


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
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772 FXUS62 KRAH 050135 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 935 PM EDT Fri Jul 4 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure will build across and offshore the Middle Atlantic through early Saturday. A coastal front will strengthen and move inland across the Carolinas later Saturday and Saturday night, ahead of Tropical Depression Three that will drift northward and to near the SC coast early Sunday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 225 PM Friday... * Isold showers in far SE through sunset, then dry overnight. A quiet night ahead, as high pressure centered near Lk Ontario noses southward into the NC Piedmont. This high will shift ESE and off the Mid Atlantic coast through tonight, driven by a deep mid-upper low swinging through the Canadian Maritimes. We`ll remain in col area tonight with weak steering flow between this low to our NE, a weaker mid level low E of JAX, and an anticyclone over the mid Miss Valley. GOES WV layer imagery shows dry air across our S and W, where surface dewpoints are generally in the 60s, while it`s more moist through the column over our SE, where surface dewpoints sit around 70s to the low 70s. The NHC continues to investigate a surface low off the SVN/JAX coast for signs of tropical development (see hurricanes.gov for the very latest information). Regardless of development, this low is expected to move little through tonight, but its circulation will continue to draw Atlantic moisture inland into our far SE tonight, supporting isolated showers there until sundown and an attendant drop in instability. Isolated patches of fog could form late tonight into early Sat in our far SE, but otherwise, expect generally fair to mostly clear skies areawide through tonight, with the greater cloud cover in the SE. Expect lows in the mid 60s to low 70s. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 PM Friday... * Clouds and rain chances go up in the southeast, but northwest should stay dry. * Low off the GA coast continues to be monitored. The low off the Southeast coast is expected to take on a slow roughly northward drift Sat/Sat night, and while our mid-upper level flow will remain rather weak, the increasing onshore low level wind component and tightening MSLP gradient should allow for greater inland penetration of the higher dewpoints and PW. Cloud cover is expected to increase from WSW to ENE, most markedly Sat night when the 1.5-2.0" PW surges inland into much of the CWA. Western areas should see enough residual dry air in the mid and upper levels through Sat night, but expect patchy rain to spread into the SE (esp Wadesboro to RWI to the SE) Sat afternoon and eventually into the Triangle by late Sat night. Overall QPF should not be high through Sat night, although increasing warm cloud depth and PWs approaching 2.25" in our far SE (such as at CTZ and GSB) will mean an increased risk of heavy downpours overnight. After highs Sat in the upper 80s to low 90s (a degree or two lower than today, based on more clouds), expect lows mostly in the upper 60s to low 70s. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 230 PM Friday... * A tropical development is possible off the coast near the FL/GA border later today or Saturday. Regardless of development, rain chances will increase Sunday and Monday. * Afternoon/diurnal shower chances return Tuesday through Friday. As of the 200 PM tropical weather outlook from the NHC, there is a high (70%) chance of formation of a tropical or subtropical depression developing off the coast near the FL/GA border. Regardless of development, rain chances will increase Sunday and potentially Monday as the system moves northward. Local impacts are expected to be locally heavy rain and a few stronger storms, with the greatest chance being in the southeast. There is uncertainty with the speed of the system, leaving low confidence in how long rain chances will continue on Monday. After this system exits the region, we will return to a pattern of diurnal showers/storms each afternoon from the rest of the extended period as multiple shortwave troughs pass through the region. Temperatures on Sunday will be around 5 degrees below average, with highs expected in the mid 80s. Maximum temperatures are expected to increase a few degrees on Monday, into the upper 80s to low 90s, and should increase further on Tuesday into the low to mid 90s. Wednesday to Friday are expected to have highs in the low 90s. Along with this, heat indices may return to the low 100s Tuesday through Friday. Lows each night are expected in the low to mid 70s. && .AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 840 PM Friday... High pressure and continental (drier than recent days) air will extend across the Middle Atlantic and favor mostly VFR conditions in cntl NC through Sat. However, a coastal front will strengthen and spread inland ahead of Tropical Depression 3 Sat afternoon-evening, during which time a chance of showers/storms will result at FAY, RWI, and RDU. Light nely winds tonight will strengthen and become gusty into the mid-upr teens kts, with diurnal heating by 14-15Z Sat, at FAY, RWI, and RDU. Outlook: The chance for showers/storms, flight restrictions, and breezy nely flow will increase, as the remnants of now Tropical Depression 3 move slowly nwd across the Carolinas Sat night through Mon, with greatest impact at FAY, RWI, and RDU. A humid airmass will then favor areas of morning stratus and fog and afternoon-evening showers/storms through most of next week. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...MWS NEAR TERM...Hartfield SHORT TERM...Hartfield LONG TERM...Helock AVIATION...MWS