Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

445
FXUS62 KRAH 090700
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
300 AM EDT Sun Aug 9 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...

* Nothing appreciable

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
As of 300 AM Sunday...

1) A typical summer-like pattern continues today, with highs in the
90s and isolated showers and thunderstorms possible.

2) Summertime heat and humidity, and diurnally-maximized storms with
strong to severe downbursts, are expected to continue for most of
the coming week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
As of 300 AM Sunday...

KEY MESSAGE 1... A typical summer-like pattern continues today, with
highs in the 90s and isolated showers and thunderstorms possible.

A Bermuda high located to our east continues to dominate the weather
pattern today, bringing warm, moist air into the region from the
south. Aloft, there will be quasi-zonal flow, with a few mid-level
disturbances expected to move over central NC through the day. This
will allow for the weather today to be similar to that of previous
days. High temperatures are expected to be in the low/mid 90s, with
maximum heat indices in the mid 90s to around 100.

Additionally, isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms will
be possible this afternoon into the evening, with the best chance
closer to the weak Piedmont trough in the western Piedmont. Limited
shear values (< 20 kts) will limit severe potential, however there
will be plenty of instability, with MUCAPE values expected to reach
around 2000-2500 J/kg this afternoon. Thus, a few strong to severe
wind gusts from water-loaded downdrafts cannot be ruled out.


KEY MESSAGE 2... Summertime heat and humidity, and diurnally-
maximized storms with strong to severe downbursts, are expected to
continue for most of the coming week.

Around a sub-tropical ridge that will retrograde from the swrn N.
Atlantic to the Gulf Coast and lwr MS Valley, cntl NC will be
influenced by a series of (mostly convectively-enhanced) mid-level
disturbances this week. Those disturbances will initially be within
and related to wly flow along a positively-tilted trough/shear axis
from the srn Plains and mid-South to the srn Middle Atlantic, then
amid wnwly flow from the upr MS Valley to the srn Middle Atlantic
mid to late week.

At the surface, an Appalachian lee trough will extend across the
Carolinas through most of the upcoming week, between high pressure
across the sub-tropical Atlantic and Gulf and a convectively-
modulated frontal zone that will waver from the central Plains to
the southern middle Atlantic. The models suggest that frontal zone
may edge into the Carolinas by the end of the week or next weekend.

The pattern described above will favor mostly terrain and lee trough-
forced convection amid the convectively-perturbed wly flow through
Mon-Tue. While similar forcing mechanisms will also be influential
mid to late week, influence from MCVs from more-vigorous upstream
convection/MCSs within the wnwly flow regime will probably maximize
convective and severe chances in cntl NC Wed-Wed night.

It will otherwise be hot for most of the week, with temperatures
well into the 90s and with heat index values in the upr 90s to near
100 over the nw Piedmont to around 105 elsewhere, through at least
Thu. The approach and possible passage of the aforementioned frontal
zone will probably yield less hot temperatures by Fri-Sat.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
As of 135 AM Sunday...

Mainly VFR conditions should prevail over the 24 hour TAF period.
Late tonight, early Sunday morning there could be the development of
IFR to LIFR ceilings from low stratus. The best location for the
development of ceilings will be in the Sandhills and southern
Coastal Plain where there is adequate moisture. Otherwise,
southwesterly winds should be light to calm overnight and into the
afternoon. Isolated showers and embedded thunderstorms will be
possible again Sunday afternoon, however confidence is not high
enough to include at any specific TAF sites at this time. The best
chance for showers and storms should be in the western Piedmont.

Outlook: Isolated storms are possible into early next week, with an
uptick in unsettled weather potential on Wednesday. Morning stratus
and fog is possible any given morning with brief sub-VFR conditions
possible.

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...Helock/MWS
AVIATION...Helock/Leins