TO BRING HIGHS IN THE PIEDMONT INTO THE LOWER 60S.  
LOCATIONS THAT STAY CLOUDY TODAY WILL ONLY WARM INTO THE 50S.  
 
WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS TODAY,  
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE AND IN THE EASTERN HALF OF  
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AROUND  
THE DEVELOPING OFFSHORE LOW. WIND SPEEDS WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AS OF 130 AM EST FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
1) CONFIDENCE IS HIGH FOR DRY WEATHER THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD.  
 
2) A WARMING TREND SHOULD TAKE PLACE BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD ACROSS THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS  
ON SATURDAY TO BRING DRY WEATHER AMIDST A NORTHWEST FLOW. LIGHT  
WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES BY SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO  
FALL INTO THE 30S FOR MOST LOCATIONS TOWARD SUNDAY MORNING. HEIGHTS  
ALOFT WILL RISE DURING SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE  
BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHEAST. THE WIND SHOULD TURN TO THE SOUTHWEST ON  
SUNDAY TO ALLOW HIGH TEMPERATURES TO JUMP INTO THE 60S. MONDAY WILL  
CONTINUE THE ABOVE NORMAL WARMTH AS A WARM FRONT PASSES TO THE  
NORTHWEST. BY LATE MONDAY, CLOUDS SHOULD INCREASE AS A COLD FRONT  
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
AS OF 130 AM EST FRIDAY...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
1) CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING FOR A CHANCE OF SHOWERS DURING TUESDAY  
AND WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT ARRIVES.  
 
2) THE ABOVE NORMAL WARMTH MAY COME TO A HALT BY THURSDAY AFTER THE  
FRONTAL PASSAGE.  
 
A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS DURING TUESDAY AND  
WEDNESDAY. THE BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS SHOULD OCCUR WEST OF THE  
BLUE RIDGE ON TUESDAY AND SHIFT EASTWARD BY WEDNESDAY. THE MODELS  
HAVE COME INTO MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT COMPARED TO PREVIOUS RUNS WITH  
THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC PATTERN FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. A DEEP  
UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL ARRIVE AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE BY WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT. TEMPERATURES SHOULD NOTABLY DROP ON THURSDAY DUE TO THIS DEEP  
LOW ALOFT AS THE WIND PIVOTS TO THE NORTHWEST AND BECOMES GUSTY.  
UPSLOPE MOISTURE COULD LINGER IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR THE REMAINDER OF  
THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /13Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
AS OF 635 AM EST FRIDAY...  
 
LOW PRESSURE WAS DEEPENING OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. DEEPER  
MOISTURE AND THE PRECIPITATION AROUND THIS LOW HAD MOVED EAST  
INTO EASTERN VIRGINIA AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. HOWEVER, AN  
EXTENSIVE SHIELD OF IFR TO LIFR CLOUDS EXTENDED WEST THROUGH THE  
TENNESSEE AND OHIO VALLEYS.  
 
WINDS WILL BE FROM THE WEST AND NORTHWEST THIS MORNING WHICH  
WILL KEEP UPSLOPE CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE  
MOUNTAINS AND HELP ERODE CLOUDS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. EXPECT  
KBLF TO REMAIN IFR/LIFR AND KLWB TO REMAIN MVFR/IFR THROUGH THE  
TAF FORECAST PERIOD. KBCB WILL IMPROVE BACK TO VFR OVERNIGHT.  
 
ALREADY STARTING TO SEE LARGER BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS OVER THE NORTH  
CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA FOOTHILLS. LOCATIONS THAT CLEAR OUT  
BEFORE SUNRISE WILL LIKELY FOG IN. LIFR TO IFR IS POSSIBLE  
BEFORE 7AM. BUT, ONCE MIXING BEGINS IN THE MORNING, THE FOG WILL  
DISSIPATE. EXPECTING A RETURN TO VFR AT KROA,KLYH, AND KDAN  
BEFORE 19Z/2PM.  
 
WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS TODAY,  
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE AND IN THE EASTERN HALF OF  
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AROUND  
THE DEVELOPING OFFSHORE LOW. WIND SPEEDS WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT.  
 
AVERAGE CONFIDENCE FOR CEILING, VISIBILITY, AND WIND.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK  
 
MVFR CLOUDS CLEAR OUT IN THE MOUNTAINS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON.  
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT.  
 
VFR CONDITIONS RETURN FOR ALL AREAS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH  
MONDAY NIGHT.  
 
AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL BRING THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND  
SUB-VFR CONDITIONS TO THE MOUNTAINS ON TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
VA...NONE.  
NC...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...AMS  
NEAR TERM...AMS/WP  
SHORT TERM...PW  
LONG TERM...PW  
AVIATION...AMS  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab VA Page
The Nexlab WV Page
The Nexlab NC Page Main Text Page