AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 443 AM EDT THU MAY 23 2013 .SHORT TERM (TODAY-SATURDAY)... DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN MOVING INTO THE AREA TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SWINGS NORTH OF THE AREA AND TOWARD THE EASTERN SEABOARD BY FRIDAY MORNING. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY PWAT VALUES FORECAST TO DROP TO AROUND AN INCH OR LESS BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. OVERALL...WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AND CONVECTION WILL BE LIMITED THIS AFTERNOON COMPARED WITH THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS...WITH JUST ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON WILL TOP OUT NEAR NORMAL VALUES. FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL SHIFT SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION ON FRIDAY...AND PUSH SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS NORTH OF THE STATE. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN HOLD IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY. THE WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHOULD PROVIDE ENOUGH OF AN INCREASE IN DEEP LAYER MOISTURE TO RESULT IN SOME LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLY SOUTH OF I-4 AND EAST OF I-75 ON FRIDAY...SO WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE/LOW CHANCE POPS TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. A MUCH DRIER AIRMASS ALOFT WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY...AND THIS SHOULD RESULT IN RAIN FREE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. .LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT-THURSDAY)... MODEL SOLUTIONS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWING HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AXIS REMAINING NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA...KEEPING AN EASTERLY BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW IN PLACE. MOISTURE WILL REMAIN LIMITED THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...WITH RAIN FREE CONDITIONS EXPECTED. BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY DURING THE MID WEEK TIME FRAME...SO WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FOR AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. && .AVIATION... SOME PATCHY FOG WITH LOCAL MVFR/IFR VISIBILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS MORNING WITH THE BEST CHANCES OVER INLAND AND SOUTHERN SITES. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. && .MARINE... WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN RATHER LIGHT THROUGH TODAY AND TONIGHT. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL SLIDE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE WATERS FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDING NORTH OF THE STATE OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. ELEVATED EASTERLY FLOW WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A NEED FOR EXERCISE CAUTION OR ADVISORY HEADLINES FOR MUCH OF THE MARINE AREA DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS EACH DAY THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO CONCERNS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE CRITICAL LEVELS. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY WITH A MUCH DRIER AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL DROP TO CRITICAL OR NEAR CRITICAL LEVELS EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH THE PERIOD AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE COAST. DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT...RED FLAG CONDITIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 88 72 91 71 / 0 0 0 0 FMY 91 71 91 72 / 0 10 10 10 GIF 91 71 93 68 / 20 10 10 0 SRQ 85 70 89 71 / 0 0 0 0 BKV 89 64 91 63 / 10 0 10 0 SPG 87 74 89 75 / 0 0 0 0 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && $$ CARLISLE/JELSEMA