859  
FXUS61 KLWX 080123  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
923 PM EDT TUE MAY 7 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
DAILY CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO CONTINUE THROUGH  
THURSDAY AS MULTIPLE FRONTS AND WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE PUSH ACROSS  
THE AREA. A POTENT COLD FRONT WILL BRING AN INCREASED THREAT FOR  
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLASH FLOODING THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. RAIN  
CHANCES DECREASE INTO THE WEEKEND WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND LESS  
HUMIDITY AS HIGH PRESSURE NEARS THE REGION.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/
 
 
REMAINING RADAR RETURNS ARE RAPIDLY DISSIPATING AS OF 9 PM. ONLY  
SOME MID LEVEL CLOUDS ARE LEFT FROM AN EARLIER LINE OF  
CONVECTION IN THE OHIO VALLEY. WHILE A STRAY SHOWER CAN'T  
TOTALLY BE RULED OUT THIS EVENING, IT DOES APPEAR MOST STAY DRY  
WITH A LACK OF FOCUS FOR FORCING.  
 
EYES TURN TO ONGOING SEVERE CONVECTION IN THE OHIO VALLEY, WITH  
THOSE REMNANTS LIKELY APPROACHING THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. WHILE  
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED LOCALLY, SOME SHOWERS  
AND ISOLATED STORMS MAY CONTINUE EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA LATE  
TONIGHT AND VERY EARLY WEDNESDAY DUE TO WEAK ELEVATED  
INSTABILITY AND A SLIGHT STEEPENING OF LAPSE RATES ASSOCIATED  
WITH THE FEATURE ALOFT.  
 
FOG IS LOOKING LESS PREVALENT THAN PREVIOUS NIGHTS, BUT COULD AT  
LEAST SEE SOME PATCHY FOG DEVELOPING LATE, PARTICULARLY BEHIND  
ANY SHOWERS THAT MOVE THROUGH. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 60S  
FOR MOST LOCATIONS.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/
 
 
ON WEDNESDAY, THE INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE GREATER  
GIVEN A FEW MORE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS DUE IN PART TO WEST TO  
SOUTHWEST FLOW. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SOME DOWNSLOPING AND  
COMPRESSIONAL WARMING ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. THE  
COMBINATION OF DOWNSLOPING FLOW AND SUBTLE SUBSIDENCE IN THE WAKE OF  
THE DECAYING MCS WEDNESDAY MORNING MAY INHIBIT A WIDESPREAD  
THUNDERSTORM THREAT ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE  
I-66/US-50 CORRIDOR. EVEN WITH THAT SAID, SCATTERED STRONG TO  
SEVERE STORMS REMAIN, WITH MOST RECENT CAMS TARGETING THE  
CENTRAL VA PIEDMONT TO SOUTHERN MARYLAND. THE PRIMARY THREAT  
FOR STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.  
LARGE HAIL UP TO 1" IN DIAMETER IS ALSO POSSIBLE. HIGHS ON  
WEDNESDAY WILL SOAR INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S ACROSS MANY LOWER  
ELEVATION LOCATIONS, WITH EVEN A FEW AREAS POTENTIALLY HITTING  
90 DEGREES. THE MOUNTAINS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S FOR  
THE AFTERNOON.  
 
MID-LEVEL TROUGHING CONTINUES TO DEEPEN WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO  
THURSDAY SENDING A POTENT COLD FRONT FROM THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY  
TOWARD THE REGION. AS A RESULT, EXPECT INCREASING SHOWER AND  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING AS  
ANOTHER IMPULSE OF ENERGY RIPPLES THROUGH. FLASH FLOODING COULD  
BECOME A CONCERN HERE GIVEN THE INCREASED PWATS ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY  
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR COMBINED WITH ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS FROM  
MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLIER IN THE WEEK.  
 
THERE WILL BE A BREAK BETWEEN THE MORNING PRECIPITATION AND THE  
AFTERNOON IN WHICH THE ATMOSPHERE RELOADS ESPECIALLY IN AREAS EAST  
OF THE BLUE RIDGE. INSTABILITY PARAMETERS INCREASE BY THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT, THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE  
POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. ONE  
CAVEAT IS THAT OVERALL THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE MAY BE LIMITED  
WITH THE ENHANCED CLOUD COVERAGE AND STABILIZATION FROM MORNING  
ACTIVITY. MAIN THREATS WITH STORMS THURSDAY LOOK TO BE DAMAGING  
WINDS, LARGE HAIL, AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.  
 
AFTERNOON HIGHS THURSDAY WILL CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S  
FOR MOST AREAS. NORTHWEST FLOW KICKS IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT  
THURSDAY NIGHT AND WILL BRING LOWS IN THE 40S ALONG THE ALLEGHENY  
FRONT WITH 50S FURTHER EAST.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL TRACK THROUGH THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY. WHILE  
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LINGER, THE THREAT FOR SEVERE  
WEATHER SHOULD DIMINISH IN THE WAKE. AFTER SPENDING THE PREVIOUS  
COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE 80S, TEMPERATURES WILL CERTAINLY COOL OFF TO  
FINISH OUT THE WORK WEEK. FRIDAY'S FORECAST HIGHS ARE LIKELY  
CONFINED TO THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S, LOCALLY FALLING INTO THE 50S  
ACROSS MOUNTAIN LOCALES. DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY SHOWERS COME TO AN  
END, SOME LATE DAY CLEARING IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.  
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL BE BREEZY AT TIMES WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 TO  
25 MPH AT TIMES. NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS WILL BE COOL WITH LOWS  
DROPPING INTO THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S.  
 
