FXUS62 KRAH 221024 AFDRAH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Raleigh NC 625 AM EDT Sat Aug 22 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... * Drier, cooler, less humidity Sunday into Tuesday night. * Shower and storm chances return with higher humidity late next week. && .KEY MESSAGES... As of 208 AM Saturday... 1) Lingering showers and storms are possible again today, with a possible low-end severe risk over the northwest Piedmont. 2) Drier weather, along with lower relative humidities and cooler temperatures, is expected Sunday into mid-week. PM shower and storm chances return mid to late next week. && .DISCUSSION... As of 208 AM Saturday... KEY MESSAGE 1... Lingering showers and storms are possible again today, with a possible low-end severe risk over the northwest Piedmont. Central NC continues to be in that moist and unstable pattern today. An upper-level trough will remain to our west through tonight as a shortwave dives southeastward into the Lower Great Lakes. Tied to that shortwave trough will be a surface cold front slated to move through portions of central NC by early Sunday morning. A surface front persists across our southern and eastern zones, and will be a continued focus for off and on isolated, to at times scattered, showers and storms this morning and afternoon to the early evening hours. However, confidence on overall coverage is not particularly high. Across the west, the approaching shortwave this evening, ahead of the cold front, will favor some isolated/scattered storm activity across the northwest Piedmont, perhaps holding together before dissipating east of the Triangle late tonight. Several HREF members indicate this potential in the 7pm to 1am time frame, though coverage may be quite isolated with timing being near sunset and slightly drier air working in from the west. If any storms can materialize, there is adequate deep shear of 30-35 kt with 1500-2000 J/kg of CAPE. SPC has introduced a Marginal Risk of severe storms, just west of the Triad. We would not be surprised if that risk area is expanded eastward. Damaging wind gusts would be the primary threat. KEY MESSAGE 2... Drier weather, along with lower relative humidities and cooler temperatures, is expected Sunday into mid- week. PM shower and storm chances return mid to late next week. A mid/upper level trough will be positioned over the eastern United States Sunday into mid-week. This will mean cooler and drier weather for our region as surface high pressure builds from the Midwest Sunday to the mid-Atlantic states by Wednesday. Cooler and drier air will advect into the region Sunday and Sunday night with highs in the mid to upper 80s Sunday, and lows Sunday night in the 60s. Monday into Wednesday will feature mostly sunny skies with dew points dipping into the 50s both Monday and Tuesday. Some return moisture will raise the dew points back into mostly 60s by Wednesday. Daytime highs should top out in the 83-88 range each day with lows in the upper 50s to mid 60s (north-central to SE). A chance of mainly PM showers/storms will return as early as Wednesday (20-30 percent), and more likely Thursday (40-60 percent chance). Highs will return to the upper 80s to lower 90s by late week. && .AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 625 AM Saturday... Areas of low stratus has been patchy across the terminals thus far this early morning, varying from VFR to LIFR/IFR. Still expecting a period of LIFR conditions until 14z given several sites across central NC at or below 400 ft. However, confidence in low visibilities has decreased. Latest radar trends indicate some isolated showers tracking east, which may briefly impact RDU/FAY/RWI this morning. However, confidence was too low on showers actually reaching any one terminal. A better chance of showers or a storm will exist this afternoon across the east (RDU/FAY/RWI) and this evening across the west (GSO/INT). The evening storm threat at GSO/INT is tied to a cold front, which could favor sub-VFR conditions. Any storm chances should diminish area-wide by 06z. There could be some sub-VFR stratus or fog early Sun, most favored at FAY/RWI. We opted to not include this in the latest TAF due to low confidence. Outlook: VFR conditions are mainly expected Sunday through Tuesday before storm chances return by the middle of the upcoming week. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...Kren/Badgett AVIATION...Kren