639  
FXUS62 KTAE 180523  
AFDTAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL  
123 AM EDT FRI SEP 18 2026  
   
..NEW AVIATION
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
ISSUED AT 121 AM EDT FRI SEP 18 2026  
 
- HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS AND A HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK WILL  
CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST GULF WATERS AND LOCAL BEACHES  
INTO TONIGHT.  
 
- DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH FRIDAY ALONG WITH UNSEASONABLY WARM  
TEMPERATURES CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY, POTENTIALLY REACHING  
THE MID 90S IN SOME INLAND AREAS.  
 
- MOISTURE AND RAIN CHANCES GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS WEEKEND,  
BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD AND LIKELY ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST  
AREA BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
UPDATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 746 PM EDT THU SEP 17 2026  
 
CURRENT FORECAST IS ON TRACK. KEY MESSAGES WERE REFRESHED.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)  
ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT THU SEP 17 2026  
 
THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST U.S. REMAINS DOMINATED  
BY A STOUT UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE MID-SOUTH, WHICH IS  
SLOWLY RETROGRADING WESTWARD. MEANWHILE, AN UPPER LOW IS  
DEVELOPING OVER THE BAHAMAS AND IS PROGGED TO MOVE WESTWARD  
TOWARDS THE FLORIDA EAST COAST AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE NORTHERN  
GULF. THIS SETUP CONTINUES TO FUNNEL DRY, BREEZY NORTHEASTERLY  
FLOW ACROSS THE REGION TODAY, MAINTAINING UNSEASONABLY DRY  
CONDITIONS WITH PWATS ON THE ORDER OF 0.8 INCHES, IN THE 10TH  
PERCENTILE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE DRY PATTERN CONTINUES FRIDAY  
WITH ABUNDANT SUNSHINE AND UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES.  
MOISTURE WILL BEGIN A GRADUAL RETURN, WITH PWATS INCREASING TO  
1.4-1.7 INCHES BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING, THOUGH RAIN CHANCES  
REMAIN NEGLIGIBLE.  
 
ON SATURDAY, THE UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE TROUGH ARE  
EXPECTED TO CRUISE ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA AND INTO THE  
NORTH-CENTRAL GULF. THIS WILL SHIFT MID/UPPER LEVEL WINDS TO A  
MORE SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, OPENING THE DOOR FOR MORE  
SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE RETURN. THIS WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN  
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE, WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE (20-40%) OF  
AFTERNOON CONVECTION, FAVORING AREAS SOUTH OF I-10 AND THE  
FLORIDA BIG BEND.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
(SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT THU SEP 17 2026  
 
THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY INCREASING  
MOISTURE AND DAILY CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THE  
UPPER LOW WEAKENS INTO AN OPEN WAVE AND BECOMES ABSORBED INTO THE  
BROADER FLOW. A WEAK DISTURBANCE LINGERING AROUND THE FLORIDA  
PENINSULA IS FORECAST TO CONTRIBUTE TO DAILY LOCALLY HEAVY  
RAINFALL POTENTIAL ACROSS THE REGION. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL  
GENERALLY BE IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S, WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN  
THE LOW TO MID 70S.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(06Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 121 AM EDT FRI SEP 18 2026  
 
PREVAILING VFR CONDS EXPECTED THRU THE PERIOD. LIGHT TO CALM WINDS  
OVERNIGHT INCREASE OUT OF THE NE IN THE 5-9-KT RANGE. THE AFTN  
SEABREEZE PROMPTS A MORE EASTERLY WIND SHIFT AT ECP.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT THU SEP 17 2026  
 
WINDS RELAX TO MODERATE NORTHEASTERLIES HEADING INTO FRIDAY, THEN  
LIGHT TO MODERATE EASTERLIES THIS WEEKEND WHILE SEAS FALL TO 1 TO  
3 FEET. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS  
AFTERNOON.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT THU SEP 17 2026  
 
WINDS START TO RELAX FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND WITH GOOD  
DISPERSIONS EXPECTED. THE DRY AIR CONTINUES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE  
OF DAYS AND THUS NO RAINFALL IS EXPECTED. MOISTURE INCREASES AND  
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAKE A RETURN  
BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND. AFTERNOON HUMIDITIES THROUGH FRIDAY WILL  
FALL TO THE MID 30S TO MID 40% RANGE THEN INCREASE FOR THE  
WEEKEND. HIGHS WILL REACH THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S EACH DAY,  
PERHAPS MID 90S ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND THE FLORIDA  
PANHANDLE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
HYDROLOGY
 
 
ISSUED AT 220 AM EDT THU SEP 17 2026  
 
RAIN CHANCES RETURN THIS WEEKEND HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO FLASH OR  
RIVERINE FLOODING CONCERNS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  
 

 
   
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT
 
 
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED. HOWEVER, SPOTTERS ARE ALWAYS  
ENCOURAGED TO SAFELY REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN THEY  
OCCUR BY CALLING THE OFFICE OR TWEETING US @NWSTALLAHASSEE.  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
TALLAHASSEE 72 95 73 92 / 0 20 10 50  
PANAMA CITY 74 94 75 91 / 0 30 10 50  
DOTHAN 71 96 72 93 / 0 30 10 20  
ALBANY 71 95 72 92 / 10 20 20 20  
VALDOSTA 70 93 71 91 / 0 10 10 40  
CROSS CITY 70 91 72 90 / 0 40 0 70  
APALACHICOLA 75 89 75 87 / 0 20 10 50  
 

 
   
TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
FL...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK UNTIL 4 AM EDT /3 AM CDT/ EARLY THIS  
MORNING FOR FLZ108-112-114-115.  
 
GA...NONE.  
AL...NONE.  
GM...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...MERRIFIELD  
LONG TERM....MERRIFIELD  
AVIATION...IG3  
MARINE...MERRIFIELD  
FIRE WEATHER...MERRIFIELD  
HYDROLOGY...SCHOLL  
 
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