057  
FXUS62 KCAE 180038  
AFDCAE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC  
838 PM EDT FRI JUL 17 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
UPDATED KEY MESSAGE 1. AVIATION DISCUSSION UPDATED FOR 00Z  
TAFS.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- 1. ISOLATED CONVECTION CONTINUES OVER THE COMING HOURS.  
 
- 2. INCREASING RAIN CHANCES SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, ALONG WITH  
POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1: ISOLATED CONVECTION CONTINUES OVER THE COMING  
HOURS.  
 
A CLUSTER OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS ONGOING ACROSS  
BURKE COUNTY GA TOWARD SOUTHERN AIKEN AND BARNWELL COUNTIES.  
ROBUST UPDRAFTS HAVE MERGED ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AND  
REGIONAL RADARS AT POINTS WERE SHOWING A 50DBZ CORE EXCEEDING  
40,000FT WITH INTENSE LIGHTNING NOTED. AS HEATING CONTINUES TO  
DIMINISH, STORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED TO DECLINE  
AS WELL IN THE COMING HOURS BEFORE MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2: INCREASING RAIN CHANCES SUNDAY INTO MONDAY,  
ALONG WITH POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
A POTENT UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL SHIFT NORTH INTO EASTERN GA LATE  
SUNDAY WHILE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DROPS INTO WESTERN AND CENTRAL  
NC. A SURFACE BOUNDARY MAY SAG INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE  
AREA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT OR ON MONDAY. BULK SHEAR LOOKS FAIRLY  
WEAK ON SUNDAY (5-10 KT) WITH STRONGER SHEAR FARTHER NORTH INTO  
THE NC PIEDMONT. HOWEVER, FAIRLY STRONG LOW-LEVEL INSTABILITY  
WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON, AND DCAPE COULD EXCEED 1000  
J/KG IN SPOTS. FURTHERMORE, PWATS WILL RISE ABOVE 2" OVER MOST  
OF THE AREA IN THE AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT, WE  
ANTICIPATE FAIRLY GOOD COVERAGE OF CONVECTION IN THE  
AFTERNOON/EVENING, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME ORGANIZATION TO  
THE ACTIVITY. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SOMEWHAT GREATER SEVERE  
WEATHER POTENTIAL, PRIMARILY FROM DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.  
 
CONSIDERABLE CONVECTIVE COVERAGE EXPECTED AGAIN ON MONDAY AS THE  
SURFACE FRONT POTENTIALLY SAGS SOUTH INTO THE AREA, PROVIDING AN  
ADDITIONAL FOCUS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
AFTERNOON CONVECTION CONTINUES TO BE FOCUSED IN THE CSRA THIS  
EVENING SO CONTINUING A VCSH UNTIL 02Z FOR AGS/DNL/AIK.  
OTHERWISE WINDS BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE LESS THAN 5 KNOTS  
AFTER 02Z WITH DEBRIS CLOUDS THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN DIMINISHING  
OVERNIGHT. SOME BRIEF MORNING GROUND FOG POSSIBLE BUT CONFIDENCE  
NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IN THE FORECAST. WINDS PICK UP AFTER  
15Z FROM THE SOUTH AND INCREASE TO AROUND 8 TO 10 KNOTS DURING  
THE AFTERNOON. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION POSSIBLE AGAIN  
SATURDAY BUT MAYBE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON CLOSE TO THE END OF  
THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...POTENTIAL FOR RESTRICTIONS FROM  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT  
WEEK.  
 

 
   
CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
SC...NONE.  
GA...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...DH/JRL  
AVIATION...23  
 
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