THIS WEEKEND WILL BE A MIXED BAG GIVEN THE CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT. EACH  
DAY IS FORECAST TO CARRY A RISK FOR SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED  
SHOWER ACTIVITY. HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE AROUND 3 TO 6 DEGREES  
BELOW AVERAGE. THAT IS, MID 60S TO LOW 70S FOR MOST, BUT WITH MAINLY  
50S FOR THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS. COMPARED TO THE HUMIDITY EARLIER IN  
THE WEEK, IT WILL FEEL MUCH DRIER WITH DEW POINTS DOWN IN THE 40S.  
IN BETWEEN DISTURBANCES, THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME PERIODS OF SUN,  
PARTICULARLY BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON BEHIND THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM.  
EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO REBOUND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HEIGHTS BEGIN  
TO BUILD.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /01Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
DRY CONDITIONS AND MID/HIGH CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE  
EVENING AND PART OF THE LATE NIGHT. REMNANTS OF CONVECTION OVER  
THE OHIO VALLEY MAY CROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY  
WEDNESDAY MORNING. COVERAGE OF THIS ACTIVITY IS UNCERTAIN IN  
WHAT WILL LIKELY BE A WEAKENING STATE. THEREFORE HAVE ONLY  
INCLUDED VCSH IN MOST OF THE TAFS EXCEPT FOR MRB (HIGHER CHANCE  
OF PRECIP BEING FARTHER WEST). WEAK ELEVATED INSTABILITY MAY  
ALLOW FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL, BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW (20  
PERCENT CHANCE). FOG LOOKS TO BE LESS PREVALENT TONIGHT THAN THE  
PAST TWO, BUT PATCHY FOG COULD DEVELOP, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE  
OF ANY SHOWERS.  
 
AFTER ANY EARLY MORNING ACTIVITY DEPARTS, COVERAGE OF  
PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE FAIRLY LIMITED ON WEDNESDAY AT THE  
TERMINALS. LIGHT SOUTH WINDS TONIGHT WILL TURN MORE WESTERLY BY  
WEDNESDAY, GUSTING UP TO 20 KNOTS FOR THE AFTERNOON.  
 
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON THURSDAY, WITH  
SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON TO EVENING AT  
ALL TERMINALS. OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY, VFR CONDITIONS ARE  
LIKELY THOUGH ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE  
AREA.  
 
PREVAILING VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY,  
ALTHOUGH A PASSING SHOWER COULD BRIEFLY DROP CONDITIONS TO SUB-VFR  
EITHER DAY. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY, AND THEN  
OUT OF THE WEST ON SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SUB-SCA SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. A FEW  
THUNDERSTORMS MAY REACH THE WATERS TOWARD DAWN BUT ARE NOT  
EXPECTED TO BE STRONG. WINDS WILL BECOME WESTERLY WEDNESDAY AND  
MAY NEAR SCA CRITERIA, ESPECIALLY FOR THE NORTHERN BAY AND UPPER  
TIDAL POTOMAC. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BE SPARSE WEDNESDAY  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WITH THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR THE WATERS  
SURROUNDING SOUTHERN MARYLAND. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY  
AFFECT THE AREA LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
 
SCA CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER MOST OF THE LOCAL WATERS THURSDAY  
AND FRIDAY DUE TO SOUTHERLY CHANNELING. STRONG TO SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY, WITH SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS  
LIKELY NEEDED AS STORMS MOVE THROUGH IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY  
EVENING HOURS.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE LIKELY NEEDED ON FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT  
AS A STRONG COLD FRONT TRACKS ACROSS THE WATERWAYS. NORTHWESTERLY  
WINDS BEHIND THIS FRONT WILL SEE A BRIEF SHIFT TO SOUTHERLIES ON  
SATURDAY. HOWEVER, ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES LATE SATURDAY  
INTO SUNDAY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO BRING ANOTHER SHOT FOR SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORIES DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
SOUTHERLY WINDS TONIGHT WILL CAUSE ANOMALIES TO INCREASE AGAIN.  
SOME OF THE MORE SENSITIVE SITES MAY APPROACH MINOR FLOOD STAGE  
WITH THE TIDE CYCLE WEDNESDAY MORNING. THEREAFTER, WINDS TURN  
WESTERLY FOR WEDNESDAY, WHICH SHOULD ALLOW ANOMALIES TO  
DECREASE. ADDITIONAL LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BY  
THURSDAY MORNING AS WINDS TURN SOUTHERLY ONCE AGAIN.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...EST  
NEAR TERM...ADS/EST  
SHORT TERM...EST  
LONG TERM...KJP  
AVIATION...ADS/KJP/ADM/EST  
MARINE...ADS/KJP/ADM  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...LWX  
 
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