


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
Versions:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
033 FXUS61 KRLX 040014 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 814 PM EDT Thu Apr 3 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A system serves up showers and thunderstorms at times through the weekend, with flooding increasingly likely for the Mid-Ohio Valley region. Dry weather finally returns Monday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 813 PM Thursday... The pesky stationary front remains parked along our western periphery this evening allowing for showers and a few embedded thunderstorms to continue sailing up from our southwest. Seeing a bit of dry slot across the coalfields and central lowlands of West Virginia though and a few lingering thunderstorms along our eastern mountains. Radar/satellite obs do show more on the way though. Latest HRRR run shows two heavy rounds of showers and possibly a few storms tonight and Friday. One between midnight and 3am as the front trudges slowly east, then another that looks to move through between 6am and 11am as the front stalls over our area. Flooding risk continues into tonight with any additional rainfall on top of already saturated soils. Locations of particular concern are western and southwestern WV, northeastern KY, and our Ohio counties. Current WPC QPF output shows a swath of 1 inch plus across the Tri-State Area and southwestern WV overnight with these rounds of rainfall. As of 235 PM Thursday... Key Points: * A stalled frontal boundary pierced through the heart of the forecast area will promote periods of moderate to heavy rain. * Renewed potential for strong to severe thunderstorms encroaches the southern coalfields through tonight. After a brief lull in convective activity earlier today, a stalled frontal boundary will serve as the catalyst for strong to possibly severe thunderstorms shortly after this issuance and into tonight. The 16Z surface analysis denotes the front to be draped through parts of Ohio and down through the Tennessee Valley. For now, this places our CWA in the warm sector of the ongoing low pressure system and at the forefront for more severe weather here in the next few hours. Satellite imagery at the time of writing shows the bulk of the Central Appalachians coated beneath cloud cover, while our neighboring states to the south have achieved partial clearing and cumulus development. As further clearing attempts to occur across our coalfields, a similar trend in cumulus development could arise and set off renewed potential for severe thunderstorms through the course of the afternoon and evening. If proper destabilization can take shape, coupled with strong low to mid level flow still prevalent via the KRLX VAD Wind Profile, all severe hazard types will remain at play with activity today. For the rest of the forecast period, the stalled front will continue to wobble in and around the Ohio River Valley as impulses of renewed moisture ride along the boundary. Where the front sets up during periods of heavier rainfall will yield the concerns for flash and prolonged flooding. The first wave of higher rainfall amounts will be shuttled by the Tri-State area and the northern outskirts of the CWA this evening into tonight. This location has already been primed by antecedent rainfall both yesterday and today, and could be enough to send local creeks and streams further out of their banks. There is also growing concern for additional counties in northeast West Virginia that may observe slightly higher rainfall amounts than previously anticipated between now and into the weekend. Therefore, elected to expand the Flood Watch up the I-79 corridor through Sunday morning. The afternoon model suite hints at a lull in precipitation on Friday as the upper level jet noses northward. This initiates a bit of a dry slot to occur in the southern coalfields and portions of the lowlands by the late afternoon and evening. Friday highs could branch into the upper 70s/low 80s for the extreme southern portions of the forecast area, while blanketing clouds across the north maintain peak temperatures in the 50s/60s. There still remains uncertainty regarding radar activity on Friday, but elected to agree with neighboring offices with placing the highest POPs across the Muskingum River basin and northward. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... As of 1155 AM Thursday... A warm front will lift north of the area Saturday morning, and much of Saturday currently looks quiet across West Virginia and southwest Virginia with warm, dry weather. In fact, the middle and upper 80s can be expected across the West Virginia lowlands during the afternoon as clouds mix with some sunshine. However, portions of southeast Ohio and northeast Kentucky will likely see showers and thunderstorms, especially the far northwestern tier of our coverage area. SPC currently has a slight risk of severe storms across parts of these areas Saturday. This threat will limited by lower amounts of instability, but shear will remain plentiful for thunderstorm organization (40-60 kts of 0-6 km bulk shear). The main cold front will begin to approach Saturday night, and rain chances will return from west to east. Rainfall could be heavy at times overnight, especially across southeast Ohio, where WPC currently has a slight risk of excessive rainfall forecast. In addition, the heavy rainfall will also lead to an increased threat of river flooding, especially along and west of the Ohio River. Rain will track across West Virginia Sunday, with an additional 0.50- 1.00" possible across the state (heavier amounts west, lighter amounts east). An additional 1.00-1.50" will be possible across southeast Ohio and northeast Kentucky Sunday. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 1155 AM Thursday... High pressure will finally build back into the region behind this extended stretch of unsettled weather. Monday and Tuesday will be much colder than normal with highs only in the upper 40s to lower 50s each day in a post-frontal airmass. Temperatures should return to the 50s and lower 60s Wednesday with a ridge building back over the Ohio Valley. The next chance of precipitation will be Thursday will a potential upper-level low approaching from the west, but much uncertainty exists at this time. && .AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 747 PM Thursday... Seeing a brief reprieve from heavy rainfall across the area at this hour. Then expecting off and on showers of rain and a couple embedded thunderstorms, some heavy at times, overnight thanks to a nearly stationary boundary hanging around the area. Visibility and ceilings will vary quite a bit overnight as areas outside precipitation and convection will likely be VFR. MVFR and IFR conditions expected in and around any activity. Any thunderstorms that form could contain damaging wind gusts, hail, tornadoes, and heavy rainfall. Rainfall that continues into Friday morning will likely be on the heavier side with MVFR and IFR restrictions coded into the TAF at most sites. Models do show a bit of a break after ~18z Friday, but there is medium confidence as to where this will occur due to the fronts variable positioning. Another round of heavy showers looks to move in Friday night into Saturday. Winds will mostly be light and variable to calm at most sites tonight and tomorrow, though a more uniform SW`rly direction is likely at BKW. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing, location, and intensity of thunderstorms and heavy rain may vary from the forecast. 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 FRI 04/04/25 UTC 1HRLY 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 EDT 1HRLY 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H L L L L L L L L HTS CONSISTENCY H M M H M H H M H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H M L H M M EKN CONSISTENCY H M M M H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H M L H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H M H H M H H H H M H M AFTER 00Z SATURDAY... IFR conditions possible in showers and thunderstorms Friday night through Sunday. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...Flood Watch through Sunday morning for WVZ005>011-013>020- 027>032-039-040. OH...Flood Watch through Sunday morning for OHZ066-067-075-076- 083>087. KY...Flood Watch through Sunday morning for KYZ101>103-105. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MEK/JMC NEAR TERM...MEK/LTC SHORT TERM...JMC LONG TERM...JMC AVIATION...LTC