


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC
Issued by NWS Columbia, SC
113 FXUS62 KCAE 291801 AFDCAE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 201 PM EDT Sun Jun 29 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Typical summertime weather is expected to continue into the start of the work week, with near to slightly above normal temperatures and daily shower and thunderstorm chances. More widespread showers and storms Tuesday and Wednesday and slightly cooler. Summer pattern returns for the second half of the week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Key Message(s): - Continued summer pattern with scattered diurnal convection and near normal temperatures Water vapor imagery depicts an upper level low positioned over eastern GA, but models show this low becoming more diffuse as upper ridging extends back across the region through tonight. Diurnal convection will result in scattered showers and thunderstorms into the evening hours. The primary focus will be along the sea breeze boundary and perhaps a weak lee side trough inland, however lingering outflow boundaries could also be a focus for convection. Precipitable water values are high, generally around 1.9 inches across the area, and with slow storm motions there is the potential for a localized flood threat. The overall severe weather threat appears low, with weak shear, moderate instability and relatively low DCAPE values. However, given the pulse nature of the convection a few stronger storms are certainly possible. High temperatures should again be in the lower to mid 90s. Once the convection dissipates by late evening, expect just some mainly high cloudiness through the night. Winds should decouple across the area with low temperatures in the low to mid 70s. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Key Message(s): - Another afternoon of typical summertime scattered showers/storms Monday. - Increasing rain chances throughout Tuesday with approaching trough and weak front. Monday and Monday Night: Upper ridging weakly builds back into the region Monday, though it may start to become more suppressed toward the later part of the day as troughing moves out of the Midwest and toward the Ohio Valley. In general, this trough will not have much effect on Mondays weather outside of afternoon temperatures being a couple degrees cooler, in the low 90s. Scattered diurnal convection is expected with the greatest coverage along the inland pushing sea breeze late in the afternoon and into the evening as weak forcing remains overhead with little organizing shear. Strengthening southwesterly flow should aid in raising PWAT`s some to near 1.9-2" through the day and with fairly skinny CAPE profiles (MLCAPE around 1000-1500 J/kg) the main threat in any stronger cell will be frequent lightning and potential heavy rainfall, especially with the expected slow storm motions. This activity dwindles through the evening and into the overnight with lows in the low 70s. Tuesday and Tuesday Night: The more typical summertime pattern seen over the past week will begin to break down Tuesday as the upper trough slides into the eastern CONUS, extending down into the Carolinas through the day. At the surface, a diffuse frontal boundary will be nearing the region, though this likely will not enter the FA until Wednesday morning. Slightly cooler temperatures are expected with this troughing, in the upper 80s to low 90s, and PoP`s are expected to raise through the day. Model guidance suggests that PWAT`s begin to surge over 2" by late Tuesday afternoon, but upper forcing looks to remain fairly weak until toward the early evening. Due to this, scattered showers/storms are expected starting in the early afternoon, likely becoming widespread during the late afternoon and through the evening. Unlike the pattern the FA has been in, rain chances may carry into the overnight period as weak 500 mb height falls move in. While the overall severe risk is low with the CWA being further south of the main forcing, PWAT`s between 2-2.20" and long/skinny CAPE profiles yield a potential heavy rain risk as any storms during the afternoon and into the evening should be efficient rain makers. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Key Message(s): - Widespread rain possible Wednesday with cooler conditions. - Typical summertime pattern returns for the second half of the week and into the weekend. GEFS and EC ensemble members are in decent agreement that upper troughing is expected to continue into the mid-week, driving more widespread rain chances mainly Wednesday and thus temperatures a bit below average. PWAT`s are expected to remain near the NAEFS 90th percentile much of Wednesday before slowly falling into Thursday as the diffuse surface front reaches the FA. Widespread severe weather is not expected but with the frontal boundary expected to be in the FA Wednesday afternoon with LREF probabilities for both SBCAPE over 1000 J/kg and PWAT`s over 2" being around 50-65%, a couple stronger storms could be possible, with the potential for training along the weak front. Thursday then sees PWAT`s gradually fall closer to average as the trough continues toward the upper East Coast and flow turns more westerly. This should lead to isolated to scattered showers/storms that are bit more diurnally driven as the greater forcing exits the region and temperatures return closer to normal. Solid ensemble agreement shows upper ridging building back in for the late week and weekend with a return to more typical summerlike conditions with near to just above average temperatures and diurnal convection in the afternoon/evening each day. && .AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Generally VFR conditions expected outside of diurnal convection. Typical summertime pattern expected through the period, with diurnally driven isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. Have maintained a PROB30 group at all terminals through 00Z for thunderstorms, with the potential for some broken VFR ceilings, brief reductions in visibility and perhaps some gusty/erratic winds. Otherwise, winds will generally be southerly at 5-7 kt this afternoon. Convective debris clouds likely this evening before clearing out late with winds diminishing to near calm. Guidance is starting to hint at some potential visibility restrictions due to patchy ground fog at KOGB and KAGS, but prefer to maintain a persistence forecast and since there was none observed this morning have kept mention out of the forecast for now. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Patchy ground fog possible each night...but is unlikely to cause significant issues at the terminals. Diurnally driven scattered thunderstorms expected early next week. A front could approach the Southeast next week leading to increased thunderstorm chances. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. GA...None. && $$