876  
FXUS61 KGYX 191938  
AFDGYX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME  
338 PM EDT FRI APR 19 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A FRONTAL SYSTEM CROSSES THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT AND  
TOMORROW, BRINGING RAIN ESPECIALLY LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY  
MORNING. AFTER STEADY RAIN EXITS, SCATTERED SHOWERS AND BLUSTERY  
WINDS ARE EXPECTED AS DRIER AND COOLER AIR FILTERS INTO NEW  
ENGLAND. QUIET, MILD, AND DRY WEATHER RETURNS THROUGH EARLY  
NEXT WEEK... BECOMING QUITE DRY AND GUSTY ON MONDAY. LOW  
PRESSURE APPROACHES THE REGION TOWARD MID-WEEK, LIKELY BRINGING  
THE NEXT CHANCE FOR WIDESPREAD RAIN.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/
 
 
TONIGHT WILL BE FAIRLY MILD AND HUMID AS SOUTHERLY FLOW  
CONTINUES AHEAD OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM TRACKING INTO NEW ENGLAND,  
WITH LOWS IN THE 40S. LIGHT RAIN WILL COME IN ROUNDS, FIRST  
WITH A WARM FRONT LATER THIS EVENING... AND AGAIN WITH AN  
INITIAL, WEAK COLD FRONT AFTER MIDNIGHT. ALTHOUGH INITIAL  
SHOWERS THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT WILL BE FAIRLY LIGHT AND  
WIDELY SCATTERED, MORE WIDESPREAD STRATIFORM RAINS ARE EXPECTED  
TO DEVELOP IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS CLOSER TO THE COAST. THIS  
OCCURS AS THE FRONT REACHES THE COAST AND AMPLIFIES INTO A  
BAROCLINIC LEAF... AND HAS TRENDED A BIT MORE BULLISH WITH  
RAINFALL AMOUNTS, WITH A STRIPE OF AROUND 0.25-0.4" EXTENDING  
FROM SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO THE MIDCOAST.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/
 
 
SATURDAY STARTS RAINY ALONG THE COAST, ALTHOUGH STRONGER  
MIXING WILL BE WELL UNDERWAY FURTHER NORTH AND WEST AS COOLER  
AND DRIER AIR FILTERS IN BEHIND THE INITIAL COLD FRONT. THUS WE  
CAN EXPECT CLEARING, OR AT LEAST LIFTING CEILINGS, FROM WEST TO  
EAST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS... WITH CONDITIONS ALONG THE  
MIDCOAST LIKELY TO REMAIN A BIT RAW INTO THE AFTERNOON.  
 
LAPSE RATES WILL STEEPEN SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH THE DAY  
SATURDAY, LEADING TO GUSTY WEST WINDS ACROSS THE AREA.  
STATISTICAL GUIDANCE FAVORS WIND GUSTS MAINLY IN THE 20-25 KT  
RANGE, HOWEVER A LOOK AT BUFKIT PROFILES SUGGEST THAT WITH  
ADEQUATE MOMENTUM TRANSFER STRONGER GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 KTS  
(35 MPH) WILL BE POSSIBLE. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF MID-LEVEL  
MOISTURE AVAILABLE COMBINED WITH CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT, A  
SECONDARY COLD FRONT, AND THOSE STEEP LAPSE RATES TO PRODUCE  
SCATTERED SHOWERS ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON WHICH WILL BE THE  
BEST BET FOR MIXING THOSE STRONGER GUSTS TO THE SURFACE. WITH  
FREEZING LEVELS FALLING TO BELOW 4 KFT, WOULD EXPECT SOME  
GRAUPEL IN THE STRONGER CELLS THAT FORM AS WELL. OTHERWISE, THE  
STRONG MIXING AND CLEARING WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REBOUND  
WELL INTO THE 50S OR LOW-60S IN SPITE OF THE COOLER AIRMASS  
ADVECTING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST.  
 
PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH FAIRLY QUICKLY  
SATURDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS FLOW ALOFT TURNS MORE ZONAL  
AND SURFACE HEATING IS LOST. WINDS WILL LIKELY REMAIN A TOUCH  
BREEZY, NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR ANY SORT OF IMPACT BUT LIKELY  
STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP TEMPERATURES FROM COOLING PAST THE 30S  
OVERNIGHT UNDER CLEARING SKIES.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
OVERVIEW...  
 
A BROAD TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE NORTHEAST BRINGS SEASONABLY  
COOL AND DRY CONDITIONS INTO MIDWEEK ON NORTHWESTERLY FLOW.  
CONDITIONS LIKELY BECOME UNSETTLED AGAIN BY WEDNESDAY INTO  
THURSDAY AS A SLOW MOVING FRONT PROGRESSES THROUGH NEW ENGLAND.  
 
DETAILS...  
 
