Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
Issued by NWS Raleigh/Durham, NC
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499 FXUS62 KRAH 072303 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 700 PM EDT Mon Sep 7 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... * Slightly less hot Wed-Fri compared to yesterday`s forecast. Rising confidence in shower/storm chances Fri afternoon/evening and late Sat. Otherwise, no significant changes from earlier forecast. && .KEY MESSAGES... As of 235 PM Monday... 1) Seasonable early-week temperatures will trend above normal for Wed through Fri. 2) Dry weather through mid week yields to increasing convection chances Fri and Sat, perhaps lasting into Sun. && .DISCUSSION... As of 235 PM Monday... KEY MESSAGE 1... Seasonable early-week temperatures will trend above normal for Wed through Fri. As a frontal zone progresses further to our S and SW, surface high pressure centered over the Great Lakes this midday will build southward into central NC as its center slides eastward. Dry air and near-normal thicknesses will result in seasonable temps and low humidity through Tue. As deep mid-upper level troughing along the Eastern Seaboard shifts eastward, renewed mid level ridging will build eastward from the Plains into our area starting mid week. Slightly above-normal low level thicknesses Wed will climb further and peak Thu/Fri with readings around 20 m above normal, supporting highs around 2 categories above normal, mainly around 90 to the low 90s. Heat index values will top out in the 90s to around 100 both days. The cold front approaching Thu night and accompanying clouds should curb the heat a bit in the NW CWA Fri and areawide Sat into Sun. KEY MESSAGE 2... Dry weather through mid week yields to increasing convection chances Fri and Sat, perhaps lasting into Sun. Surface high pressure centered to our N will continue drifting E and SE over the Mid Atlantic region and off the coast through Wed, keeping us within deeply dry and stable air, with low PWs and no pops. While temps will start to warm back up to above normal Wed, the 850 mb ridging stretching from OK/TX east to off the Southeast coast will limit significant Gulf/Atlantic moisture influx, keeping us largely free of rain chances through Thu, although our southeast areas could see a few late-day sea-breeze storms Thu. The mid level ridge will then break down by Wed night as broad northern stream troughing digs over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, with its accompanying surface cold front approaching our area from the NW late Thu, resulting in increasing moisture flux and a rebound to near or above normal PW by Fri. With the increasing mid level flow helping to boost deep layer bulk shear and increasing low level moisture leading to increased daytime CAPE, the confidence in the chance for afternoon and evening showers and storms for Fri and Sat is also increasing. With the dip in the westerlies reaching down closer to our latitude and resulting in passing of multiple weak perturbations over NC, these higher convection chances may linger into Sun, particularly over our S and E, if the surface front slows or stalls over our region. && .AVIATION /23Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 700 PM Monday... TAF period: VFR conditions are forecast for all sites. An area of midlevel stratus has developed across much of western North Carolina, including INT/GSO, but those clouds are expected to scatter out this evening. Elsewhere, diurnal cumulus is already well on the way to dissipation. Expect light wind out of the east- northeast around 5 kt for the next 24 hours. Outlook: VFR conditions should prevail across central NC through at least Thu, with generally dry weather. A few showers/storms are possible in our SE (FAY) late Thu, but overall the shower/storm chances (and chances for flight restrictions) increase starting Fri and peak Sat, as a cold front approaches from the NW. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Hartfield AVIATION...Green/Hartfield