


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA
787 FXUS61 KLWX 291829 AFDLWX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 229 PM EDT Sun Jun 29 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A decaying cold front will drop southward into the area bringing afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms will be strong with locally damaging winds and isolated instances of flash flooding. Additional shower and thunderstorm chances are expected Monday with a front remaining nearby. A stronger cold front looks to cross Tuesday bringing widespread strong to severe thunderstorms to the area. Less humidity and drier conditions as high pressure builds Wednesday into late week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Warm. sunny, and humid conditions continue into mid-afternoon for most as a decaying cold front slowly sags southward into the region. Convective initiation has ensued over the Shenandoah Valley, eastern Alleghenies, and central MD with bubbling CU working further east into the Piedmont/southern MD. Meanwhile, the Baltimore/DC Metros will likely see isolated to scattered convection developing along the bay/river breeze with consolidation of colliding outflows from storms to the west later in the afternoon and evening hours (after now-4pm). Further north toward the PA/MD line and far western MD, convection may be subdued given slightly drier air working into the low levels (PWATS less than 1.8"). Elsewhere the moisture- laden airmass will remain with PWATS hovering between 1.8-2.3" and dewpoints in the low to mid 70s. High temperatures today will be a touch cooler than yesterday with most locations east of the AlleghEnies pushing into the upper 80s and low 90s. Heat indices will get back toward 100 degrees this afternoon. The warm and humid airmass will contribute to scattered thunderstorm development this afternoon with no real focal point for ignition outside of the decaying front. MlCAPE values will once again sit between 1500-2500 j/kg with DCAPE values less than 900 j/kg and 0-6 km shear values under 25 kts. Steering flow will also continue to remain weak in the mid levels out of the west at 10-15 kts. This will result in storm motions that will be somewhat chaotic, and largely driven by outflow boundaries. With the somewhat chaotic storm motions, it`s difficult to time the storms in any one given location, with a general risk for thunderstorms throughout much of the area through at least 8pm this evening. Greatest concentration of storms appears to be over the Shenandaoh Valley north and east toward US-15 and the Baltimore/DC metro areas. SPC & WPC continue to maintain a Marginal Risk for most of central/northern VA and central/southern MD during this timeframe with locally damaging winds from wet microbursts and isolated instances of flash flooding as the primary threats. Storms will diminish with the loss of daytime heating tonight with lows once again falling back into the upper 60s and low 70s. Some patchy fog also tries to form (especially in the river valleys and near area waterways)prior to daybreak Monday. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... More of the same can be expected Monday although the coverage of showers and thunderstorms may be a bit more widespread across the region. Warm and humid conditions will remain with highs climbing into the upper 80s and low 90s. Heat indices will also sit close to 100 degrees especially east of US-15 and into the Baltimore/DC metro areas. Showers and thunderstorms will form as a result of the heat and humidity between 1-8pm. Current 12z CAMS show slightly greater instability (2500-3500 j/kg MLCAPE), and slightly stronger mid-level flow (around 15-20 knots), with continued deep near-saturation and modest DCAPE values (500-900 J/kg). This will yield storms with slightly better organization especially west of I-81 and toward the Alleghenies given the proximity of the incumbent prefrontal upper level trough and cold frontal boundary. PWATS will remain around or just above 2" yielding rain rates of 1-2"/hr and the concern for isolated instances of flooding. Overall wind (i.e wet microbursts) will be the main threat with storms Monday. Both SPC and WPC, once again have the bulk of the area outlooked in Marginal Risks. Storms will diminish with the loss of daytime heating with patchy fog late. Lows Monday night will sit in the low to mid 70s. A stronger cold front will cross the region Tuesday bringing widespread strong to severe thunderstorms. The front and upper level trough will finally put an end to the prolonged stretch of high humidity and stormy conditions for the remainder of the workweek. The cold front will approach from the northwest Tuesday afternoon before crossing Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the prefrontal trough will ignite storms ahead of the boundary Tuesday afternoon and evening. Storms will initialize over the mountains first before working east toward the metros late afternoon and evening. Flow will increase aloft yielding better organization along with a higher damaging wind threat