A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE PASSES TO THE NORTH LATE SUNDAY AND  
MONDAY, BRINGING THE CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS TO NORTHERN AREAS  
AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. SOUTH OF THE  
MOUNTAINS, CONDITIONS LOOK TO REMAIN DRY. A WEAK AND DRY FRONT  
PASSES THROUGH THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT, BRINGING DRY CONDITIONS  
AND BREEZY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS, ALONG WITH COOL TEMPERATURES.  
SOUTH OF THE MOUNTAINS, FIRE WEATHER IS LIKELY TO BE A CONCERN,  
WHILE TEMPS IN THE 30S AND 40S THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AND  
FOOTHILLS LESSENS THESE CONCERNS.  
 
TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY BEGIN TO REBOUND BY TUESDAY AS  
SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL CREST THE REGION EARLY IN THE DAY TUESDAY AND  
STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES OUT SOUTH OF THE CANADIAN MARITIMES.  
 
A SLOW MOVING FRONT PUSHES INTO NEW ENGLAND ON WEDNESDAY AND  
INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WITH AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LIKELY TO  
DEVELOP. HOW ORGANIZED AND SIGNIFICANT THIS SYSTEM BECOMES  
REMAINS THE SUBJECT OF SOME UNCERTAINTY, BUT REGARDLESS SHOWERS  
AT LEAST LOOK LIKELY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. WITH HIGH  
PRESSURE CENTERED TO THE NORTH ACROSS QUEBEC, SOME PRECIP IS  
LIKELY TO SWITCH TO SNOW BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT, PARTICULARLY ACROSS  
NORTHWESTERN LOCATIONS AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN.  
 
THE THURSDAY-FRIDAY TIME REMAINS UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT AS THE  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE SLOW TO DEPART TO THE EAST, BUT  
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL PUSH IN FROM THE WEST. THERE IS LIKELY  
TO BE A SHARP GRADIENT FROM CLEAR SKIES AND WARMER TEMPS TO THE  
WEST, WITH COOL AND DAMP CONDITIONS TO THE EAST. WHETHER THIS  
OCCURS AT NIGHT OR DURING THE DAYTIME ON THURSDAY REMAINS  
UNCERTAIN, BUT WILL RESULT IN TWO VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES  
DEPENDING ON THE PLACEMENT OF THESE FEATURES. WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT  
AT LEAST A FEW MORE DAYS BEFORE THE DETAILS BECOME MORE CLEAR  
ON THIS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
SHORT TERM...PREDOMINANTLY VFR TODAY WITH S/SE FLOW GENERALLY  
AOB 20 KTS. MVFR CIGS BECOME MORE LIKELY BY AROUND MIDNIGHT IN  
THE WEST AND EXPAND IN COVERAGE OVERNIGHT WITH A PERIOD OF IFR  
LIKELY SOUTH OF THE MOUNTAINS AND ESPECIALLY TOWARD THE COAST.  
FLIGHT CONDITIONS TREND TO VFR FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER DAYBREAK,  
WITH CIGS ALONG THE MIDCOAST POTENTIALLY HANGING ON TO IFR/MVFR  
RESTRICTIONS UNTIL THE AFTERNOON. WINDS TURN SW/W AND BECOME  
GUSTY AS CIGS LIFT, WITH GUSTS GENERALLY UP TO 20-25 KTS. HIGHER  
GUSTS AND BRIEF RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN -SHRA. GUSTS  
DIMINISH WITH PREVAILING VFR, EXCEPT PERHAPS MVFR AT KHIE, SAT  
EVENING.  
 
LONG TERM...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT MOST  
TERMINALS FROM SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY, EXCEPT AT HIE WHERE A  
PERIOD OF MVFR CEILINGS IS LIKELY LATE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.  
RESTRICTIONS ARE LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY AS SHOWERS AND LOWER  
CEILINGS RETURN, WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS LIKELY. IMPROVEMENT  
IS LIKELY ON THURSDAY, BUT A RETURN TO VFR MAY TAKE UNTIL  
THURSDAY NIGHT.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SHORT TERM...SE FLOW TODAY BUILDS OUT OF THE S TONIGHT,  
REMAINING AOB 20 KTS WITH SEAS AROUND 2-4 FT. WINDS TURN MORE  
SW SAT, THEN W SAT NIGHT WITH A COLD FRONT CROSSING. PREDOMINANT  
WINDS WILL STAY BELOW SCA THRESHOLDS, HOWEVER A FEW GUSTS 25-30  
KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE.  
 
LONG TERM...A WEAK FRONT CROSSES THE WATERS SUNDAY NIGHT, WITH  
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN BEHIND THE FRONT FOR MONDAY AND  
TUESDAY. SCA CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ON  
MONDAY. THE HIGH MOVES EAST OF THE WATERS BY TUESDAY AS A COLD  
FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST, WITH SCA CONDITIONS POSSIBLE IN  
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.  
 

 
   
GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
ME...NONE.  
NH...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
NEAR TERM...CASEY  
SHORT TERM...CASEY  
LONG TERM...CLAIR  
 
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