814 FXUS61 KAKQ 212350 AFDAKQAREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wakefield VA 750 PM EDT Sun Sep 21 2025
.SYNOPSIS... Seasonably cool and cloudy conditions tonight and Monday. A warm up in temperatures from high pressure returns early next week. Unsettled weather returns in the middle to late week.
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.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... As of 730 PM EDT Sunday...
Key Messages:
- Cooler tonight with lows in the in upper 50s inland and mid 60s along the coast.
- Areas of fog possible tonight into Monday morning.
Latest surface analysis depicted high pressure off the New England coast this evening, ridging SSW across the forecast area. Temperatures as of 720 PM ranged from the upper 60 to lower 70s for most under partly cloudy skies. A period of mostly clear skies is possible this evening into early tonight inland, allowing for radiational cooling to lower temps quickly given calm winds inland. However, cloud cover is expected to increase in coverage overnight from W to E inland and from NE to SW across SE VA/NE NC due to status moving onshore. The level and duration of clearing will determine how low our temps drop as well as how widespread fog becomes tonight. Model guidance continues to support areas of fog developing across the Piedmont and spreading towards the I-95 corridor overnight into Mon morning. The fog may reach the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, however, confidence is low east of I-95. Locally dense fog is possible, particularly across the Piedmont. Additionally, overnight lows in the upper 50s inland to the mid 60s along the coast are expected. However, some localized locations may drop into the mid 50s overnight.
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.SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 256 PM EDT Sunday...
Key Messages:
- Cooler Monday then warmer Tuesday and Wednesday, as high pressure remains in the area.
The wedge of high pressure across the region will remain dominant through Monday and continue to bring in a cooler, drier airmass. Rain chances will be limited through Tuesday morning, with little rainfall expected. A positively tilted trough will set up across western/central Canada and the Plains by the start of the work week. An upper low will start to develop across the Central U.S. by Tuesday and slowly move eastward. This will help to displace the surface ridge axis across the area to the south, which will allow higher atmospheric moisture and warmer air to filter in across the region. High temperatures on Tuesday will be in the mid 80s inland and lower 80s near the coast. A cold front will extend from the NE to the central US, but will likely remain to the north of the area on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, there is a slight chance of showers/storms Tuesday afternoon/evening in the piedmont and northern counties. Expect lows Tuesday night in the mid 60s. Wednesday`s temperatures will be similar to Tuesday in the mid 80s for most (lower 80s for the Eastern Shore and northern counties). The front will edge closer to the area by Wednesday, so have maintained a chance of showers/thunderstorms during the day.
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.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 257 PM EDT Sunday...
Key Messages:
- Unsettled weather and cooler temperatures are likely by the middle and end of the week.
An expansive ridge will set up off the SE coast during the week. The upper low and associated trough will gradually advance eastwards through the week and daily chances for showers and thunderstorms will return by the middle of the week. A surface front will move in tandem with the trough, and more widespread rain is expected by mid/late week as the front gradually moves through the area. Atmospheric moisture content will between 1.5-2.0", and with the front acting as a lifting mechanism, our area will likely see some beneficial rainfall. High temperatures are forecast to be in the upper 70s Thursday through the weekend as a cooler airmass builds in behind the front. Lows will drop into the 60s, with a few communities (mainly in the piedmont) possibly seeing upper 50s by the weekend. There is some uncertainty in exactly when the front moves through the region, so we will continue to monitor any trends and adjust the forecast as necessary.
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.AVIATION /23Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 750 PM EDT Sunday...
