Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
Issued by NWS Charleston, WV
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038 FXUS61 KRLX 160618 AFDRLX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 118 AM EST Sun Nov 16 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Becoming much colder and windier today through Monday in the wake of a cold front. Additional chances for precipitation return on Tuesday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 115 AM Sunday... Key Points: * A cold front will complete its passage through the area early this morning, leaving behind brisk winds and colder temperatures. * Wind gusts on the order of 45 to 50 mph continue along the mountains today where a Wind Advisory remains in effect. A broken line of gusty showers and thunderstorms cutting through the heart of the forecast area at the time of writing denotes the current location of a passing cold front. Lightning signatures have trailed off significantly over the past few hours as this line encounters less favorable conditions for strong thunderstorms. The last of our Severe Warnings/Special Weather Statements, monitoring healthier cells that have had a history of producing damaging wind gusts, have now come to an end. The front is progged to complete its passage over the area through the course of the predawn hours, diminishing precipitation chances as a result. However, on the backside of FROPA, we can expect cold air advection ushering in along gusty to brisk northwesterly winds. Upstream obs in northwestern OH and Indiana show temperature readings tumbling down into the 40s, which will be a stark drop here in the Central Appalachians, where current obs still depict temperatures in the upper 50s/low 60s. This cooler airmass will sail into the forecast area by daybreak this morning and will result in afternoon temperatures struggling to rise higher than the mid 30s along the higher terrain and 40s/50s elsewhere in the region. This airmass will also feature a drop in dew points and relative humidities through the period. Wetting rain from the passing cold front will mitigate fire weather concerns for the vast majority of the area today. Additionally, post-frontal winds will remain gusty to strong today as a pressure gradient remains tightened overhead. This will be especially the case along the spine of the Appalachians, where strong winds will prevail and a Wind Advisory remains in effect into the start of the new work week. Local weather stations in northwest Pocahontas County have already observed average non-thunderstorm winds of around 40 to 50 mph, and expect nothing to change in that aspect through the course of the period. Elsewhere, wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph will remain common within today`s post-frontal environment. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... As of 115 AM Sunday... Transient high pressure will yield a dry start to the work week before turning active through the rest of the extended period. Monday is slated to be a mostly sunny, albeit colder, day in the midst of the surface high`s residency over the area. Brisk winds over the mountains are anticipated to gradually ease throughout the day, alleviating the need for the ongoing Wind Advisory by late in the morning as gradient winds diminish. This will be a gradual process, so expect sub-criteria breezy winds to remain present through the daytime hours for the higher WV mountains. A disturbance originating around the Four Corners region and the lee side of the Rockies will impose the next chance for active weather here in the Central Appalachians beginning Tuesday morning. Forecast soundings remain indicative of a brief period of a rain/snow mix at the onset of precipitation as a layer of warmer air aloft encounters colder surface conditions. Cannot also rule out a brief instance of freezing rain along the higher mountain ridges Tuesday morning before transitioning to all snow by Tuesday afternoon. Thermal profiles will take on a much warmer regime with this approaching disturbance, with increasing rain chances rounding out the short term forecast period. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 115 AM Sunday... Daily chances for precipitation continue for midweek into the start of next weekend as the forecast area remains planted within southerly flow. This will usher in moisture and shortwave energy that will maintain precipitation, progged to fall as all rain, through the end of the forecast period. A strengthening disturbance moving up from the Desert Southwest late in the work week will impose the best potential for active weather under the guise of its accompanying warm and cold fronts. Above normal temperatures prevail ahead of the late week cold frontal passage. && .AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 115 AM Sunday... A cold front draped through the area early this morning will continue to progress southeastward before daybreak. After an evening of strong to severe thunderstorms, the front will leave behind a sliver of sub-VFR ceilings and breezy to strong wind gusts. MVFR ceilings at the time of writing were prevalent at CRW and EKN, with the expectation that conditions would improve later on this morning. High pressure building down into the Ohio Valley will yield drier weather and VFR conditions for the rest of the TAF period. Strong gradient winds aloft will continue to promote gusty winds through the period. Gusts on the order of 20 to 30 kts were included for all sites today, with the strongest expected along the higher terrain. Surface winds begin to trail off across the lowlands late tonight while remaining breezy overnight along the mountains. Elevated winds will mitigate fog production for late tonight into Monday morning. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing of improving ceilings may vary from the forecast early this morning. Stronger wind gusts may be observed at TAF sites throughout the day. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. DATE SUN 11/16/25 UTC 1HRLY 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 EST 1HRLY 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H M H M M M M M H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 06Z MONDAY... IFR ceilings possible with the weather system expected on Tuesday. IFR visibility possible early Tuesday in any areas that begin as snow. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...Wind Advisory until 10 AM EST Monday for WVZ523-526. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...05 NEAR TERM...05 SHORT TERM...05 LONG TERM...05 AVIATION...05