Chester, SC Weather

What Has Changed

The Aviation Discussion has been updated for the 00Z TAFs.

Key Messages

1. Dry with near to below normal highs through weekend before above normal highs return next week. Breezy northeast winds will develop east of the mountains over the weekend.

Discussion

Key message 1: Dry with near to below normal highs through weekend before above normal highs return next week. Breezy northeast winds will develop east of the mountains over the weekend.

The benign weather pattern continues through much of next week as dry high pressure remains in control. A dry and mostly clear cold air damming wedge builds over the region this weekend, allowing for the return of near to just below normal high temperatures and breezy NE winds. Wind gusts are mainly expected east of the mountains ranging from 15-25 mph (well below Wind Advisory criteria). Gusts should gradually taper off late Sunday evening into Sunday night. Great radiational cooling conditions will be in place over the weekend allowing frost to develop across the North Carolina mountains and the northern foothills (where winds will be lighter). Do not have a mention of frost in the northern and central North Carolina mountains (with the exception of Henderson County) as the growing season has already ended for these locations. An upper ridge building over the region early next week will allow warmer and above normal highs to return.

Aviation

At KCLT and elsewhere: A seasonably dry air mass, reinforced by a strengthening inverted surface ridge/NE flow will remain over the Terminal Forecast Area through this forecast period. Some fog/low stratus is likely to develop in the mountain valleys Saturday morning, but coverage should again be limited...similar to Friday morning. Of slightly greater concern will be the potential for some stratus to develop across the area around sunrise...especially in locations closer to the Blue Ridge. This could yield a brief period of cigs restrictions...mostly likely MVFR. However, this is far from certain, and the stratus mention is limited to FEW/SCT layers for the time being. Otherwise, mostly light NE winds overnight...increasing to 9-13 kts at most Piedmont sites by late Sat morning.

Outlook: Breezy NE winds linger east of the mountains through Sunday. Dry and VFR through the middle of next week outside of the potential for mountain valley fog and low stratus each morning.