FXUS61 KRLX 160954 AFDRLX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston WV 554 AM EDT Thu Apr 16 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... Timing on the system impacting the area this afternoon and tonight is faster, and the Storm Prediction Center has shifted the Marginal Risk for Severe Thunderstorm this afternoon and evening eastward, directly over the forecast area. Timing of the weekend cold front is also faster, and the Storm Prediction Center has a Slight Risk for Severe Thunderstorms over the middle Ohio Valley with a Marginal Risk extending east from there for Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening. && .KEY MESSAGES... - 1) Unseasonably to near-record high temperatures will persist through Saturday. - 2) Increased fire danger is expected through the rest of the work week. Dry dead fuels and low relative humidity will be joined by wind gusts of 15-25 mph today. - 3) A few strong to Marginally Severe Thunderstorms are possible this afternoon into this evening. - 4) A sharp cold front crossing late Saturday into Saturday night will end the warm spell, bringing a period of beneficial rain Saturday afternoon and night including strong to possibly Marginally Severe Storms Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening, and then colder weather for Sunday and Monday. - 5) Much cooler and mainly dry weather follows the cold front for the early portion of next week. There is the potential for frost on Monday and Tuesday mornings, along with minimum afternoon relative humidity percentages in the 20s. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1... A mid/upper-level ridge gives way to a mid/upper-level trough today, and then rebuilds behind the system on Friday. This will maintain the well-above normal temperatures, although the faster timing of the systems may make record highs harder to breach today and Saturday. In addition, the ridge does not build back as strong as it is early this morning, so highs Friday remain a bit stunted as well. KEY MESSAGE 2... Minimum afternoon relative humidity percentages will be in the 30s through the balance of the week, although this will be limited to areas east of the Ohio River by incoming systems from the west today and Saturday. Minimum afternoon relative humidity percentages will then be in the 20s next Sunday through Tuesday. With wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph most days (less Friday), and only a couple of opportunities for a conditional wetting rain, afternoon and evening fire danger is likely to be enhanced. This may be mitigated by rapidly increased canopy coverage across the lowlands. Fuels are exceptionally dry. This, coupled with wind gusts in the 15 to 25 mph range, elevates fire danger today. Lighter winds, and an intervening conditional wetting rain this afternoon and tonight, may mitigate fire danger concerns a bit on Friday. Saturday may then turn out similar to today, with intervening drying and gusty winds, but with another system incoming from the west. KEY MESSAGE 3... Timing continues to trend faster on a mid/upper-level short wave trough approaching from the west early this morning and now forecast to cross the area this afternoon and tonight. This is fast enough to increase shear during peak afternoon heating, and the Storm Prediction Center has shifted the Marginal Risk for Severe Thunderstorms this afternoon and evening eastward, so that it is now directly over the forecast area. The primary severe weather threats are damaging wind gusts due to adequate shear amid large surface temperature-dew point spreads, and hail from discrete cells given adequate CAPE through the hail growth layer. The showers and thunderstorms will also be somewhat beneficial in terms of a conditional wetting rain, but not put much of a dent in our drought conditions given at best modest area- averaged QPF amid the dry sub-cloud layer. Friday into early Saturday look mainly dry between systems, the next one in the next key message. KEY MESSAGE 4... A significant pattern shift remains on track for this weekend as a deep trough moves into the eastern U.S. Timing continues to trend faster on this system as well, with showers are likely and thunderstorms possible as this trough drives a strong surface cold front eastward across the area late Saturday into Saturday night. This system is again likely to get close enough to enhance diurnal convection via increased shear. The instability forecast will again need watched given the strong shear associated with the system, and timing nearly coincident with diurnal heating. While instability is not expected to be anywhere near the magnitude forecast ahead of the front upstream Friday afternoon and evening, the evolution of the system results in a better intersection of the strong shear with the instability axis. The Storm Prediction Center has a Slight Risk for Severe Thunderstorms over the middle Ohio Valley coincident with the intersection of strong shear and instability Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening, with a Marginal Risk extending eastward from there to encompass the majority of the remaining lowlands over West Virginia, as the wind and hail threats wane with eastward extent through the evening. This system will again provide minimal drought relief although the evening showers and storms may evolve into a somewhat beneficial additional nighttime wetting rain. Another dry period is to follow, next key message. KEY MESSAGE 5... A period of dry, cooler weather will start the new week, as cool Canadian high pressure builds behind a large mid/upper- level long wave but transient trough moves offshore. Strong cold advection in the wake of the front drops h85 temperatures significantly, to -5C give or take Sunday night, compared with the +15C or so h85 temperatures of the current unseasonably warm spell. Highs will retreat to the 50s to low 60s F for Sunday and Monday, with areas subject to cold air drainage away from major rivers seeing frost potential Monday and Tuesday mornings, the high building into the middle Ohio Valley Sunday night, and still hanging on in the mountains Monday night. Temperatures moderate promptly for highs Tuesday and lows Tuesday night, as the exiting high allows return south to southwest flow beneath rising heights behind the exiting trough, although another may drop in midweek. The dry weather continues, to include the lack of significant rain and low afternoon relative humidity, though the surface front associated with the new short wave brings a low-end chance for showers midweek. && .AVIATION /09Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... VFR conditions are expected to continue into early this afternoon, then brief MVFR/IFR restrictions will be possible within any showers or thunderstorms that develop during the afternoon or evening. Late-day thunderstorms today can produce strong to even marginally severe wind gusts, and hail. In the wake of the system overnight tonight, there may be MVFR mist, and MVFR stratocumulus is likely in and near the mountains. Light south to southwest winds early this morning strengthen again later this morning, with 15 to 25 kt gusts today, before becoming light southwest to variable tonight. Late-day thunderstorms could produce strong to even marginally severe wind gusts. Light to moderate southwest flow aloft today will become moderate west to northwest tonight. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium to high. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Wind gusts today will fluctuate, possibly including stronger gusts than forecast, especially in the case of a direct thunderstorm impact, which could also be accompanied by brief IFR or worse conditions. There may be minimal low level wind shear overnight tonight. MVFR or worse mist or low cloud formation overnight tonight may vary. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. DATE THU 04/16/26 UTC 1HRLY 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 EDT 1HRLY 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 06Z FRIDAY... Brief periods of MVFR to IFR restrictions are possible within showers and thunderstorms late Saturday into Saturday night. && Forecast / Record High Temperatures -------------------------------------- Thu, 4/16 | Fri, 4/17 | -------------------------------------- CRW | 86 / 89 (2002) | 82 / 89 (1976) | HTS | 84 / 89 (2024) | 85 / 87 (1976) | CKB | 83 / 86 (2002) | 78 / 88 (1969) | PKB | 83 / 88 (2002) | 81 / 89 (1976) | BKW | 81 / 84 (2002) | 76 / 84 (1976) | EKN | 82 / 85 (2012) | 77 / 87 (1976) | -------------------------------------- && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...TRM AVIATION...TRM CLIMATE...TRM