428
FXUS62 KFFC 161026
AFDFFC

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
626 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026


...New 12Z Aviation Discussion...

.KEY MESSAGES...

   - Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms expected
     each afternoon through the remainder of the week.

   - Locally heavy rainfall and frequent lightning will be the
     primary hazards with any thunderstorms that develop.

   - Gradual warming expected to continue into the weekend,
     supporting a return to heat index values in the triple digits
     for some.


&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Friday)
Issued at 306 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

The Southeast remains sandwiched between the intrusion of a mid-
upper level ridge axis across the Eastern Seaboard and high pressure
across the Gulf at the surface, locking an unseasonably humid
airmass in place. With no meaningful synoptic or mesoscale features
to enhance convective coverage, expect the development of fairly
typical isolated to scattered diurnally-driven thunderstorms once
again this afternoon. Moving into Friday, a weak shortwave
traversing broader mid-level flow will approach from the northwest,
driving precipitation chances up for the northern and western
portions of the forecast area (40-60%).

Temperatures will continue warming through the week`s end, in the
upper 80s to lower 90s today, and just a few degrees warmer
tomorrow.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday night through Wednesday)
Issued at 306 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

Beginning the long term outlook Sunday morning, two main features
define the beginning of the period. The first is a weak upper level
low moving out of the tropics into the eastern Gulf and the FL
peninsula. This feature is most visible on the 500mb height anomaly,
but clustering analysis does indicate some model cohesion in the
presence of this feature (strongest in the ENS ensemble, but still
resolved by GFS as well). The second feature is an upper level
trough coming out of the Great Lakes region and dives into the
northeast CONUS. These two wave features come into phase with each
other sometime Sunday into the early Monday timeframe.

That said, the main pattern through the week will be warm/hot, with
highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s and heat indices values between 95
and 105. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms remain possible nearly
every day, though this is where the greatest uncertainty in the
forecast resides.

The main uncertainty in the extended forecast comes from how the
southern feature may develop over the course of the coming days. It
should be noted that the NHC has an area, stretching from the
eastern Gulf across the FL peninsula and off the GA/SC coast,
highlighted with a 20% prob of TC development in the next 7 days.
The stronger the southern feature becomes the more likely flow will
be out of the northeast for a good portion of the column above the
CWA. Northeast flow will be drier, thus resulting in lower
PoPs/thunderstorm chances through the Mon-Wed timeframe. This,
however, is sensitive to any changes in the path or strength of the
southern feature which is also a dependent on any amplification
which can be derived from the northern trough.

&&

.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 623 AM EDT Thu Jul 16 2026

Primarily VFR conds (generally FEW-SCT cigs at 3-5kft) exp thru
the TAF pd. Isold TSRA psbl during the aftn, with best window for
impacts from 19-23Z. Winds will remain out of the W side at
5-10kts.

//ATL Confidence...12Z Update...
High confidence all elements.

96

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Athens          92  73  95  73 /  20  10  40  10
Atlanta         89  74  91  74 /  20  10  40  10
Blairsville     86  69  86  68 /  50  10  70  10
Cartersville    89  73  91  73 /  20  10  50  10
Columbus        91  74  92  75 /  20  20  40  10
Gainesville     90  74  92  74 /  30  10  50  10
Macon           90  73  92  73 /  30  10  40  20
Rome            88  72  90  72 /  30  10  50  10
Peachtree City  89  72  91  73 /  20  10  40  10
Vidalia         92  74  95  74 /  30  10  40  20

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...96
LONG TERM....SM
AVIATION...96