670
FXUS62 KCHS 240642
AFDCHS
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
242 AM EDT TUE MAR 24 2026
WHAT HAS CHANGED
ALL SECTIONS UPDATED.
KEY MESSAGES
- 1) AREAS ACROSS THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOWCOUNTRY AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA
WILL SEE GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
AROUND 30 PERCENT TODAY.
- 2) NEAR-RECORD WARMTH FRIDAY BEFORE A DRY COLD FRONT BRINGS
COOLER TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGE 1: AREAS ACROSS THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOWCOUNTRY AND
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA WILL SEE GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WITH RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES AROUND 30 PERCENT TODAY.
THE BACKDOOR COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH OF THE FORECAST BY
DAYBREAK THIS MORNING. ISOLATED SHOWERS LAST EVENING PRODUCED SOME
SWATHS OF RAINFALL ACROSS PORTIONS OF BERKELEY, CHARLESTON, AND
COLLETON COUNTIES UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WILL RANGE BETWEEN 3-4 MBS THIS MORNING,
THEN GRADUALLY DECREASING THIS AFTERNOON. THIS PATTERN SHOULD
SUPPORT GUST OF 20 TO 25 MPH THROUGH MID-DAY, WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS
TO 20 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. THE NORTHEAST WINDS AND MIXING IN EXCESS
OF 3 KFT SHOULD ALLOW DEWPOINTS TO REMAIN AROUND 30 DEGREES THROUGH
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, WITH SOME RECOVERY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AS
TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE LOW 60S THIS AFTERNOON, SOME INLAND
LOCATIONS MAY SEE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FALL TO AROUND 30
PERCENT. WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE MARGINAL FOR A FIRE DANGER STATEMENT
ACROSS OUR INLAND COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, WE WILL HEADLINE
THE LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS IN THE FWF.
KEY MESSAGE 2: NEAR-RECORD WARMTH FRIDAY BEFORE A DRY COLD FRONT
BRINGS COOLER TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND.
THE 500 MB LEVEL WILL CONSIST OF A BROAD 588 DAM HIGH OVER TX
FRIDAY, WITH IT'S EASTERN PERIPHERY STRETCHING INTO THE SOUTHEAST
U.S. THIS WILL CAUSE A BRIEF RISE IN HEIGHTS OVER OUR AREA. AT THE
SURFACE, HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. THIS PATTERN
WILL YIELD NEAR-RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY. HIGHS WILL RANGE
FROM THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S, EXCEPT COOLER AT THE BEACHES DUE TO
THE SEA BREEZE.
A DRY COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY, USHERING IN SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES. LOWS COULD
EVEN DROP INTO THE UPPER 30S ACROSS NORTHERN INTERIOR COUNTIES,
INCLUDING BERKELEY, DORCHESTER, AND COLLETON. HIGH TEMPERATURES
SHOULD BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND, RANGING FROM
THE MID TO UPPER 60S ACROSS OUR SC COUNTIES TO THE LOWER 70S ACROSS
OUR GA COUNTIES.
AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT CHS/JZI/SAV TERMINALS THROUGH 06Z
WEDNESDAY. MOS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT NORTHEAST WINDS
WILL FAVOR VALUES OF 10-15 KTS WITH GUSTS OF 20 TO 25 KTS THROUGH
THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. GUSTS ARE FORECAST TO END AROUND 0Z WITH
NORTHEAST WINDS REMAINING BETWEEN 5 TO 10 KTS THROUGH THE REST OF
THE TAF PERIOD.
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK: VFR. EXPECT GUSTY WINDS BEHIND A DRY COLD
FRONT ON SATURDAY.
MARINE
TODAY: THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS FORECAST TO REMAIN BETWEEN 4-5 MBS
INTO MIDDAY. WINDS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WATERS, OUTSIDE THE
CHARLESTON HARBOR, ARE FORECAST TO YIELD GALE GUSTS THROUGH THE
DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE GALE WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE
NEARSHORE WATERS UNTIL 11 PM THIS EVENING AND UNTIL 2 AM FOR THE
OUTER GA WATERS. IN ADDITION, WAVE HEIGHTS ARE FORECAST TO PEAK THIS
EVENING , RANGING FROM 6-9 FT WITHIN 20 NM AND 9-11 FT BETWEEN 20-60
NM. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE CHARLESTON HARBOR,
WITH NE GUSTS AROUND 30 KNOTS UNTIL 11 PM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES (SCAS) WILL LIKELY REPLACE THE GALE WARNINGS
TONIGHT. GUSTS MAY RANGE NEAR 25 KTS THROUGH LATE TONIGHT, SCAS
WOULD PRIMARILY HIGHLIGHT SEAS OF 6 FT OR MORE TONIGHT.
EXTENDED MARINE: HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE REGION WILL CAUSE
WINDS AND WAVES TO TREND LOWER WEDNESDAY. THOUGH, ELEVATED WAVES
WILL PERSIST OVER THE GA WATERS BEYOND 20 NM INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A
DRY COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY, BRINGING NEAR GALE TO POSSIBLY GALE CONDITIONS TO ALL OF
OUR COASTAL WATERS.
CLIMATE
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES:
MARCH 27:
KCHS: 87/2021
KCXM: 81/2021
KSAV: 89/2021
CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
GA...NONE.
SC...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR AMZ330.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR AMZ350-352-354.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR AMZ374.
MS/NED
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