061 FXUS62 KCHS 071843 AFDCHSArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 243 PM EDT Sun Sep 7 2025
.SYNOPSIS... A cold front is expected to move through late today, then stall offshore through the middle of the week. High pressure should prevail to our north Monday through the end of the week.
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.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... This afternoon, satellite RGB cloud phase product indicated towering cumulus, with isolated showers and thunderstorms east of I-95. Recent SPC mesoanalysis indicates an area of 3500 J/kg along the SC Lowcountry coast, with values around 3000 J/kg across the remainder of the coast. Scattered to numerous thunderstorms should develop along a developing sea breeze this afternoon. These storms will likely back-build down the sea breeze, producing swaths of 1.5-2.5 inches in areas. In fact, HREF probs for greater than 3 inches shows spots of 30 percent generally along the Highway 17 corridor. In addition, high tide this evening may restrict storm water drainage across urban areas between 7-10 PM, potentially leading to rapid street flooding wherever heavy rain falls.
Given weak bulk shear and DCAPE between 500-800 J/kg, some afternoon and evening storms could pulse and become strong to severe, with localized wind gusts possible. The advancing cold front and spreading outflow boundaries should become increasingly limiting to deep convection by late this evening.
Tonight, ridging high pressure will surge across the forecast area. Northeast winds should gradually strength through the night, with areas developing gusts around 20 mph by late tonight. Low stratus should also increase across the region late tonight. Low temperatures are forecast to range from the mid 60s across Lake Moultrie to the mid to upper 60s across the rest of the forecast area. Some areas across coastal SE GA may see lows remain in the 70s.
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.SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Broad troughing will prevail aloft through mid week while high pressure builds into the region from the north and a frontal boundary remains stalled to the south. This pattern will yield a cold air damming (CAD) set up for both Monday and Tuesday. Low clouds in the morning and gusty northeasterly winds will limit high temperatures to the upper 70s to low 80s. Due to the stalled frontal boundary to the south, precipitation chances will be limited to the coastal counties. However, the high pressure inland may be strong enough to keep any showers offshore. Wednesday the high pressure will begin to weaken inland and the stalled boundary is forecast to wash out. High temperatures will be able to reach into the mid 80s, with only a slight chance of showers/tstorms along the coastal counties.
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.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... Troughing will remain the dominant synoptic feature aloft through the end of the week and into the weekend, with high pressure dominating at the surface. Precipitation chances are limited to the coastline, with a dry forecast inland. Temperatures will remain slightly below normal, given the continued NE flow and increased cloud cover.
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.AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Prior to the 18Z TAFs, satellite RGB cloud phase product indicated towering cumulus across the terminals, with isolated showers developing. As a cold front interacts with a sea breeze, scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will develop across the coastal counties. Each TAF will feature a TEMPO for afternoon thunderstorms, with gusty winds and at least MVFR vis in rainfall. Tonight, cold air damming should support a developing deck of IFR to MVFR ceilings with gusty northeast winds. The restrictive ceilings should linger through much of Monday morning, potentially improving to VFR around noon.
Extended Aviation Outlook: Flight restrictions are possible in afternoon showers/tstorms through mid week.
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.MARINE... Tonight: Winds will remain ESE between 5 to 10 kts ahead of the front. As the front reaches the coast late this afternoon/evening, some storms may push over the nearshore waters, Special Marine Warnings are possible. Late tonight, high pressure will surge across the marine zones, turning winds from the NE and strengthening. Wind gusts around 25 kts may become common across the Atlantic waters during the pre-dawn hours.
Extended Marine: High pressure will dominate at the surface across the land zones while a stalled frontal boundary is positioned just to the south of the region. This will create a pinched pressure gradient between the high pressure and the stalled front. Small Craft Advisories will be in effect for all marine zones, including the Charleston Harbor, beginning Monday morning for 25 knot wind gusts and 6 ft seas (1 to 2 ft waves in the Charleston Harbor). Conditions across the marine zones will begin to improve on Wednesday as the high pressure begins to weaken.
Rip Currents: A combination of gusty northeast winds, astronomical factors, and increasing swell period will yield a Moderate Risk of rip currents on Monday and a High Risk on Tuesday.
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.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... Based on recent tide trends from the Charleston Harbor gage, high tide is expected to peak near 7.1 ft MLLW at 8:30 PM this evening. A Coastal Flood Advisory has been issued for Charleston and coastal Colleton Counties from 7 PM until 10 PM.
Astronomical tide levels will remain high through the middle of the week due to a full moon Sunday and lunar perigee (9/10). A surge of northeast winds along the coast Monday through midweek is expected to produce increased tidal departures. This will result in minor to moderate coastal flooding at the Charleston tide gage. Minor coastal flooding is possible at the Fort Pulaski tide gauge beginning Monday evening.
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.CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...Coastal Flood Advisory from 7 PM to 10 PM EDT this evening for SCZ049-050. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from noon Monday to 9 PM EDT Tuesday for AMZ330. Small Craft Advisory from 6 AM Monday to 2 PM EDT Wednesday for AMZ350. Small Craft Advisory from 6 AM Monday to 6 AM EDT Wednesday for AMZ352-354. Small Craft Advisory from 6 AM Monday to 8 PM EDT Wednesday for AMZ374.
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NEAR TERM...NED SHORT TERM...CPM LONG TERM...CPM AVIATION...CPM/NED MARINE...CPM/NED
NWS CHS Office Area Forecast Discussion