Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

523
FXUS62 KRAH 210036
AFDRAH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
830 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...

* Updated the aviation section of the AFD.

 &&

.KEY MESSAGES...
As of 400 PM Monday...

1) A stalled frontal boundary will produce showers and thunderstorms
over central North Carolina today. Locally heavy rainfall and flash
flooding will be possible.

2) Showers and storms with locally damaging winds and heavy rainfall
are again possible on Tuesday, but this threat should be mostly
confined to our north.

3) Unsettled weather will continue on Wednesday and possibly into
late week as a cold front approaches and then slowly crosses NC.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
As of 400 PM Monday...

KEY MESSAGE 1... A stalled frontal boundary will produce showers and
thunderstorms over central North Carolina today. Locally heavy
rainfall and flash flooding will be possible.

A Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for both severe thunderstorms and
excessive rainfall/flash flooding is in effect across central NC
today. An upper-level shortwave trough and associated MCVs will
pivot across the region through tonight. At the surface, lingering
frontal boundary just south of the NC/VA border will interact with
good diurnal heating and the humid airmass with PWATs of ~2.0 inches
will continue to trigger multi-cell cluster storms across the region
this afternoon and evening. The primary hazards will be damaging
winds associated with downburst and localized flash flooding from
slow-moving or training storms. Areas across the Piedmont and
northern Coastal Plain will have the best chance for stronger slow
moving storms through at least midnight tonight. After the storms
dissipate and the front lifts to the north into VA, expect low
stratus clouds to move across the area before clearing skies early
Tuesday morning.


KEY MESSAGE 2...  Showers and storms with locally damaging winds and
heavy rainfall are again possible on Tuesday, but this threat should
be mostly confined to our north.

Broad troughing over the Eastern US will deepen on Tuesday due to a
shortwave moving across southern Ontario and Quebec. Weak mid-level
height falls will result over the Mid-Atlantic, which may reach as
far south as northern NC during the day. Meanwhile a perturbation
within the trough and associated weak surface low/trough will result
in an area of enhanced showers and storms over the OH Valley on
Tuesday morning that progresses east into the Mid-Atlantic through
the afternoon and evening.

The above features will combine with a moist and moderately unstable
air mass (PW values 100-125% of normal and MLCAPE values of 1500-
2500 J/kg) to result in a chance for isolated to scattered showers
and storms over central NC on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
However, precipitation chances will mostly be confined to our
northern counties as guidance depicts a wedge of relatively drier
air (PW values of 1.5-2") moving across our south as Tropical
Depression Two slowly drifts west near the northern Gulf Coast. Mid-
level flow will increase with the deepening trough, and 30-40 kts of
bulk shear is possible across our far north. Thus the northern
Piedmont and northern Coastal Plain are where SPC has a slight
(level 2 of 5) risk for severe weather and WPC has a marginal to
slight (levels 1-2 of 4) risk for excessive rainfall. However,
capped POPs at chance given the best forcing will be across VA and
coverage in the CAMS does not look widespread. Similar to recent
days, the main severe threat will be damaging straight-line winds.

Additional isolated scattered convection will be possible on Tuesday
night as a prefrontal surface trough sets up ahead of a strong cold
front over the OH Valley. Once again this chance is mostly across
our north, and the severe threat will be less with the loss of
daytime heating.


KEY MESSAGE 3... Unsettled weather will continue on Wednesday and
possibly into late week as a cold front approaches and then slowly
crosses NC.

As mid/upper troughing with embedded shortwave impulses remains in
place across the Eastern US on Wednesday, a strong cold front will
approach and then slowly begin to cross central NC from the NW on
Wednesday evening/night. Weak to moderate instability is again
expected to develop, though it may be somewhat mitigated by morning
cloud cover. Still, moisture along and ahead of the front looks
plentiful with PW values of 2-2.5 inches. So the prefrontal trough
may provide a focus for afternoon convection, followed by a line of
showers and storms associated with the cold front moving through
from NW to SE on Wednesday evening/night. POPs are categorical
across the entire region, and WPC has all of central NC in a slight
(level 2 of 4) risk for excessive rainfall. QPF is in the 1-2 inch
range on average, and locally higher amounts will be possible. Deep-
layer shear of 30-40 kts could result in some storms becoming strong
to severe, and our entire region is also in a slight (level 2 of 5)
risk for severe weather. Damaging winds will again be the main
threat.

Uncertainty increases for late week as models differ on whether the
cold front is able to push south enough to clear all of central NC
or whether it will get hung up over our region. Behind the front,
much drier air will bring clearing and much lower precipitation
chances. Overall it looks likely for showers and storms to continue
in our SE on Thursday, but the NW may be largely dry. By Friday and
Saturday, the GFS sags the front to our south and keeps all of
central NC mainly dry, while the ECMWF and CMC are slower with the
front and keep us wetter. Given how difficult it can be for fronts
to pass through this time of year, likely POPs in the SE still seem
warranted, but this could change as we get closer. There is better
agreement in drier conditions by Sunday and Monday as the mid/upper
troughing finally pushes to our east and the flow aloft turns
northwesterly.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 830 PM Monday...

Another busy afternoon and early evening with scattered to numerous
showers and storms across central NC. While the convective coverage
and intensity has trended downward ever so slightly over the past
hour or two, a small batch of showers and storms will move across
the Triad through 02Z with another larger batch of showers and
thunderstorms moving east across the eastern Piedmont and Triangle
area should sustain itself as it moves into the Coastal Plain
through around 04Z.

Convective coverage should wane toward and after 04Z with limited
chances of showers and storms for much of the overnight. However,
another round of late night stratus is expected with MVFR to IFR
restrictions with CIGS around 1kft between 06 and 12Z, especially in
the northern and eastern locations. There is a risk of marginal low-
level wind across the area late tonight as a low-level jet
strengthens across the area. This may result in LLWS around 1500-
2000ft with 2535 kts between 06Z and 12Z, especially across the
Triad and northern locations.

Aviation conditions will improve during the morning with
south/southwesterly winds at 5-10 kt increasing to 10kts by midday
with gusts to around 20kts during the afternoon. LIFR/IFR stratus
and LLWS should dissipate across all terminals by 14Z, returning
central NC to VFR conditions into the early to mid afternoon.
Guidance suggests a band of showers and storms across VA and WV may
dive into northern NC after 20Z affecting the Triad. Other isolated
showers and storms may develop across the Sandhills during the mid
to late afternoon hours. In general convective coverage through the
afternoon on Tuesday should be less than previous days although
storm chances will actually increase during the evening and Tuesday
night.

Outlook: Afternoon showers and storms through late week will result
periods of VFR and periods of afternoon and evening sub-VFR
conditions. There is a risk of low-level wind shear conditions again
during the early morning hours on Wednesday morning. -Blaes

&&

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

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...CA/Danco
AVIATION...Blaes