North Charleston, South Carolina 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

055
FXUS62 KCHS 312307
AFDCHS

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston SC
607 PM EST Wed Dec 31 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
High pressure will prevail through Friday. A low pressure
system will move through on Saturday, followed by more high
pressure next week.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Visible satellite shows a few patches of cirrus drifting across the
southern Appalachians this afternoon. HREF simulated satellite
indicates that some thin cirrus may reach the SC Lowcountry this
evening, then clear conditions the rest of the night. At the sfc,
the forecast area will remain between high pressure over FL as a
trough remains centered along the Carolina escarpment. This pattern
should yield steady west winds around 5 mph overnight. Given cool
llvl thicknesses, light winds, and clear sky should result in below
normal temperatures tonight. Using a blend of guidance, low
temperatures are forecast to range around freeze along and west of I-
95 to the mid to upper 30s to the east.

Lake Winds: Soundings support frequent gusts around 25 kt with
sustained winds closer to 15-20 kt. A Lake Wind Advisory has been
posted 10 PM to 10 AM Thursday per coordination with WFO Columbia.
Waves are expected to peak around 2 ft with the highest winds and
the most significant wave action occurring over the central and
eastern parts of the lake.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Thursday: Northwesterly flow will prevail in the mid-levels. At the
surface, High pressure will prevail. While dry conditions should
prevail, there could be a brief surge of westerly winds in the
morning, that should ease into the afternoon. High temperatures will
be near normal, generally around 60 degrees. At night, radiational
cooling will cause temperatures to drop back into the mid 30s inland
and up to the lower/mid 40s along the coast.

Friday: Zonal flow will prevail in the mid-levels while High
pressure prevails to our southeast. There will be a warm front
located to our north with a system approaching from the distant
west. This will cause clouds to increase during the day. Highs will
still be in the lower to mid 60s. Overnight, POPs trend higher,
especially further inland. But the QPF will be highly dependent on
the arrival timing, especially far inland. Regardless, lows will be
mild, in the mid 40s to lower 50s.

Saturday: Weak shortwaves will move over our area. Meanwhile, a low
pressure system will also move over our area. Moisture will increase
ahead of this system. Likewise, we`re expecting widespread light to
moderate rain showers. The exact QPF is still somewhat uncertain a
few days out. But it doesn`t appear to be enough to cause major
flooding concerns and it probably won`t be enough to put a large
dent in the ongoing drought. Despite the rain, temperatures will be
in the lower to upper 60s.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Mid-level northwesterly flow moves overhead while the storm system
moves out. High pressure should then prevail through the middle of
next week. High temperatures will start off a tick below normal
Sunday and Monday, then creep back above normal Tuesday and
Wednesday.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
00Z TAFs: VFR. West winds may develop gusts above 15 kts early
Thursday morning.

Extended Aviation Outlook: A low pressure system will bring
increased probabilities of flight restrictions on Saturday.

&&

.MARINE...
Tonight, the marine zones will remain between high pressure ridged
across FL and a sfc trough centered over the escarpment of the
Carolinas. This pattern should yield a 4-5 mb pressure gradient
across the Atlantic waters. West winds are forecast to strengthen
this evening, with gusts between 25 to 30 kts. The GA nearshore
waters may approach 25 kts during the pre-dawn hours, but should
generally remain in the low 20s overnight. In addition, wave heights
should gradually build overnight, reaching 3-5 ft by late tonight.
Small Craft Advisories have been issued for the CHS Harbor,
nearshore SC and outer GA waters from 11 PM until 10 AM
Thursday.

Thursday and Friday: Winds and seas will be trending lower early
Thursday morning, so any remaining Small Craft Advisories are
expected to expire. High pressure will then prevail, bringing modest
winds and seas later Thursday into Friday.

Saturday and Sunday: A low pressure system will impact the coastal
waters on Saturday, then move away on Sunday. At this time, the
highest probabilities for Small Craft Criteria being met are for the
GA waters beyond 20 nm. But based on the pattern, we wouldn`t be
surprised if Advisories are needed for all of the waters. This will
be highly dependent on the strength and track of the system.

&&

.CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
SC...Lake Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM EST
     Thursday for SCZ045.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 10 AM EST
     Thursday for AMZ330-350-352-374.

&&

$$

NEAR TERM...NED
SHORT TERM...
LONG TERM...
AVIATION...CPM/NED
MARINE...NED