Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
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535 FXUS62 KRAH 171102 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 600 AM EST Mon Nov 17 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Pacific high pressure will build east over the area through tonight. The high will move offshore Tuesday ahead of a warm front and a weakening area of low pressure system that will track east through the Mid-Atlantic region Tuesday night into Wednesday. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY AND TONIGHT/... As of 215 AM Monday... * Cool, Below-Normal Temperatures * Marginal fire concerns as dry air will stay in place. An upper-level trough over the Eastern US will quickly lift NE today. Substantial height rises will overspread the region as ridging builds in from the southwest. Pacific high pressure settling over the area will support a brief stint of below-normal temperatures. Breezy conditions will develop after sunrise, with NWLY gusts of 15 to 25 mph. Winds will peak through the midday hours, before gradually diminishing through the afternoon. Highs will range from the mid/upper 50s across the northeast to lower 60s south. An unseasonably dry airmass will remain over cntl NC, with afternoon RH values expected to bottom out into the 15-25 percent range. However, wind speeds will be much lower than yesterday with the strongest winds expected to occur during the morning, with the lowest RHs occurring during peak afternoon heating. Given this poor temporal overlap, critical fire weather criteria will not be met. Therefore, will forgo an Increased Fire Danger (IFD) statement at this time. Good radiational cooling conditions will set up tonight as the surface high builds directly overhead. Lows will fall into the lower to mid 30s. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT/... As of 215 AM Monday... * Moderating temperatures * Light rain overspreads the area Tuesday night A mid-level shortwave trough will move from the Midwest to the Mid- Atlantic through Tuesday night. Surface high pressure centered over the area will move offshore by the afternoon. This will allow a warm front, associated with a weakening sfc wave approaching from the west, to lift north across the area late in the day. The day will begin with mostly sunny skies. However, a strong zone of low and mid-level warm moist air advection will lead to increasing cloudiness during the afternoon and evening. Rain is expected to spread into the area after midnight as a ~90kt upper jet streak and associated upper divergence overspreads the area. With the strongest forcing and deepest moisture skirting north of the area, measurable rain chances should largely remain confined to areas along and north of Highway 64. Rain amounts are expected to be light, generally 0.10" or less. Southerly return flow will allow temperatures to moderate, with highs back into the lower to upper 60s, warmest across the south. Overnight lows will be mild, settling in the 40s. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 130 AM Monday... As the warm front lifts early Wednesday morning rain chances will diminish across the region. A few lingering showers across the northern VA/NC border cant be ruled out but conditions are expected to significantly improve early Wednesday. Otherwise, temperatures are expected to be 10-15 degrees above normal with highs in the 70s Wednesday-Friday and lows generally in the 50s with cooler spots in the upper 40s some nights. The next frontal system will move across the Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend but is generally trending drier overall. Latest models keep much of the rain across the north, but there are a few outliers that keep a bulk of the rain moving across NC late Friday night into Saturday. For now kept PoPs ranging from 20-35% late Friday evening through Saturday afternoon. Lingering moisture sticks around Saturday evening but NBM shows Sunday to be cloudy cool and dry. Sunday and Mondays high temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 60s with some areas reaching 70 across the south. Overnight lows will be in the upper 40s to 50 degrees. && .AVIATION /11Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 600 AM Monday... 24-hour TAF period: VFR conditions will prevail through the next 24 hours. Daytime heating and mixing will result in some 15-20 kt northwesterly gusts at the surface from mid morning into the afternoon today, before quickly diminishing after sunset. Outlook: Light, probably VFR rain will be possible along a frontal zone that will waver invof NC late Tue into Thu, with any associated flight restrictions more likely across VA and adjacent far nrn NC. Another system may affect the area with light rain on Fri night. && .FIRE WEATHER... As of 200 AM Monday... An unseasonably dry airmass will remain over cntl NC, with afternoon RH values expected to bottom out into the 15-25 percent range. However, wind speeds will be much lower than yesterday with the strongest winds expected to occur during the morning, with the lowest RHs occurring during peak afternoon heating. Given this poor temporal overlap, critical fire weather criteria will not be met. Therefore, will forgo an Increased Fire Danger (IFD) statement at this time. While the airmass will begin to modify in a developing return flow regime by Tue, NWP guidance are notoriously too fast with the degree of moisture recovery. As such, minimum RH values will likely again be critical and mostly between 20-25 percent Tue afternoon, during which time swly winds will be strongest at 10-15 mph and most frequently gusty to near 20 mph over the Piedmont. Additional Increased Fire Danger statements may consequently be necessary for Mon and Tue. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...CBL NEAR TERM...CBL SHORT TERM...CBL LONG TERM...CA AVIATION...Danco/MWS FIRE WEATHER...CBL/Danco/MWS