770
FXUS62 KRAH 032330
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
730 PM EDT Wed Jul 3 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Canadian high pressure centered off the Mid Atlantic coast will push
further offshore tonight. A hot and humid air mass will spread into
the area starting July 4th, as a dome of mid level high pressure
builds aloft over the region, lasting through the holiday weekend.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
As of 217 PM Wednesday...

Latest satellite observations show cumulus developing across the
region as high pressure is centered off NJ coast. Upper level ridge
over the Mid-Atlantic will slowly shift offshore by Thursday.
Increased moisture levels moving into the region will result in dew
points in the mid/upper 60s later this evening and into the low 70s
by Thursday morning. Temperatures across the region this afternoon
are in the mid to upper 80s with expectations for most areas to hit
90 degrees. Lows overnight will 3-6 degrees above average 68-71.
Light southeast surface winds will slowly shift to SW by early
Thursday morning.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT/...
As of 230 PM Wednesday..

A 595dm upper level ridge will extend from the Gulf Coast states NE
toward the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday while surface high pressure
continues to slip further offshore and allows moist southerly return
flow to engulf the Carolinas.  With southwesterly flow and deep
mixing, dry adiabatic mixing technique yields mid to upper 90s for
highs, which is on the higher side of guidance (equivalent to the
75th to 90th percentile range of the NBM) but not out of the realm
of possibility. Thus will lean towards the higher side of guidance
for highs. Deep mixing also suggests dewpoints will be able to mix
out a little into the mid to upper 60s in a lot of areas, helping to
keep heat indices in the low 100s for the most part.  Will note that
HeatRisk suggests moderate impacts, with much greater impacts Friday
into Saturday.

Regarding any convection, the stout mid-level cap that has been
present this week will still be around early Thursday, weakening
somewhat across the north as a trough moving into the Great Lakes
tampers down the northern edge of the upper ridge.  CAPE looks
pretty limited due to the cap and mixing of dewpoints, but hires
guidance suggests some isolated development on the mtn ridges and
lee trough, perhaps migrating from SW VA toward the northern
Piedmont along loosely-consolidated outflow.  PW will also still be
less than 1.5 inches, so the number of storms should also be
limited. Thus the best chance of isolated storms should be from the
Triad to Person County later in the afternoon and evening.  Where
storms do occur, the deep mixing and dry air will favor damaging
winds as the greatest threat.

Without better moisture available, convection is expected to wane
quickly Thursday evening.  Dewpoints will continue their background
rise with the return flow, creeping into the lower 70s and keeping
overnight lows in the low to mid 70s as well.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
As of 321 PM Wednesday...

The pattern aloft from Friday into the weekend will feature
troughing across the Great Lakes and increasing southwesterly flow
aloft across the Southeastern US. Strong 591dm H5 ridging will
gradually slide offshore as the longwave trough and attendant
surface cold front make their way across the mountains and into the
Piedmont. This front will struggle to make it through the area,
stalling out somewhere across central NC and serving as a focal
point for afternoon showers and storms pretty much each afternoon
through early next week. A series of reinforcing shortwave troughs
will move through the Great Lakes early next week, but nothing
significant enough to push the front through the area. If anything,
the front will likely wash out at some point early next week with
scattered diurnally driven showers and storms becoming the theme
through the middle of next week. PoPs will be at their highest (50-
70 percent) Friday and Saturday, then retreat a bit into the 40-50
percent range Sunday through Wednesday. Favored areas will be the
western Piedmont and Sandhills, with slightly lower chances
elsewhere in line with climo.

Temperatures will be on the rise as well, with highs reaching the
mid to upper 90s Friday and Saturday, retreating into the low/mid
90s from Sunday onward. Heat Indices will approach 105 degrees along
and primarily east of US-1 Friday and Saturday, with slightly lower
values Sunday into next week. Overnight lows will range from the low
to mid 70s.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 730 PM Wednesday...

VFR conditions are expected, with high confidence, across central NC
for the next 24 hours. Surface high pressure centered well to our
northeast will continue to extend into the area tonight, then weaken
Thu as an increasingly humid low level flow from the SW and WSW
takes over. Mid level high pressure will keep clouds minimal and VFR
through much of Independence Day, although an isolated late-day
shower or storm may drift near INT/GSO late in the period (after
21Z).

Looking beyond 00z Fri, isolated showers/storms may linger over the
N Piedmont (INT/GSO/RDU) through Thu evening before dying out. A few
showers/storms are possible late Fri near INT/GSO/RDU. There is a
chance of MVFR vsbys early Sat morning at INT/GSO. Scattered to
numerous late-day-through-evening showers/storms are possible across
all of central NC daily from Sat through Mon. -GIH

&&

.CLIMATE...
Record High Temperatures:

July 4:
KGSO: 98/1970
KRDU: 101/2012
KFAY: 98/2019

July 5:
KGSO: 98/2012
KRDU: 102/1999
KFAY: 101/2002

July 6:
KRDU: 102/2022
KFAY: 99/1990


Record High Minimum Temperatures:

July 4:
KGSO: 73/2018

July 5:
KGSO: 74/1999
KRDU: 78/1902
KFAY: 77/2005

July 6:
KGSO: 76/1999
KRDU: 79/1900
KFAY: 76/2017

July 7:
KGSO: 73/2019
KRDU: 77/1900
KFAY: 78/2017

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$
SYNOPSIS...Hartfield
NEAR TERM...CA
SHORT TERM...bls
LONG TERM...Leins
AVIATION...Hartfield
CLIMATE...RAH