Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
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666 FXUS64 KHUN 030903 AFDHUN Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 303 AM CST Mon Nov 3 2025 ...New NEAR TERM... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 901 PM CST Sun Nov 2 2025 - A Frost Advisory remains in effect for NW AL early Monday morning. We will also be monitoring the development of fog (some of which could be dense). - Dry conditions and a gradual warming trend are expected through Thursday night. - Conditions appear conducive for a risk of severe thunderstorms at some point from Friday-Saturday night, but timing is highly uncertain at this range. A much colder airmass is expected in the wake of this system (early next week). && .NEAR TERM... (Today) Issued at 303 AM CST Mon Nov 3 2025 Satellite imagery this morning shows an area of low clouds moving southwest from east TN into northern AL. Ahead of this cloud deck, fog have developed as dewpoint depressions are 0-2 degrees with light winds and clear skies. Some of this fog is locally dense with visibilities dropping down below 1 mile. The good news, is that as the low stratus deck continues to drift south and west this morning, fog should dissipate. The biggest uncertainty is how long this takes and how far west it reaches. For now will not issue any fog headlines, but conditions will be monitored through daybreak. The frost advisory also remains across NW AL, but if this stratus deck reaches out west it would limit the cooling early this morning making frost less likely. As for the rest of today, an overall pleasant Fall day is forecast as high pressure moves overhead. The low stratus deck should erode by late this morning. Expect temperatures this afternoon under mostly sunny skies to top out in the lower 60s. && .SHORT TERM... (Monday night through Wednesday night) Issued at 901 PM CST Sun Nov 2 2025 Latest short range model data suggests that a mid-level subtropical high will remain centered along the TX Gulf Coast on Monday night/Tuesday, before slowly retreating westward from Tuesday night-Wednesday night. As a result, unamplified west- northwest flow of 30-40 knots will persist across the TN Valley resulting in mostly clear and dry conditions. At the surface, a ridge (initially centered to our west-southwest) will shift northeastward across the TN Valley and into the southern Appalachians on Monday night. This will provide another optimal environment for radiational cooling, and with boundary layer mixing tomorrow expected to lower dewpoints to some extent, overnight lows should once again be in the m-u 30s. Thus, patchy frost can be expected in some locations, with locally dense fog possible in river valleys and near lakes. During the period from Tuesday-Tuesday night, the low-level anticyclone across the southern Appalachians will drift eastward and weaken, with light southerly flow returning as a mid-latitude trough and developing surface low track eastward across the northern Plains and into the Great Lakes. However, this will occur with a negligible impact on dewpoints, and lows should still drop into the l-m 40s Tuesday night (even after a warmer day on Tuesday featuring highs in the m60s-l70s). Southwesterly flow in the low-levels will strengthen on Wednesday as the deepening low to our north advances further eastward into New England and its weakening/trailing cold front drops southeastward through the Lower OH Valley and Ozarks. This will contribute to a slight increase in temperatures Wednesday afternoon, and with considerable uncertainty regarding whether or not the dry cold front will reach our region, we will maintain overnight lows in the m40s Wednesday night. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through Sunday) Issued at 901 PM CST Sun Nov 2 2025 Global models are in general agreement that two distinct mid/upper-level waves will travel cyclonically around a deep/cold core vortex dropping southward in the general vicinity of Hudson Bay over the course of the extended period. However, there are significant differences within the GFS/GEM/ECMWF model suites regarding the track and amplitude of the initial disturbance, and this will ultimately have a large impact on local weather conditions as we head deeper into the extended forecast period. Both the GFS/GEM suggest that the initial mid-level trough will be considerably more amplified (compared to the ECMWF), which would bring a cold front through the region on Friday afternoon/evening. Present indications are that low-level moisture will quickly surge northeastward ahead of the front, providing a sufficiently warm/moist and unstable airmass for the development of a squall line immediately ahead of the front. In the presence of strong deep-layer shear (westerly mid-level winds of 50-60 knots) and low-level shear (WSW low-level jet of 30-40 knots), all modes of severe weather would be possible in this scenario. Due to factors mentioned above, guidance from the ECMWF suggests that the first cold front will stall across KY/TN on Friday/Friday night. However, it does suggest the development of a QLCS (within a similar kinematic/thermodynamic environment) ahead of a much stronger cold front predicted to arrive Sunday morning. Regardless of solution, it appears as if the second wave will undergo significant amplification as it digs across the northern Plains and into the Mid-MS Valley Saturday/Saturday night, allowing a cold/arctic airmass to quickly spread southward through the Great Plains on Saturday night and eastward into the Gulf Coast states on Sunday. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1051 PM CST Sun Nov 2 2025 Current satellite data and sfc observations indicate a deck of low/MVFR stratus backbuilding into northern AL from adjacent portions of Middle TN. This will likely prevent visibility issues from occurring at HSV, but should provide MVFR cigs arnd 1500 ft thru 14Z. At MSL, conditions are currently more conducive for the development of BR/FG (some of which could become locally dense and result in IFR-LIFR vsby reductions, particularly btwn 8-12Z). After early morning fog and stratus dissipate, VFR/SKC conditions will exist for the remainder of the valid TAF period, with a NNW wind of 5-10 kts becoming lgt/vrbl after sunset. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...Frost Advisory until 8 AM CST this morning for ALZ001>003. TN...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...GH SHORT TERM....70 LONG TERM....70 AVIATION...70