625  
FXUS61 KPHI 240655  
AFDPHI  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ  
255 AM EDT WED APR 24 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS OUR REGION DURING TODAY, THEN HIGH PRESSURE  
ARRIVES FROM THE GREAT LAKES LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY BEFORE  
SHIFTING TO OUR NORTHEAST AND EAST DURING FRIDAY. A WARM FRONT  
SHOULD LIFT NORTH OF OUR AREA LATER SATURDAY, THEN A COLD FRONT  
GRADUALLY APPROACHES LATER MONDAY BEFORE MOVING ACROSS OUR AREA  
LATER TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
LATEST ANALYSIS DEPICTS THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT AS EXTENDING  
FROM SOUTH OF CHICAGO NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN MICHIGAN AND  
INTO SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND SOUTHERN QUEBEC. THIS FRONT WILL MAKE  
STEADY PROGRESS SOUTHEASTWARD TODAY, REACHING OUR REGION THIS  
EVENING AND CLEARING THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. AHEAD OF  
THE FRONT, MODEST WARM ADVECTION WILL RESULT IN PLENTY OF CLOUDS  
EARLY THIS MORNING, PERHAPS WITH A FEW SPRINKLES OR VERY  
ISOLATED SHOWERS, BUT LOW LEVELS REMAIN QUITE DRY AND THE SYSTEM  
IS OVERALL MOISTURE-STARVED, SO NOT EXPECTING MUCH. AFTER THE  
INITIAL CLOUDS BREAK, WE SHOULD WARM UP TO WITHIN A FEW DEGREES  
OF 70 ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THERE WILL  
BE JUST ENOUGH INSTABILITY AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH AND SURFACE  
FRONT TO PROMOTE SOME MAINLY ISOLATED SHOWERS TO DEVELOP DURING  
THE AFTERNOON. THERE COULD BE JUST ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A VERY  
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM, MAINLY LEHIGH VALLEY AND POCONOS/NW NJ.  
FOR SURE, SHOWER COVERAGE WILL BE A BIT HIGHER IN THE POCONOS  
COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE REGION, BUT STILL SCATTERED AT BEST.  
DESPITE THE FRONT NOT ARRIVING UNTIL EVENING, WINDS FOR MUCH OF  
THE DAY WILL ALREADY SHIFT TO WEST TO NORTHWEST AS EARLY AS  
MIDDAY, WITH GUSTS INCREASING UP TO 20-25 MPH. OVERALL, NOT A  
BAD DAY, BUT NOT AS NICE AS YESTERDAY ASIDE FROM YESTERDAY'S  
CHILLY MORNING.  
 
TONIGHT, CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTHWARD AND REINFORCING  
COOL, DRY AIR MASS PUSHES SOUTHWARD. THINK WINDS STAYING UP AND  
THE DRY AIR LIMIT FROST POTENTIAL, BUT TEMPS MAY STILL REACH  
FREEZING IN PARTS OF NORTHERN NJ WHERE GROWING SEASON IS ACTIVE,  
SO HAVE MAINTAINED FREEZE WATCH THERE FOR THE TIME BEING. LOWS  
OVERALL WILL BE CHILLY, WITH 40S WARMEST SPOTS, MOST AREAS 30S,  
AND COLDEST LOCALES 20S.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IS FORECAST TO BE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND MID-  
ATLANTIC REGIONS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, THEN IT SHIFTS TO OUR EAST  
TO START FRIDAY. STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE  
GREAT LAKES THURSDAY BUILDS EASTWARD THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, THEN  
SHIFTS OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST DURING FRIDAY.  
 
A NOTABLY COLDER AND DRY AIR MASS WILL BE IN PLACE THURSDAY DESPITE  
A MAINLY SUNNY SKY FOR MOST WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES MOSTLY IN THE  
50S. AN ONSHORE WIND WILL KEEP IT EVEN COOLER ALONG THE COASTAL  
AREAS. AS THE CENTER OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES TO OUR NORTH  
BUT EXTENDS OVER OUR AREA THURSDAY NIGHT, A COLD NIGHT IS FORECAST  
WITH LITTLE TO NO WIND AND A DRY AIR MASS. MUCH OF THE AREA WILL  
DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR SOME LOCATIONS  
GETTING A LITTLE COLDER. AREAS OF FROST ARE PROBABLE, AND FROST  
AND/OR FREEZE HEADLINES ARE QUITE POSSIBLE.  
 