Latest surface analysis depicted high pressure off the New England coast this evening, ridging SSW across the forecast area. A period of mostly clear skies is possible inland with partly cloudy skies along the coast this evening into early tonight. However, cloud cover is expected to increase in coverage overnight from W to E inland (due to low stratus/fog) and from NE to SW across SE VA/NE NC (due to status moving onshore). Given the partial clearing and calm winds inland, areas of fog and low-level stratus are expected to develop overnight into Mon morning across the Piedmont to the I-95 corridor. As such, IFR/LIFR CIGs are possible across this area, along with IFR/LIFR VIS due to the fog. Fog could be locally dense at times. RIC will likely be on the edge of this cloud/fog deck, and as such, confidence is moderate on whether or not RIC drops to IFR VIS/CIGs overnight with the best chance around 10-13z Mon. However, IFR conditions could occur a few hours earlier (~8z Mon). For PHF/ORF/ECG, the area of concern is the stratus that has been lingering near the coast this evening with ~2000-2500 ft CIGs. Model guidance is split with some guidance showing the stratus remaining mostly offshore whereas other model guidance such as the NAM shows the stratus moving onshore overnight with MVFR and even IFR CIGs possible. Given the low confidence in IFR CIGs, have kept CIGs MVFR for those terminals for now, however, IFR CIGs are possible and amendments may be needed if obs begin to support IFR CIGs. Additionally, some patchy ground fog is possible at PHF overnight into early Mon morning. MVFR stratus may linger across SE VA/NE NC into Mon afternoon. Otherwise, winds were E ~5 kt inland and NE 5-10 kt along the coast (~10 kt at ECG) this evening. Winds become light and variable/calm inland overnight, remaining NE ~5 kt along the coast. NE winds increase to 5-10 kt Mon.
Outlook: Another round of fog is possible Monday night into Tuesday morning with degraded flying conditions possible due to VIS and/or CIGs. Unsettled weather is expected late week with possible sub-VFR conditions.
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.MARINE... As of 257 PM EDT Sunday...
Key Messages:
- High pressure builds N of the region this evening into tonight as a trough develops off the North Carolina Coast resulting in a strengthening northeast wind.
- Small Craft Advisories are in effect for the Atlantic coastal waters, mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and Currituck Sound.
- There is a high rip current risk for Monday and Tuesday.
This afternoon, high pressure (~1030 mb) is centered near or just off the New England coast. Meanwhile, an inverted trough has developed off the NC coast. NE winds are generally running around 15 to 20 knots (gusts to 25 knots) over the ocean and ~10 to 15 knots elsewhere. Seas have increased from earlier today and now 5 to 6 feet across the southern waters and 4 to 5 feet further north. Winds will continue to gust 20 to 25 knots into this evening, before gradually diminishing later tonight as the pressure gradient begins to relax. SCAs remain in effect for the Currituck Sound through this evening, the mouth of the Ches. Bay through tonight, and the Atlantic coastal waters through Monday as seas will be slow to subside.
High pressure settles over the Mid-Atlantic coast Monday through the middle of the week. This will result in largely benign and sub-SCA conditions. However, TS Gabrielle is forecast to become a hurricane as it curves N and NE to the E of Bermuda. This could result in 3 to 4 feet seas persisting through midweek. Forecast confidence is rather low by later this week, particularly with respect to how far S a backdoor cold front reaches as another high builds into New England, before lifting back to the N ahead of a cold front approaching from the NW. Regardless, most guidance depicts sub-SCA conditions regardless of the forecast details.
A high rip current risk is forecast for Monday mainly due to long period swell (3-4ft/11-12s) from TS Gabrielle (forecast to be Hurricane Gabrielle). Long period swell continues into Tuesday, with Tuesday expected to be another high rip current risk day.
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.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... Tide anomalies have increased to around +1 foot across the northern Chesapeake Bay this afternoon, resulting in areas of nuisance to locally minor flooding (Bishops Head MD). While tidal anomalies are currently diminishing, another round of nuisance to locally minor flooding is possible at high tide tonight around the area of Bishops Head MD. Water levels remain elevated over the northern Bay into early this week, with additional rounds of nuisance tidal flooding remaining possible.
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.AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 1 AM EDT Monday for ANZ633. Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM EDT Monday for ANZ634. Small Craft Advisory until 1 PM EDT Monday for ANZ650-652-654. Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM EDT Monday for ANZ656-658.
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SYNOPSIS...KMC/SW NEAR TERM...RMM/NB SHORT TERM...KMC/NB LONG TERM...AC/KMC/NB AVIATION...RMM MARINE...AJB/AJZ TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
NWS AKQ Office Area Forecast Discussion