area wide. Isolated instances of flooding also cannot be ruled out especially along and east of I-95 where some training may occur. Some hail is also possible as well within stronger updrafts. MLCAPE values will once again be up around 2000-3500 j/kg with DCAPE around 1000 j/kg. 0-6 km shear values will sit between 30-45 kts allowing for storms to move along in more of a progressive nature. SPC maintains a Marginal Risk for severe weather for the entire area Tuesday afternoon. WPC has a Marginal Risk as well with a Slight Risk for excessive Rain along and east of the I-95 corridor. Storms will diminish Tuesday night as the trough axis works east and high pressure builds in from the west. This will lead to tranquil conditions and less humidity for the remainder of the workweek. Highs Tuesday will push into the mid to upper 80s and low 90s with overnight lows in the 60s. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... High pressure will build in from the west Wednesday bringing lower humidity and drier conditions. A reinforcing mid- level trough will push through the area Thursday bringing a threat of isolated thunderstorms. Any moisture available looks to be very shallow, so coverage is expected to be isolated to widely scattered at best. Capped Pops at 15 to 20 percent with a focus mainly west of the Blue Ridge. Ridging is expected to build over the East Coast states through the rest of the week supporting warm and dry/tranquil conditions with low humidity for the upcoming holiday weekend. && .AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... VFR conditions are expected to continue amongst the terminals through this evening. Some temporary sub-VFR reductions are possible with showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening (between 18-00z/2-8pm). Overall timing will be hard to pinpoint for impacts given the lack of any well defined surface features that storms may form off of. Storm motions also look to be fairly chaotic driven by outflow boundaries from the colliding river/bay breeze as well as storms firing to the north and west along a decaying cold frontal boundary. Overall coverage will be scattered with a focus west of the corridor and down toward KCHO/KSHD early with a slide east toward the corridor IAD/BWI/DCA later this afternoon into the early evening hours. Not everyone will see storms today, but confidence was too low for TEMPOS at the big 3 airports. Used PROB30s instead to encompass a potential 3-4 hour window of convection this afternoon and evening. Did go with a TEMPOS at KCHO given the slightly higher confidence and earlier initiation of convection between (now-20z/now-4pm). Showers and thunderstorms should diminish prior to midnight, with quiet conditions expected overnight into Monday morning. Some patchy fog may be possible again tonight, especially in areas that receive rain during the daylight hours. Highest confidence for MVFR to IFR vsbys will be a KCHO and KMRB. Winds will switch to the northwest today at less than 10 kts. VFR conditions at all terminals Monday with exception of brief MVFR conditions in strong thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Once again timing will be hard to pinpoint for impacts given the lack of any well defined surface features that storms may form off of. Overall coverage will be scattered with a focus west of the corridor and down toward KCHO/KSHD early in the afternoon with a slide east toward the corridor IAD/BWI/DCA late afternoon into the early evening hours. Numerous showers and thunderstorms expected Tuesday afternoon and evening, some possibly severe with damaging winds. VFR conditions are likely for Wednesday and Thursday with high pressure nearby. An isolated shower or thunderstorm cannot be ruled out Thursday afternoon west of the corridor as a secondary shortwave trough and weak cold front pass through. && .MARINE... Sub-SCA level winds are expected to continue through Monday morning. Light and variable winds this afternoon will switch back to the south Monday and southwest Tuesday. Some channeling is possible especially over the open and middle waters Monday afternoon and evening. Expect the chance of an SMW or two each afternoon and evening through Monday as a result of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low end SCA conditions expected Tuesday as the gradient tightens ahead of an approaching cold front and prefrontal trough from the Ohio River Valley. Severe t-storms are likely Tuesday afternoon and evening, which may require SMWs. Sub-SCA level winds are expected Wednesday through Friday as high pressure builds over the region. A dry cold front will pass through the area Friday into the start of the holiday weekend. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... No tidal flooding concerns over the next couple days. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...None. MD...None. VA...None. WV...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...EST NEAR TERM...EST SHORT TERM...EST LONG TERM...LFR AVIATION...LFR/EST MARINE...LFR/EST TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...LWX