


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC
777 FXUS62 KCAE 081046 AFDCAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 646 AM EDT Wed Oct 8 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Above normal temperatures today with scattered showers and storms as a cold front moves through. Cooler, drier and breezy with northeast winds through the end of the week. Coastal low develops this weekend with continued breezy conditions but mostly dry weather expected. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Key message(s): - Scattered showers and storms associated with a cold front moving into the area today. Early this morning, low level moisture remains high and as a result, patchy fog and low clouds have developed. Upper ridge remains in place over the Gulf with a cold front moving into the TN Valley, still well northwest of the forecast area. Today is expected to once again be warmer than average with a relatively hot and humid air mass in place once again with highs generally in the mid 80s. Models have been trending faster with the cold front moving into the area with the strongest upper forcing remaining north of the forecast area. This has somewhat lowered the thunderstorm potential, although blended guidance still has thunderstorm probs around 30 percent, highest in the CSRA. Forecast soundings indicate skinny CAPE profiles and while some locally heavy rainfall is possible, in any storms that do develop with HREF PWATs approaching 2 inches, severe weather is not expected. Overall, expect scattered showers and storms with highest coverage south of I-20. As the front moves through, high pressure will ridge into the area tonight. This will lead to increasing northeasterly winds, bringing drier air and preventing any fog development tonight. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Key message(s): - Drier and breezy with below normal temperatures High pressure will continue to build into the forecast area on Thursday in the wake of the cold front that will be sinking southward and stalling at the coast. Aloft, an upper trough will begin to cutoff over the southeastern states as an inverted surface trough enhances just offshore within a strong baroclinic zone. Expect a dry forecast Thursday with PWATs falling to 30-50 percent of normal with dewpoints dropping into the 40s and lower 50s. Breezy conditions are expected with an increased pressure gradient and deep mixing expected with winds 10 to 15 mph and gusts over 20 mph. Temperatures will be about 10 degrees cooler than Wednesday with highs in the lower to mid 70s. Winds expected to stay up Thursday night with the boundary layer staying mixed due to a strong low level jet and continued cold advection which may require a lake wind advisory. Friday, cool and generally dry weather continue with continued breezy conditions with the increased pressure gradient between the surface high and inverted trough offshore. As some northern stream energy moves into the Ohio Valley the closed low over the southeastern states begins lifting northward and phasing with the northern stream energy inducing strong cyclogenesis off the coast along the old frontal boundary. This may result in some moisture returning back inland into parts of the Midlands Friday with increasing clouds by Friday night and some possible light showers impacting the far eastern Midlands, though confidence is low at this time in how much moisture may push inland. Below normal temperatures persist with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, although low temps Friday night especially across the eastern Midlands are likely to be a bit warmer than Thursday night due to elevated winds and widespread cloud cover. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Key message(s): - Coastal low moves up the coast over the weekend - Breezy conditions continue over the weekend - Generally dry with seasonal temperatures Ensemble and global guidance in general agreement showing a deepening coastal low lifting northward along the coast with an upper level trough or closed low over the Carolinas to Mid-Atlantic region, though the details are not certain. There could be some low chance of showers over the eastern part of the forecast area Saturday but generally dry conditions are expected throughout the extended forecast period as downsloping flow develops late in the weekend into early next week with an upper ridge building east as the upper trough lifts northeast away from the region. Temperatures should remain near to below normal with a slight warming trend early next week. && .AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Restrictions in place early this morning, improving to VFR later this morning. Ceiling and visibility restrictions have developed at OGB/DNL/AGS with a mix of LIFR ceilings and visibilities. While no restrictions have been observed at the Columbia terminals, have still included the potential for brief restrictions. Expect improvement after sunrise with VFR conditions expected to return. A front moves into the area this afternoon and evening leading to scattered showers and potentially thunderstorms. Included a prob30 to account for the possibility of impacts to the terminals with tsra most likely to affect the Augusta and Orangeburg terminals. Winds shift out of the northeast tonight behind the front and will increase to 5 to 10 knots. With strong low level jet developing, possibility of llws but mixing will likely allow winds to reach the surface so have left the mention out for now. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Drier air moves in behind the front Thursday and Friday, bringing lower chances for widespread restrictions but some gusty northeast winds are expected. Dry conditions and low probabilities for restrictions are expected to continue over the weekend at this time. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. GA...None. && $$