043 FXUS62 KCAE 080020 AFDCAEArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 820 PM EDT Tue Oct 7 2025
.SYNOPSIS... Near to slightly above normal temperatures are expected into Wednesday. The next decent chance of rain comes mid-week as a cold front moves through the forecast area, followed by a reinforcing shot of cooler and dry air to end the week.
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.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... Key message(s):
- Above normal temperatures with patchy fog possible overnight.
Shower activity is winding down at the time of this writing with just a few light showers lingering in the eastern Midlands. An approaching trough and associated cold front shifts the flow to more southwesterly overnight. This is expected to bring an increase in low level moisture. In addition, the low level jet is likely to be lacking, which increases the potential for patchy fog close to daybreak. Areas near rivers and lakes will have higher chances for some fog development. Otherwise, temperatures are forecast to be above average, in the mid to upper 60s.
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.SHORT TERM /7 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... Key message(s):
- Cold front moving through the region on Wednesday. - Cooler, drier, and breezy on Thursday.
Wednesday and Wednesday Night: Upper trough moving north of the region will help to drive a cold front into the forecast area through the afternoon and evening hours. Ahead of this front, moisture will increase during the day, with rainfall chances also increasing along with it. Instability will continue to be on the weaker side, along with shear, so severe threat is minimal at best. However do expect scattered showers and thunderstorms along a broken line in advance of the front. Average rainfall will not be high, with totals around a quarter to half inch expected for most areas. With a good amount of continued warm advection, afternoon temperatures ahead of the front will be quite warm for one more day, with highs expected to range from the lower 80s western Midlands to the mid and possibly upper 80s in the eastern Midlands and lower CSRA. As the front moves through and east Wednesday night, winds will begin to turn more northeasterly as a cooler and drier air mass builds in associated with a strong surface ridge building north of the region across the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Despite winds staying up overnight preventing ideal radiational cooling, strong cold advection will result in low temperatures falling into the mid to upper 50s across most of the region.
Thursday and Thursday Night: The front will be exiting the forecast area, but there could still be a few lingering showers in the eastern and southern counties in the morning. High pressure will continue to build into the region ushering in drier and cooler air from the north with some decrease in clouds across the northern Midlands and Pee Dee region. Much more cloud cover should occur closer to the front over the far southern and eastern counties. Winds are expected to remain somewhat on the stronger side through the day due to a tighter pressure gradient. Speeds of around 10 to 20 mph and gusts up to 25 mph expected. With a northeasterly fetch over area lakes, still expecting winds to remain below any Advisory criteria. As for temperature, it will be noticeably cooler Thursday, nearly 15 degrees colder than what we felt on Wednesday. High in the upper 60s to around 70 degrees are currently forecast. Lows Thursday night expected to fall into the lower to mid 50s with continued cool advection.
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.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Key message(s):
- A cooler and drier air mass remains over the region. - Breezy conditions continue Fri/Sat with coastal low development.
Not much change over the longer term with the latest nbm guidance. Friday should see the development of an area of low pressure along the cold front off the southeastern coastline. This will help to push some moisture back inland along the coastal plain into Saturday. Majority of the forecast area is expected to remain dry as this low develops, with only extreme eastern areas possibly getting brushed by a brief shower through Saturday. As the low develops, the pressure gradient will remain tight enough to keep breezy winds over the region into Saturday. Some wind gusts above 20 mph will remain possible each day. Similar to Thursday, the fetch over area lakes is not favorable for Lake Wind Criteria being met, but will continue to monitor conditions behind the front and as the low develops. By Sunday the low will be tracking away from the region up the east coast, taking moisture along with it. This will lead to dry conditions into next week. Temperatures generally remain below normal with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.
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.AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VFR conditions continue this evening before IFR restrictions possible early Wednesday ahead of a cold front. Rain chances increasing Wednesday afternoon with the frontal passage.
Waning cumulus are seen this evening with mostly dry conditions outside of batch of showers in the southern Midlands that should also wane in the coming hours. Winds are becoming fairly light, but still out of the southeast this evening. A LLJ is not anticipated tonight and thus winds likely become light and variable to calm during the overnight. This coupled with increasing moisture ahead of a cold front, is expected to yield stratus and fog across the region after 08-10z. Recent LAMP, HRRR, and NBM guidance have grown increasingly aggressive with IFR to LIFR restrictions at all of the TAF sites, predominately from stratus, but also possibly from fog, especially near AGS/OGB. These restrictions are expected to last until just after daybreak before mixing allows the stratus deck to lift some and bring MVFR ceilings until around 17-19z. Broken mid to high level clouds then are expected through the afternoon and evening Wednesday with a cold frontal passage. 5-7 kt winds should turn more southwesterly ahead of the front before becoming westerly to west-northwesterly during the afternoon and evening. The front is expected to near the Columbia and Augusta terminals around 18-20z and OGB between 19-21z, possibly bringing showers and a couple storms near the terminals through the end of the TAF period and thus a PROB30 group has been added to address this at this time.
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...A drier air moves in behind the front Thursday and Friday, bringing lower chances for widespread restrictions but some gusty winds are expected. Dry conditions and low probabilities for restrictions are expected to continue over the weekend at this time.
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.CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. GA...None.
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NWS CAE Office Area Forecast Discussion