


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA
Issued by NWS Sterling, VA
902 FXUS61 KLWX 200724 AFDLWX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 324 AM EDT Sun Apr 20 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will stall to the south today before lifting as a warm front on Monday. A low pressure system tracks across the Great Lakes on Monday with the associated cold front swinging through the mid-atlantic Monday night into Tuesday. High pressure builds to the north on Wednesday ahead of a nearby front bringing precipitation chances at the end of the week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... As of 07Z, the cold front is draped across the Potomac. This will continue pushing south through the morning. No precipitation with this front aside from a few upslope rain showers. Main change will be the winds become northwest behind the front. Today, sfc high pressure will build across the SE-US and Great Lakes. This will cause the aforementioned cold front to push back north before stalling over portions of central VA. In turn, this will bring the potential for a few rain showers generally west of the Blue Ridge. Soundings are not the most favorable for severe weather. If anything, a rumble of thunder is most likely, hence the general thunder outlook from SPC. Cannot rule out some small hail given low freezing levels. Otherwise, today will be another warm day with most areas in the 70s to low 80s (60s in the mtns). Lows fall back into the 50s tonight with clouds. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... To start the workweek, a low pressure system will move into the Great Lakes. This will bring the cold/stationary front back north as a warm front Monday. Dry conditions are expected Monday with high temps in the 70s to low 80s again, but clouds will be rather frequent. It may take a little longer for the front to clear NE MD, so temps may hang in the 60s up there. Precipitation chances increase Monday evening into the overnight hours as the cold front approaches from the west. Not looking at much QPF with this system, with amounts generally less than a quarter of an inch. Low temperatures will be in the 50s to low 60s Monday night. On Tuesday, the cold front will continue pushing southeast into central VA and southern MD. Any remaining shower chances will be in this area. Another warm day with high temps in the upper 70s to low 80s. Cannot rule out some showers lingering near the front into Tuesday night. Tuesday night will be the coolest of the short term, with 40s west of the Blue Ridge/50s to the east. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... The middle to latter portions of next week will feature above average heights aloft and continued mild temperatures. On the synoptic scale, a mean southwesterly flow persists which is accompanied by a myriad of weak impulses. The overall flow remains on the weak side, although some more impactful shortwaves could near the region by next weekend. However, model spread is rather high during this evolving pattern, so it remains to be seen if any of these impact the local area. At the surface, a brief period of high pressure is expected over the region during the middle of the week. An earlier frontal zone across the Carolinas is expected to slowly gain latitude in time. Eventually this system begins to impact the area by Thursday and Friday with renewed rain chances. Depending on the evolution of upstream features, another cold front could move toward the area by the early portions of next weekend. However, uncertainty is still pretty high. Overall, expect continued above normal temperatures along with an uptick in rain chances. Daily highs should punch into the 70s most days. && .AVIATION /07Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Lighter winds are expected through daybreak as a weak cold front pushes through the forecast area. Winds shift to northwesterly behind the front overnight. With high pressure shifting to the north today, the northerly winds will become easterly throughout the day. VFR conditions are expected across all terminals today. On Monday, winds shift to southeasterly resulting in increased moisture and low level clouds. With primarily VFR conditions expected, MVFR ceilings are possible. A cold front sagging south through the area on Tuesday could produce scattered showers/thunderstorms, though the highest coverage is likely to be south of most of the terminals. Will have to see for any impacts at CHO. Otherwise, VFR conditions are likely to prevail throughout Tuesday. VFR conditions are expected on Wednesday given high pressure in place. A warm front approaching from the south will gradually increase rain chances into Thursday and beyond. Some brief restrictions cannot be ruled out as this occurs. Winds will mainly be out of the south to southeast. && .MARINE... Small Craft Advisory conditions continue through 5 AM for the middle portions of the bay, where the wind shift will be later to arrive. Behind the front, winds become northwesterly. Some marginal SCA gusts could occur behind the front through the morning, but confidence is low. May be best handled with an MWS given brief nature. Winds shift to northerly and then northeasterly through the day, before becoming east/southeasterly overnight. On Monday, SCA criteria winds are possible as winds channel in southeasterly flow. Winds shift to southerly Monday night and into Tuesday, with SCA criteria winds continuing in the southern portions of the Chesapeake Bay. Favorable marine conditions possible for the middle of next week, though gusts could approach 15 knots Tuesday afternoon. A cold front sagging south through the waters through the day on Tuesday could produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. Any strong storm could pose a localized hazard to boaters. The front pushes south of the area Wednesday morning as winds turn north, then east behind the front on Wednesday afternoon. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...None. MD...None. VA...None. WV...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM EDT early this morning for ANZ533-534-537-543. && $$ SYNOPSIS...CPB NEAR TERM...CPB SHORT TERM...CPB LONG TERM...BRO AVIATION...BRO/CPB MARINE...BRO/CPB