604 FXUS62 KFFC 302316 AFDFFC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 616 PM EST Tue Dec 30 2025 ...New 00Z Aviation Discussion... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 601 PM EST Tue Dec 30 2025 - Dry, breezy, and chilly conditions can be expected through Wednesday. A Red Flag Warning has been issued areawide this afternoon and early evening due to expected critical fire weather conditions. - Temperatures will moderate to near to slightly above normal values by late week into the weekend. - Showers and thunderstorms will likely return Friday and Saturday. Severe weather is not expected. && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Wednesday) Issued at 301 AM EST Tue Dec 30 2025 In a marked departure from the springlike warmth we've been experiencing during much of the latter half of December, winter has made an abrupt return in the wake of yesterday's cold front. Subfreezing temperatures this morning are accentuated by ongoing breezy northwest winds of 15-20 mph with gusts over 25-30 mph, leading to wind chills in the teens to low 20s more most areas and even single digits in the mountains. Surface high pressure will drop southward into Texas today while northwest flow remains in place aloft. With a fairly tight pressure gradient still situated across the area, northwest winds will remain elevated through this evening, sustained at least 10-15 mph with gusts over 20-25 mph. These breezy conditions coupled with the very dry airmass continuing to propagate into the state will lead to dangerous fire weather concerns this afternoon and early evening, particularly given the lack of appreciable rainfall with the cold frontal passage yesterday. While forecast wind gusts are right at the threshold of Red Flag Warning criteria, the very dry airmass and breezy conditions are sufficient to warrant the issuance of a Red Flag Warning areawide this afternoon and early evening to highlight the dangerous fire weather conditions. Another cold night can be expected tonight with lows at least in the 20s areawide, though the slackening pressure gradient will lead to less frigid apparent temperatures. Persistent northwest flow aloft will continue on Wednesday while the center of the surface high will drop southward into the Gulf by Wednesday afternoon. Temperatures will begin a gradual rebound Wednesday with highs in the low to mid 50s only slightly below to near normal. Fire danger concerns can again be expected on Wednesday, though lighter winds are likely to preclude additional Red Flag conditions. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday night through Monday) Issued at 301 AM EST Tue Dec 30 2025 To kick off the long term on Thursday, New Year's Day looks to be a pleasant one, with continued moderation of our presiding dry airmass supporting sunny skies and highs in the mid-50s to lower 60s. Moving into Friday, northwesterly flow aloft trends more quasi- zonal, and a shortwave traversing mid-level flow across the ArkLaMiss will likely support our next round of rain chances -- and our first of the new year. Global model guidance has come into better agreement that a surface low pressure system will sweep across the Southeast, but uncertainty remains regarding strength and timing of the aforementioned system. Regardless, kinematics appear to be subpar at this time, so currently expecting primarily showers and perhaps embedded thunderstorms to spread from west to east beginning Friday afternoon, lingering until clearing occurs to the south and east by late Saturday/very early Sunday. Forecast rainfall totals are currently on the order of half of an inch to an inch areawide, which is beneficial, but unlikely to make wholesale improvements to our ongoing drought conditions. Moving into the latter half of the weekend and into next week, high pressure moves in at the surface in the wake of our rain chances, reinforced by northwesterly flow aloft. As a result, generally dry and tranquil conditions are expected to round out the extended -- with highs in the mid-50s to 60s (and potentially near 70 on Monday). Morning lows will remain solidly in the upper 30s to 40s. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 601 PM EST Tue Dec 30 2025 VFR conditions expected through the TAF cycle. Winds out of the NW at 10-15kts should ease to less than 10kts by 12Z. //ATL Confidence...00Z Update... High on all other elements. Vaughn && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 27 51 35 58 / 0 0 0 0 Atlanta 28 51 34 56 / 0 0 0 0 Blairsville 19 46 26 51 / 0 0 0 0 Cartersville 23 50 29 56 / 0 0 0 0 Columbus 27 53 31 60 / 0 0 0 0 Gainesville 28 49 34 55 / 0 0 0 0 Macon 27 54 32 61 / 0 0 0 0 Rome 25 53 31 59 / 0 0 0 0 Peachtree City 25 52 31 58 / 0 0 0 0 Vidalia 29 55 34 61 / 0 0 0 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 7 PM EST this evening for GAZ001>009- 011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-089>098- 102>113. && $$ SHORT TERM...RW LONG TERM....96 AVIATION...Vaughn