998  
FXUS61 KRNK 211052  
AFDRNK  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA  
652 AM EDT MON SEP 21 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE FORECAST, JUST REMOVING THUNDER FROM  
WED-THU FOR MOST OF THE AREA WITH A STRONG WEDGE AND CHANGING  
FROM SHOWERS TO RAIN.  
 
AVIATION UPDATED.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) UNSETTLED WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH MIDWEEK AS A FRONT  
MEANDERS AROUND THE AREA. TURNING COOLER MIDWEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: UNSETTLED WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH MIDWEEK AS A  
FRONT MEANDERS AROUND THE AREA. TURNING NOTICEABLY COOLER BY  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
LOOKING AT FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS OUR AREA TODAY, WITH SEVERAL  
VORTS MOVING ALONG IT ALOFT AND SHOULD SEE A DECENT SHOT OF  
SHOWERS/STORMS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY TONIGHT  
INTO TUESDAY. THE FRONT DROPS SOUTH TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY  
WHILE WE GET WEDGED IN.  
 
TODAY WILL BE THE LAST WARM DAY, AND DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH  
SUNSHINE WE GET, COULD SEE SOME STRONGER STORMS DEVELOP, BUT  
AGAIN LOOKS ISOLATED. AS FAR AS HEAVY RAIN/LOCALIZED FLOODING,  
THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL FOR THAT, WITH THE 00Z HREF  
PROBABILITIES FOR MORE THAN 3" RAIN IN 12 HRS HIGHLIGHTING THE  
PIEDMONT OF NC TONIGHT. STILL MODELS/ENSEMBLES ARE BLOTCHY WITH  
THIS COVERAGE AND NOT SEEING A NEED FOR ANY FLOOD WATCHES.  
 
AS WE HEAD INTO TUESDAY, WILL HAVE TO WATCH WHERE THE HEAVY RAIN  
OCCURS TODAY-TONIGHT, AND WHETHER WE MAY NEED FLOOD WATCHES.  
 
THE BIGGER STORY WILL BE THE SIGNIFICANT COOL DOWN WITH  
POTENTIAL TO REMAIN STUCK IN THE 50S AND 60S WEDNESDAY AND  
THURSDAY. COLD AIR ADVECTION IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR MULTIPLE  
DAYS SO IT MAY TAKE UNTIL THE WEEKEND TO RETURN TO READINGS NEAR  
NORMAL.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
LOOK FOR MAINLY VFR STARTING THIS MORNING EXCEPT SOME LIFR TO  
IFR CONDITIONS AT LWB. A FEW SHOWERS MAY SNEAK INTO LWB THROUGH  
14Z. BETTER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS/STORMS ARRIVES THIS AFTERNOON  
BUT AGAIN STILL LOOKING AT SCATTERED SO VCTS IN TAFS WITH MAINLY  
VFR. THIS EVENING COVERAGE OF RAIN INCREASES WITH FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS THE AREA. EXPECT THE 00Z-06Z TIME FRAME  
TO BE THE RAINIEST ESPECIALLY ALONG EAST OF THE BCB/ROA LINE.  
SHOULD HAVE IFR OR LOWER CONDITIONS DURING THE NIGHT SO NOT A  
GOOD NIGHT TO FLY AND THIS WILL BE THE CASE INTO 12Z TUESDAY.  
 
FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE, BUT LOWER ON THUNDERSTORM  
TIMING MONDAY.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...  
 
RAIN CHANCES ARE HIGH FOR TUESDAY AS WELL, WITH NUMEROUS TO  
WIDESPREAD COVERAGE. DURING THIS TIME EXPECT PERIODS OF SUB-VFR  
CONDITIONS AND POTENTIAL HEAVY RAIN. FOG AT NIGHT CAN ALSO BE  
EXPECTED, ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS.  
 
FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK, GUSTY NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED  
PER FORECAST OF STRONG CYCLONE DEVELOPING OFF THE NEW ENGLAND  
COAST. DEPENDING ON LOCATION OF THIS SYSTEM WILL DETERMINE IF WE  
CLEAR OUT BY FRIDAY BUT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL, WITH POOR FLYING  
WEATHER WED-THU.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...PM/WP  
AVIATION...AS/PM/WP  
 
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