977  
FXUS62 KCHS 091122  
AFDCHS  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC  
722 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED NEAR THE AREA THROUGH EARLY NEXT  
WEEK. LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH MONDAY AND TUESDAY,  
FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
EARLY THIS MORNING: THE UPSTREAM CONVECTION WE WATCHED ALL NIGHT  
FINALLY MADE ITS WAY INTO SOUTHEAST SC AND CONTINUES TO PUSH TO  
THE COAST AND THE COASTAL WATERS. THERE COULD STILL BE A FEW  
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS THAT DEVELOP ALONG THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY, BUT  
MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BE FINISHED UP BY AROUND 9-10AM.  
 
TODAY: ALOFT, SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE FORECAST  
AREA AS THE POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH THAT STRETCHES FROM THE  
SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BACK INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS CLOSES OFF  
INTO A LOW AND SLOWLY DROPS SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE LOWER MS  
VALLEY. AT THE SURFACE, THE UPSTREAM COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO  
PUSH SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND STEADILY  
APPROACH THE FORECAST AREA. ONCE THE MORNING SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS PUSHES OFFSHORE, WE SHOULD SEE A PERIOD WITH NO  
CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH AT LEAST MIDDAY. THEN FOR THE  
AFTERNOON, HI-RES MODEL GUIDANCE IS PRETTY MUTED WITH CONVECTIVE  
COVERAGE AND FAVORS MOSTLY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.  
THERE IS DECENT CONSENSUS THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL TAKE PLACE  
ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BY THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AND GENERALLY  
KEEP THE BEST COVERAGE ALONG THE COASTAL CORRIDOR. AS FAR AS THE  
SEVERE POTENTIAL, IT APPEARS MLCAPE VALUES WILL BE ON THE ORDER  
OF 1,000-1,500 J/KG WITH DEEP LAYER SHEAR ON THE ORDER OF ~30  
KNOTS. ALSO OF NOTE, MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW A NICE MID-LEVEL LAYER  
OF DRY AIR WHICH WILL RESULT IN DCAPE VALUES UPWARDS OF 1,000  
J/KG. THE AREA IS IN A SPC DAY 1 MARGINAL RISK AREA FOR SEVERE  
WEATHER, ACCOUNTING FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL AND  
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. AHEAD OF THE FRONT, WINDS WILL HAVE A MORE  
WESTERLY COMPONENT UNTIL THE DIURNAL SEA BREEZE GETS GOING. THIS  
SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO WARM TEMPERATURES AND WE HAVE HIGHS IN THE  
MID TO UPPER 80S.  
 
TONIGHT: THE UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO BE CENTERED ACROSS THE  
LOWER MS VALLEY AND WILL DRIVE GULF COAST CONVECTION AND THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF A SURFACE LOW. THE FRIDAY FRONT WILL DROP  
SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT AS THE SURFACE HIGH BUILDS  
IN AND BEGINS TO TAKE ON A COLD-AIR DAMMING CONFIGURATION.  
LINGERING DIURNAL CONVECTION SHOULD STEADILY DISSIPATE AND  
BECOME CONFINED TO THE SOUTH. THEN OVERNIGHT WE WILL SEE THE  
TRANSITION TO MORE SIGNIFICANT SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING. WE WILL  
LIKELY SEE A PERIOD OF TIME IN THE LATE EVENING AND EARLY  
MORNING HOURS WHERE THERE ISN'T MUCH PRECIPITATION ONGOING. THEN  
AS WE MOVE TOWARDS SUNRISE, DEEP MOISTURE WILL START TO  
TRANSPORT NORTHWARD ALONG WITH INCREASING DEEP LAYER FORCING. WE  
SHOULD SEE LIGHT STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION START TO DEVELOP  
ACROSS SOUTHEAST GA AND THEN GRADUALLY SHIFT NORTHWARD THROUGH  
SUNRISE. AS SUCH, RAIN CHANCES INCREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.  
COOLER AIR WILL FILTER IN WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE LOW-LEVEL  
NORTHEAST FLOW AND WE COULD SEE SOME UPPER 50S FOR LOWS ACROSS  
THE INLAND TIER. LOWS CLOSER TO THE COAST WILL BE MORE INTO THE  
LOW TO MID 60S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
AN ACTIVE PERIOD IS FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY  
NEXT WEEK. ALOFT, AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BE SITUATED OVER THE  
SOUTHEASTERN STATES, PERSISTING THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK. AT THE SURFACE A FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED IN  
THE VICINITY OF THE FORECAST AREA. WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE  
UPPER LEVEL LOW AND THE RESULTANT SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW , MOISTURE  
WILL BE ADVECTED INTO THE FORECAST AREA. PWATS THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND ARE FORECAST TO REACH 1.6-1.7", POSSIBLY REACHING CLOSE  
TO 2" ON MONDAY. THESE VALUES WOULD BE CLOSE TO THE DAILY  
MAXIMUM ACCORDING TO THE SPC CLIMATOLOGY. SEVERAL ROUNDS OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD.  
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS  
WILL LIKELY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFTERNOON SEA BREEZE  
CIRCULATION. MONDAY IS FORECAST TO HAVE THE GREATEST  
PRECIPITATION COVERAGE AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PROGRESSES  
SLIGHTLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND THE HIGHEST PWATS ARE ADVECTED  
INTO THE REGION.  
 
THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND, HOWEVER THE OVERALL SEVERE THREAT APPEARS LOW. FORECAST  
SOUNDINGS SHOW INSTABILITY VALUES PEAKING AROUND 800-1000 J/KG  
WITH MEAGER SHEAR VALUES OF 20-25 KNOTS. THE MAIN HIGHLIGHT OF  
THE PERIOD WILL BE THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL. THE WPC  
CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT THE FORECAST AREA IN A MARGINAL RISK FOR  
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, WITH A SLIGHT RISK  
FEATURED ON MONDAY. WHILE ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN DRY  
ACROSS THE REGION, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MINOR FLOODING OF  
URBAN, LOW-LYING, AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. RAINFALL TOTALS  
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 3  
TO 4 INCHES, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.  
 
HIGH TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL BE BELOW NORMAL,  
GIVEN PRECIPITATION AND CLOUD COVER. HIGHS EACH DAY WILL REACH  
INTO THE LOW TO MID 70S, WITH SOME UPPER 70S ALONG THE ALTAMAHA  
RIVER IN GA. WITH EXPECTED CLOUD COVER, OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL  
REMAIN MILD, ONLY DROPPING INTO THE 60S.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BEGIN SLOWLY EJECTING NORTHEASTWARD  
TOWARDS NEW ENGLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. BY THE END OF THE  
WEEK RIDGING ALOFT WILL BUILD INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES. AT  
THE SURFACE THE STALLED FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE ATLANTIC WATERS  
MID WEEK, WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN THEREAFTER. WIDESPREAD  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY WITH  
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ON WEDNESDAY. AS RIDGING BUILDS IN  
ALOFT WITH HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE A MAINLY DRY FORECAST IS  
IN STORE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. TEMPERATURES  
INITIALLY WILL BE AROUND NORMAL, WITH THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASE  
TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL BY THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /11Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
KCHS AND KJZI: A FEW SHOWERS WILL LINGER AROUND THE TERMINALS  
THROUGH ABOUT 13Z AND THEN IT SHOULD COME TO AN END. MVFR  
CEILINGS COULD LINGER AS WELL THROUGH MID MORNING. THEN FOR THE  
AFTERNOON, ATTENTION TURNS TO THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS.  
GIVEN THE STORMS THAT CAME THROUGH THIS MORNING, IT IS LIKELY  
THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS WORKED OVER AND WE WILL SEE LITTLE TO NO  
DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE VCTS MENTION, BUT THERE  
ISN'T MUCH CONFIDENCE IN POSSIBLE DIRECT IMPACTS. THE FRONT WILL  
PASS THROUGH LATE TONIGHT AND WE WILL SEE NORTHEAST FLOW BUILD  
INTO THE AREA.  
 
KSAV: MORNING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS STAYED AWAY  
FROM KSAV AND THAT SHOULD CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE  
SOUTHEAST GA AREA COULD END UP BEING WHERE MOST OF THE  
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS. STILL, THERE IS  
LOW CONFIDENCE IN DIRECT IMPACTS AT THE TERMINAL SO FOR NOW WE  
JUST HAVE VCTS. PERIODIC SHOWERS COULD PASS THROUGH EVEN DURING  
THE LATE NIGHT HOURS BEFORE A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH AND  
WINDS TURN NORTHEASTERLY RIGHT NEAR SUNRISE SATURDAY.  
 
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK: MVFR OR LOWER CIGS AND/OR VSBYS  
POSSIBLE SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AS A FRONT REMAINS STALLED  
NEARBY AND SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS/TSTMS MOVE THROUGH.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT: SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL MOSTLY  
PREVAIL TODAY WITH WIND SPEEDS IN THE 10-15 KNOT RANGE. WINDS  
WILL THEN DIMINISH OVERNIGHT BEFORE A NORTHEAST SURGE STARTS TO  
PUSH IN ACROSS THE CHARLESTON COUNTY WATERS LATE. SEAS SHOULD  
MOSTLY BE 2-3 FEET, WITH UP TO 4 FEET IN THE OUTER WATERS.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY: A STALLED FRONT WILL LINGER IN THE  
VICINITY OF THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK. SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND, WITH 15-20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 23 KNOTS FORECAST  
BY MONDAY. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 4 TO 5 FT, WITH SOME 6 FT  
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE GA WATERS ON MONDAY AND  
INTO TUESDAY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED.  
 

 
   
CLIMATE
 
 
RECORD PRECIPITATION:  
 
MAY 10:  
KCHS: 1.45/1961  
KCXM: 1.72/1949  
KSAV: 1.29/1989  
 
MAY 11:  
KCHS: 1.93/1952  
KCXM: 1.57/1899  
 

 
   
CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
GA...NONE.  
SC...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
NEAR TERM...BSH  
SHORT TERM...CPM  
LONG TERM...CPM  
AVIATION...BSH/CPM  
MARINE...BSH/CPM  
 
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