870 FXUS64 KHUN 050803 AFDHUNArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 303 AM CDT Fri Sep 5 2025
...New NEAR TERM...
.NEAR TERM... (Today) Issued at 303 AM CDT Fri Sep 5 2025
A hot day is forecast across the Tennessee Valley as southwesterly flow advects in a warm and humid airmass. Today will be the warmest day is a week or so with afternoon highs topping out in the low to mid 90s. Despite the warm conditions, the atmosphere should remain capped with no storms expected until later this evening. By this afternoon, a cold front will gradually approach the forecast area from the NW. This will provide the necessary lift to generate convection. More details on the storms in the short term portion of the discussion.
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.SHORT TERM... (Friday night through Sunday night) Issued at 303 AM CDT Fri Sep 5 2025
Updated to include the upgrade to Slight Risk (level 2 out of 5) from the SPC for NW AL and southern middle TN.
Conditions will change Friday night into Saturday as showers and thunderstorms return to the forecast. The cold front will finally slip down into the TN Valley. However, a shortwave will slide into the Mid South and OH Valley as well, providing a chance for storms to become strong to severe. SPC has placed us in a Slight Risk for NW AL and southern middle TN and a Marginal Risk for the res of the forecast area. Some storms will arrive between sunset and midnight with high res models showing a short break before the line moves through. With decent instability and bulk shear along with an increase of moisture in place will allow for storms to be capable of producing gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Parameters weaken towards sunrise and the line looks to exit shortly after as the front sinks southeastward. A few general showers/storms could linger after sunrise and into the early afternoon hours. Daytime highs on Saturday will be around 10 degrees cooler, in the upper 70s to mid 80s.
As the front continues to drift southward across the state, high pressure from the Northern Plains and Midwest will build in as the upper level trough starts to slide eastward. Breezy northerly winds will filter in cooler and drier air to the TN Valley with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s and decreasing cloud cover. Overnight lows will dip into the low to mid 50s.
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.LONG TERM... (Monday through Thursday) Issued at 923 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025
Zonal flow aloft to start the long term looks to turn into weak ridging by Tuesday. Although an upper shortwave swings over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley on Wednesday, mainly zonal flow will return to the Tennessee Valley as the base of that trough traverses the region. Northwest flow is then anticipated by Thursday as a stout upper ridge builds over the central CONUS. Meanwhile, surface high pressure will build over the Midwest and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys early next week. This feature is expected to gradually push eastward through midweek due to systems developing over the western CONUS and central Canada.
For sensible weather for our local area, the influence of surface high pressure is expected to keep mainly dry conditions through the majority of the long term period. Although, temperatures are forecast to gradually increase through the week. Highs begin in the mid 70s to lower 80s on Monday, then by Thursday reach the mid 80s to around 90 degrees. Lows follow a similar pattern, increasing from the lower to mid 50s early in the week into the mid to upper 50s by later in the week.
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.AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1155 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025
VFR conditions with light and variable winds continue into tomorrow. A line of showers and storms is expected to arrive near the terminals in the late afternoon/early evening. This will reduce by ceilings and visibilities. Still some uncertainty in timing so left within a prob 30 group.
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.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. &&
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NEAR TERM...GH SHORT TERM....JMS/GH LONG TERM....26 AVIATION...GH
NWS HUN Office Area Forecast Discussion