572 FXUS61 KAKQ 050537 AFDAKQAREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wakefield VA 137 AM EDT Sun Oct 5 2025
.SYNOPSIS... High pressure centered over the region tonight, gradually shifts offshore Sunday. Seasonably warm and dry conditions continue into early next week, before a strong cold front likely approaches and crosses the area by the middle of next week. This will bring a chance of showers Wednesday and much cooler temperatures by the end of the week.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/... As of 815 PM EDT Saturday...
Key Message:
- Clear tonight, with patchy fog development likely overnight/early Sunday.
- Mostly sunny and slightly warmer Sunday, Patchy fog possible again Sunday night.
Evening WX analysis indicates ~1025mb sfc high pressure centered along the coast of SE VA/NE NC, ridging inland across the local area. The sky is mainly clear, with temperatures now primarily in the low-mid 60s. Noting that current dew pts are in the mid 50s to around 60F, about 3-5 degrees higher than 24 hrs ago. Favorable radiational cooling conditions are again expected tonight, so another round of seasonably cool temperatures should be on tap. Lows will average in the upper 40s to lower 50s for most of the region, other than locally higher readings at the immediate coast in the mid 50s to around 60F. These values are a few to several degrees below the NBM. Similar to last night, and probably with a higher coverage, expect at least patchy fog development inland and near the tidal rivers. Model guidance is hitting portions of interior SE VA and NE NC the hardest with a more widespread fog between about 08Z/4 AM and 13Z/9 AM, which makes sense given the pattern and the time of year so will need to monitor closely overnight/early Sunday for the potential issuance of SPS` and/or Dense Fog Advisories.
After any early morning fog, very similar wx is forecast for Sunday, though max temps should be a degree or two higher compared to today and in the upper 70s to around 80 F. This is as high pressure gradually shifts offshore and the upper ridge strengthens some. Skies range from sunny N to mostly-partly sunny S with a developing SCT CU field across srn VA and NE NC in the afternoon. The position of the high is not quite as favorable for radiational cooling Sunday night, but we should still drop into the lower to mid 50s. Fog will also again be possible Sunday night.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... As of 250 PM EDT Saturday...
Key Message:
- Continued mild and pleasant early next week with increasing clouds later Tuesday.
High pressure settles offshore and just N of Bermuda Monday into Tuesday. Aloft, a shortwave will eject from the NW CONUS into the Midwest as the parent longwave trough shifts eastward through the northern Great Lakes region. This evolution will gradually push a cold front toward the region by Tuesday, but the frontal passage should hold off until Wednesday.
Otherwise, remaining mild both Monday and Tuesday with highs in the upper 70s to around 80 F, with lower 80s possible across interior NE NC. Overnight lows cool into the upper 50s to lower 60s Monday night and lower 60s Tuesday night. Mostly sunny Monday into early Tuesday, though increasing mid-level moisture ahead of the front Tuesday will likely lead to increased clouds by the afternoon and evening.
&&
.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 250 PM EDT Saturday...
Key Message:
- The next chance for rain arrives Wednesday as showers develop along and ahead of a cold front.
- Cooler and drier weather returns to end the week.
The cold front and upper trough approach the area Wednesday. There remains some timing discrepancies among the models regarding the frontal passage, with the ECMWF/EPS suite a bit faster than the GEFS/GFS. Still, the highest PoPs (50-60%) are in the afternoon and early evening Wednesday. The timing of the front will influence the high temperatures across the forecast area on Wednesday, with a delineation of cooler (northwest) and warmer (southeast) temperatures possible during the day if the front pushes through only a portion of area. The frontal timing will also dictate if there will be any potential for thunderstorms Wednesday, with some modest instability reflected in the models in the afternoon. Will thus maintain a slight chance for thunder in the forecast. While this front likely breaks the rain-free streak for most areas as it moves through, it will not be a particularly wet passage as the front is expected to move at a good clip through through the forecast area. The model consensus is for a return to dry conditions by Thursday and Friday, but there is some divergence across the ensemble guidance as some sort of low could spin up along a lingering coastal trough. Confidence is very low, but we will continue to monitor any changes to the extended forecast.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 135 AM EDT Sunday...
While VFR conditions are currently prevailing at most terminals early this morning, conditions will likely start to deteriorate over the next few hours as fog develops across the area. TEMPOs are currently in place at all TAF sites from 09z through at least sunrise. After the fog burns off later this morning, SCT cumulus could will likely develop across southern VA and NE NC. Winds will remain light this afternoon, with the coastal terminals once again feeling the influence of the sea breeze in the afternoon.
Outlook: VFR conditions are expected during the day from Sunday through Tuesday as high pressure remains over the region. The weak flow will continue to favor early morning fog development, however. A chance of showers returns Wednesday along and ahead of a cold front.
&&
.MARINE... As of 250 PM EDT Saturday...
Key Messages:
- High Rip Risk continues through the weekend.
- Seas continue to gradually diminish this evening-tonight.
- Benign conditions expected Sunday into early next week, with a good chance of at least solid SCA conditions from Wednesday night- Thursday evening with NE winds.
Surface high pressure remains over the area this afternoon with variable winds around 5 kt. Seas are slightly elevated (3-4 ft N/4-5 ft S) due to swell from distant tropical systems.
High pressure lingers near the area through the remainder of the weekend before gradually drifting offshore on Monday. Winds remain light and variable through the weekend, before becoming SE (~5 to 10 knots) Sunday night into Monday. A seasonally strong cold front approaches and crosses the waters late Wednesday into Thursday. While the latest 12z guidance is slightly weaker with winds behind the front, still have high confidence in solid-SCA conditions with NE winds from Wednesday night-Thursday evening. A period of low-end gale gusts is possible during this time (especially over the ocean). Will allow the SCAs for the southern waters to run until 6 PM. Seas are still expected to fall below 5 ft by mid to late evening. Seas average 2 to 3 ft Sunday through Tuesday, before building back to 6- 9 ft by Thursday behind the front.
Rip Currents: The rip current risk remains elevated on Sunday due to continued long period swell before gradually decreasing on Monday and Tuesday.
&&
.AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. NC...None. VA...None. MARINE...None.
&&
$$
SYNOPSIS...SW NEAR TERM...LKB/SW SHORT TERM...SW/NB LONG TERM...SW/NB AVIATION...LKB/NB MARINE...ERI
NWS AKQ Office Area Forecast Discussion