


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
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625 FXUS61 KRLX 021047 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 647 AM EDT Tue Sep 2 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure dominates one more day. The chance for showers and thunderstorms increases mid-week ahead of a pair of cold fronts, which cross Thursday and Friday nights. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 645 AM Tuesday... It turned out a little cooler still amid dry, mainly clear and calm conditions early this morning. The forecast is otherwise on track. As of 205 AM Tuesday... High pressure sprawling from the middle of the country to the northeastern states and Canadian Maritimes provides one more mainly dry day today, before splitting in two tonight, in response to the next system heading in from the northwest. However, a mid/upper-level short wave trough extending southward from low pressure over the eastern Great Lakes may provide enough impetus for an afternoon shower over the higher terrain of the northern mountains, tapping a moist h8-h7 layer between the top of the mixed layer and an inversion. The inversion will keep any cells shallow, precluding lightning. Any shower that does pop up this afternoon does not survive the sunset this evening. While tonight will be mainly dry, a second southern stream short wave trough, and a return southerly low level flow around the back side of the retreating eastern and main piece of the high, may allow showers and thundershowers to reach as far northeast as the Tug Fork by dawn Wednesday. Temperatures were running a little below central guidance and near the low end of the guidance envelop amid the dry, mainly clear and calm conditions again early this morning. Temperatures do not change much from recent days in the near term, with highs today again near normal, and then lows tonight a little below. Clouds increasing from the south overnight tonight may keep lows closer to central guidance at least across southern portions of the area. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... 310 AM Tuesday... Central to eastern North American long wave trough amplification takes place this period, as a northern stream mid/upper-level low drops southeastward into the Great Lakes, filling the pre- existing void north of the lingering southern stream short wave. The chance for mainly afternoon showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday is still tied to the lingering southern stream feature approaching near the end of the near term, early Wednesday morning, and northward moisture return raising surface dew points into the lower 60s on Wednesday. A cold front approaches the Ohio Valley ahead of the digging mid/upper-level low Wednesday night. As a result, after showers and thunderstorms initially fade with sunset Wednesday evening, the chance for at least showers increases again toward dawn Thursday over the middle Ohio Valley. The cold front eases through the area Thursday afternoon and night, with showers and possible thunderstorms increasing in coverage Thursday, especially in the afternoon heating ahead of it. Thunderstorms anywhere east of the front Thursday afternoon can organize and become strong, amid modest CAPE up to a KJ/kg and 0-6/8 km shear to around 40 kts. Guidance suggests the potential for one half to one inch of beneficial rainfall from this system including Wednesday, but the lions share of it coming Thursday afternoon into Thursday evening, as PW values climb to a modest inch and a half. This should be easily managed hydrologically given the antecedent rather dry conditions. However, the front slows down Thursday night, as the mid/upper- level flow actually backs in the wake of the short lifting northeast of the area, and ahead of another digging into the midwest and Great Lakes. Only a small bubble high builds in behind the front, as the front lumbers east of the area early Thursday morning. Unidirectional flow ahead of the front Thursday afternoon which then diminishes Thursday night could lead to training of showers and thunderstorms Thursday afternoon, and then slower cell motion Thursday night. It is not out of the question high water issues could locally arise where repetitive or persistent cells occur. The bubble high building in early Thursday morning is a prime setup for fog and stratus in the wake of the rain Thursday and Thursday night. Central guidance reflects highs near normal again on Wednesday, and then below normal on Thursday given the more widespread cloud cover and shower and thunderstorm coverage associated with the cold front, and the cold frontal passage itself. Lows will be near normal for the first time in over a week Wednesday night, and then back below normal, especially west, Thursday night. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... 310 AM Tuesday... Friday dawns with fog and stratus beneath a bubble high in the wake of a cold front washing out just southeast of the area. The day should turn out dry with some sunshine. The next short wave trough moving through the long wave trough position, and digging toward the area near the end of the short term, drives a secondary cold front through the area Friday night into Saturday. Models are now suggesting a better chance for showers with this front overnight Friday night into Saturday, even an afternoon thunderstorm in the mountains Saturday, if the front is slow enough in moving through there. Even so, thunderstorms will not be strong, and rainfall will be light with this second front, as the initial front takes out most of the deep-layer moisture, and timing unfavorable relative to diurnal heating for most of the area. Models continue to concur on a large high pressure system then building over the area to finish out next weekend, sprawling across the northeast, Ohio Valley and middle Atlantic. However, mid/upper- level heights build, as the long wave trough begins to lift out. All of this spells dry, cool weather to finish out the weekend, followed by temperatures beginning to moderate during the early portion of the following work week, amid continued dry, benign weather, as the surface high begins to move out. && .AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 645 AM Tuesday... Any fog lingering along the Tygart and Elk Rivers will dissipate by 13Z, with little if any impact on EKN and CRW, respectively. High pressure north of the area otherwise provides continued VFR conditions. A shower may pop up over the northern mountains this afternoon, but impacts are not likely, and the forecast is generally VRB03KT P6SM FEW070 this period. Mainly a persistence forecast, fog is forecast to fluctuate mainly IFR to VLIFR 09-12Z Wednesday, before lifting and dissipating. Fog is not likely elsewhere, the Elk River Valley again containing any fog nearby CRW near dawn Wednesday Surface flow will be calm to light and variable to light northeast to southeast. Light, mainly southeast flow aloft today, will become light west to southwest tonight. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: High. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Fog may briefly impact EKN through about 1230Z this morning. Timing and intensity of fog at EKN overnight tonight may vary, and fluctuate more widely than indicated. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. DATE TUE 09/02/25 UTC 1HRLY 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 EDT 1HRLY 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H L L M M M L L H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 12Z WEDNESDAY... IFR conditions possible in heavier showers and storms within an encroaching cold front Thursday. IFR possible in fog and stratus early Friday morning. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...TRM NEAR TERM...TRM SHORT TERM...TRM LONG TERM...TRM AVIATION...TRM