Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA
472 FXUS61 KLWX 212044 AFDLWX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 344 PM EST Fri Nov 21 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A weak area of low pressure will track overhead along a frontal boundary tonight. High pressure will build into area for Sunday and Monday. An area of low pressure will track to our northwest during the middle of next week, causing a strong cold front to move through. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Current surface analysis shows an area of low pressure centered along the Kansas/Missouri border, with a warm front extending eastward toward the Appalachians, and then a stationary front in place across the Carolinas to the east of the mountains. A parent shortwave is also evident on IR imagery over Kansas. This shortwave will start to shear out and rapidly track eastward late this afternoon into the overnight hours, causing a weak area of low pressure to also track eastward along the frontal boundary at the surface. The stationary front currently located over the Carolinas will lift northward into the region tonight, with the eventual surface low tracking overhead. Warm advection driven ascent to the north of the front will lead to a period of light rain that will last through much of the night tonight. At the moment, radar imagery shows some light returns across the Central Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia. Elsewhere, conditions remain cloudy but dry. Temperatures have climbed into the 50s to around 60 this afternoon beneath mostly cloudy skies. As the aforementioned system tracks eastward and low- level warm advection/related isentropic ascent starts to increase, light rain will break out from west to east across the entire forecast area later this evening. Light rain will then occur on and off over the course of the night. Temperatures will drop slightly this evening and then hold relatively steady in the upper 40s and lower 50s through the remainder of the night. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Showers will continue on and off through tomorrow morning, with the last of the rain finally clearing southern Maryland by mid- afternoon. Rainfall totals with this system should generally be around a quarter to a half of an inch for most, although isolated slightly higher totals may be possible. Given the ongoing drought conditions, this should be a beneficial rainfall for all. Skies will begin to clear out later tomorrow afternoon, with some sunshine even possible just before sunset. High temperatures tomorrow will reach into the 50s to around 60 (40s mountains). A shortwave and associated clipper low will track to our north across Quebec/Ontario on Sunday. Meanwhile, high pressure will build to our west across the Mid-Mississippi Valley. Despite the system tracking to our north, skies are expected to remain mostly sunny. However, the system will drive a reinforcing cold front southward through the area. This will cause winds to pick up out of the northwest later Sunday afternoon into Sunday night. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the upper 50s and lower 60s on Sunday (upper 40s mountains), before dropping back into the 30s Sunday night. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Dry conditions continue Monday with surface high pressure and upper level ridging building overhead. As the area of high pressure shifts offshore through the day and into the overnight, southerly flow ushers in moisture and warmer air. High temperatures will be in the 50s to low 60s Monday and Tuesday with overnight low temperatures dropping into the upper 30s to low 40s on Monday night. Tuesday night will be noticeably warmer with overnight lows in the upper 40s to low 50s. As moisture increases due to southerly flow and an approaching low pressure system, precipitation chances return Tuesday across the forecast area. A warm front associated with a low pressure system tracking across the Mississippi River valley will lift north through the forecast area on Wednesday, yielding the warmest day of the long term period and persisting precipitation chances. High temperatures rise into the 60s for most with higher elevations staying in the 50s. As the aforementioned low pressure system tracks north of the forecast area, the associated cold front pushes through Wednesday afternoon. High pressure builds in from the west in the wake of the cold front with noticeably cooler temperatures expected. Overnight low temperatures Wednesday night will fall into the 30s to low 40s. On Thursday, dry conditions are expected with high temperatures staying in the 40s and low 50s (30s mountains). Overnight low temperatures will be in the 20s for most. && .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Conditions are VFR at the moment, but ceilings are expected to lower as rain moves into the area overnight. IFR to LIFR ceilings and rain are expected during the second half of the night through tomorrow morning. Reduced visibilities may also be possible at times tonight. Conditions should gradually improve back to VFR by late tomorrow afternoon. VFR conditions will then persist through Sunday night. Winds will be light out of the south today and remain light or calm overnight. Winds will then turn out of the north late tonight behind a cold front and stay northerly through the day tomorrow into tomorrow night. West winds are expected Sunday morning, before winds shift to out of the northwest and become gusty behind a reinforcing cold front later Sunday afternoon into Sunday night. South winds blow 5 to 10 knots Monday and Tuesday as high pressure shifts overhead. VFR conditions are expected on Monday with precipitation chances leading to possible restrictions on Tuesday. && .MARINE... Light southerly winds are expected over the waters today. Winds will turn northerly late tonight as a cold front passes over the waters. Northerly winds will persist through the day tomorrow into tomorrow night. Gusts may briefly near low-end SCA values tomorrow afternoon. Winds will turn out of the west on Sunday morning, and then out of the northwest Sunday afternoon behind a reinforcing cold front. Small Craft Advisory level gusts appear likely behind this front late Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, and a few low-end Gale gusts can`t be entirely ruled out. Southerly winds remain below Small Craft Advisory criteria on Monday with high pressure overhead. Winds near SCA criteria, mainly in the southern portions of the waters, Tuesday afternoon with southerly winds gusting around 15 knots. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...None. MD...None. VA...None. WV...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...KJP NEAR TERM...KJP SHORT TERM...KJP LONG TERM...AVS AVIATION...AVS/KJP MARINE...AVS/KJP