AFTER A COLD START FRIDAY MORNING, THE SURFACE FLOW SHOULD START TO  
BECOME MORE SOUTHEAST TO EVEN SOUTH-SOUTHEAST. THIS WILL STILL KEEP  
SOME MARINE INFLUENCE ACROSS THE AREA, HOWEVER THE AIR MASS IS  
FORECAST TO START MODIFYING AND THEREFORE HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE  
A BIT HIGHER COMPARED TO THURSDAY. IT WILL STILL BE COOLER THOUGH  
CLOSER TO THE COAST GIVEN THE ONSHORE FLOW. ANOTHER CHILLY NIGHT  
FRIDAY NIGHT, HOWEVER AS THE AIR MASS CONTINUES TO MODERATE THE  
TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE MILD ENOUGH TO KEEP FROST NOT A CONCERN AT  
THIS POINT.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
SUMMARY...A SIGNIFICANT WARM-UP PROBABLE OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY  
NEXT WEEK. SOME SHOWER CHANCES LATER IN THE WEEKEND AND/OR EARLY  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...A BUILDING RIDGE ARRIVES FROM THE WEST AS AN  
UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH LIFTS ACROSS THE PLAINS AND INTO THE MIDWEST  
THROUGH MONDAY. AS THE INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH GETS  
CLOSER LATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY, THE RIDGE SHIFTS TO OUR EAST. THE  
TIMING OF THIS HOWEVER IS LESS CERTAIN AS THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IN  
THE PLAINS MAY BECOME A CLOSED LOW WHICH TEND TO BE SLOWER MOVING  
(MAY BE TWO SEPARATE SYSTEMS). THIS WILL ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR  
PRECIPITATION CHANCES SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE OVERALL PATTERN  
THOUGH CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT A MUCH WARMER AIR MASS WILL  
OVERSPREAD OUR REGION SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
FOR SATURDAY...A BUILDING RIDGE STARTS TO ARRIVE FROM THE WEST AND  
THIS WILL INITIALLY KEEP A COOL AIR MASS ACROSS OUR REGION. HOWEVER,  
SOME WARM AIR ADVECTION STARTS AS MORE OF A SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW  
STARTS INITIATES. IN ADDITION, A WARM FRONT SHOULD LIFT TO OUR NORTH  
LATER SATURDAY. WHILE A FEW SHOWERS CANNOT BE RULED OUT WITH THIS  
WARM FRONT, THE PROBABILITY LOOKS TO BE ON THE LOW SIDE AT THIS  
POINT. CLOUD COVER SHOULD DOMINATE THE SKY DURING AT LEAST A PORTION  
OF SATURDAY DUE TO SOME INCREASING WARM AIR ADVECTION, SOME INCREASE  
IN MOISTURE, PLUS AHEAD OF AND WITH THE WARM FRONT. THE TIMING OF  
THIS WARM FRONT LOOKS TO BE DRIVEN BY A LEAD UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OR  
CLOSED LOW THAT LIFTS ACROSS THE MIDWEST WHICH ALSO HAS A SURFACE  
LOW WITH IT. AS WE START TO GET INTO THE WARM SECTOR, THE CLOUDS  
SHOULD CLEAR FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.  
 
FOR SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH CONTINUES TO  
LIFT UP ACROSS THE PLAINS AND MIDWEST, THE DOWNSTREAM RIDGE AXIS  
SLIDES ACROSS OUR REGION SUNDAY AND MONDAY BEFORE SHIFTING OFFSHORE  
INTO TUESDAY. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND  
INTO ADJACENT CANADA MONDAY INTO TUESDAY, AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD  
FRONT APPROACHES OUR AREA MONDAY NIGHT. THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT MAY  
NOT SLIDE ACROSS OUR AREA UNTIL LATER TUESDAY. THE DETAILS HOWEVER  
WILL DEPEND ON THE TIMING AND AMPLIFICATION OF THE TROUGH. IN  
ADDITION, HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING EAST OF HUDSON BAY CANADA MONDAY  
INTO TUESDAY MAY SEND A COLD FRONT DOWN ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND  
CLOSER TO OUR AREA. WHILE THIS FRONT MAY SETTLE INTO AT LEAST OUR  
NORTHERN AREAS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY, IT SHOULD NOT GET TO FAR  
SOUTH GIVEN THE CONTINUED SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE AFOREMENTIONED  
TROUGH FROM THE WEST. PLENTY OF WARM AIR WITH INCREASING DEW POINTS  
ARE THEREFORE CURRENTLY FORECAST ACROSS THE AREA, WITH HIGH  
TEMPERATURES FOR MUCH OF THE AREA IN THE 70S TO EVEN SOME LOW TO MID  
80S. THE SURFACE FLOW HOWEVER LOOKS MORE SOUTH OR EVEN SOUTHEAST AT  
TIMES AND THIS WILL KEEP IT SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER AT THE COASTAL  
COMMUNITIES COMPARED TO FARTHER INLAND. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SOME  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY, HOWEVER  
THE PROBABILITIES LOOK TO BE ON THE LOWER SIDE AS OF NOW.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /07Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG, KILG,  
KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS...  
 
THROUGH TODAY...MAINLY VFR. A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR CONDITIONS  
POSSIBLE (10%) WITH SOME MAINLY ISOLATED SHOWERS. 5% CHANCE OF A  
THUNDERSTORM ACROSS NORTHERN TERMINALS. WINDS BEGIN  
SOUTHWESTERLY AROUND 10 KNOTS AND SHIFT TO WEST THEN NORTHWEST  
THROUGH THE DAY. GUSTS OF 20-25 KNOTS BY THE AFTERNOON. HIGH  
CONFIDENCE ON MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS.  
 
TONIGHT...VFR. WINDS NW 5-10 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KTS EARLY.  
HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...VFR.  
 
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...A PERIOD OF NEAR MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE  
SATURDAY, OTHERWISE MAINLY VFR.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
WINDS ACROSS THE DELAWARE BAY WILL SUBSIDE AROUND DAYBREAK.  
WINDS DIMINISH ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH THE MORNING,  
BUT REMAIN GUSTY AROUND 20 KTS DURING THE AFTERNOON. SEAS WILL  
CONTINUE TO BUILD, HOWEVER, PEAKING AROUND 5-7 FEET THIS  
AFTERNOON. THESE LIKELY REMAIN NEAR 5 FEET THRU TONIGHT, HENCE  
THE SCA CONTINUES ON THE OCEAN ZONES THROUGH TONIGHT.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
THURSDAY...THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH  
MUCH OF THE MORNING MAINLY FOR THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS, AS THE  
WINDS/SEAS DIMINISH THROUGH ABOUT MIDDAY.  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...THE CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE  
BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA.  
 

 
   
PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
PA...NONE.  
NJ...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR  
NJZ001-007-008.  
DE...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR ANZ430-  
431.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ450>455.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...FITZSIMMONS/GORSE  
NEAR TERM...RCM  
SHORT TERM...GORSE  
LONG TERM...GORSE  
AVIATION...GORSE/RCM  
MARINE...GORSE/RCM  
 
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