929  
FXUS61 KPHI 191628  
AFDPHI  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ  
1228 PM EDT SUN MAY 19 2013  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO OUR SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AND  
DISSIPATE AS IT REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH MONDAY. MEANWHILE,  
HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD REMAIN TO OUR NORTHEAST AND EAST. ANOTHER  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM THE NORTH IS FORECAST TO DROP INTO OUR  
REGION LATE ON TUESDAY AND IT SHOULD LIFT BACK TO THE NORTH ON  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. A COLD FRONT FROM THE WEST IS THEN EXPECTED  
TO ARRIVE ON FRIDAY, FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE FOR SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/  
 
THE ONSHORE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON WITH A  
WEALTH OF LOW LEVEL CLOUDINESS EXPECTED. AN AREA OF SHOWERS  
PRESENTLY OVER ERN NJ WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON  
BEFORE MOVING OFF TO THE EAST. SOME SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO  
DEVELOP ACROSS THE SRN AREAS AND MOVE OVER THE AREA LATER TODAY.  
THE LATEST HRRR AND NAM RUNS HOWEVER HAVE LIMITED COVERAGE OF  
THESE SHOWERS AND HAVE REDUCED POPS TO HIGH CHANCE. IF A FEW  
BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS DEVELOP ACROSS THE DELMARVA...A FEW POP-UP  
TSTMS MAY OCCUR. THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS LOOKS LOW ENOUGH ATTM TO  
KEEP OUT OF THE FCST.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN CHECK...WITH THE ABUNDANCE OF CLOUDS.  
READINGS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S ACROSS THE NRN AREAS AND UPPER 60S  
TO LOW 70S OVER THE SRN AREAS. WINDS WILL BE EAST/SOUTHEAST AT 5  
TO 10 MPH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM MONDAY/  
 
THE AFOREMENTIONED MID LEVEL FEATURE LOOKS TO LINGER NEAR THE MID  
ATLANTIC TONIGHT, AS A RIDGE ALOFT GRADUALLY SLIDES EASTWARD. HIGH  
PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AS A RESULT IS FORECAST TO SLIDE FARTHER  
TO OUR EAST, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE LOW-LEVEL FLOW TO VEER FROM  
SOUTHEAST TO MORE SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT. THIS MAINTAINS  
THETA-E ADVECTION THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH AT LEAST SOME WAA AS  
WELL. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE MUCH IN THE WAY OF ORGANIZED  
LIFT MOVING THROUGH, THEREFORE THE SHOWERS DURING THE DAY SHOULD  
DECREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE.  
 
HOWEVER, AS THE FLOW VEERS AND MOISTURE INCREASES IN THE LOWER  
LEVELS SOME MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT THIS MOISTURE GENERALLY  
BECOMES LOCKED IN THE LOWEST LEVELS. IF ENOUGH DRYING CAN OCCUR  
ABOVE THIS, THEN SOME DRIZZLE MAY BE THE MAIN PRECIPITATION TYPE  
DURING THE COURSE OF THE NIGHT. THIS COULD BE MAINLY FOR OUR  
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ZONES, AS FARTHER SOUTH ENOUGH WARMING MAY  
RESULT IN THE CLOUD BASES RISING SOME AND A LESS CONDUCIVE SETUP  
FOR DRIZZLE. WE NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE HIGH RESOLUTION GUIDANCE  
INDICATES LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION OCCURRING DURING THE NIGHT,  
WITH PERHAPS SOME SHOWERS DEVELOPING TOWARD DAYBREAK AS SOME  
PVA/LIFT ARRIVES FROM THE SOUTHWEST WITH THE MID LEVEL FEATURE. AS  
A RESULT, WE LOWERED POPS INTO THE CHC RANGE AND CARRIED SHOWERS  
FAR SOUTH WITH LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE FARTHER NORTH. WE ALSO ADDED IN  
PATCHY FOG, FIRST STARTING IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN THEN TO OTHER  
AREAS.  
 
AS FOR LOW TEMPERATURES, WE MAINLY USED AN EVEN GFS/NAM MOS  
BLEND. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ON THE MILD SIDE GIVEN THE CLOUDS  
AND CONTINUED WAA. THERE IS A CHC THAT ESPECIALLY THE FAR SOUTHERN  
AREAS HAVE SOME INCREASE IN THE TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
THE MID LEVEL PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO FEATURE THE POLAR VORTEX WELL  
TO OUR NORTHEAST WITH A CLOSED LOW OVER THE MIDDLE MISSOURI RIVER  
VALLEY ON MONDAY. THERE SHOULD BE A RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE  
SOUTHEASTERN STATES TO THE GREAT LAKES. THE POLAR VORTEX WILL  
REMAIN THE DOMINANT FEATURE OVER EASTERN CANADA DURING THE NEW  
WEEK. MEANWHILE, THE CLOSED LOW TO OUR WEST AND ITS ASSOCIATED  
TROUGH WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD, GRADUALLY SQUEEZING THE RIDGE AND  
PUSHING IT OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC. AS THE TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE  
TOWARD THE EASTERN STATES, IT SHOULD START TO INTERACT WITH THE  
POLAR VORTEX AROUND WEDNESDAY AS THAT FEATURE'S INFLUENCE BEGINS  
TO EXPAND TO THE WEST AND SOUTH. THE RESULTING MID LEVEL TROUGH  
WILL LIKELY MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND THE  
NORTHEASTERN STATES IN THE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY TIME FRAME.  
 
THE SURFACE FLOW IS FORECAST TO VEER TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST  
FOR MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT CAUSING THE CLOUDS TO LIFT AND  
TEMPERATURES TO WARM, RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNSTABLE  
CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY AWAY FROM THE OCEAN. SURFACE BASED CAPE  
VALUES ARE ANTICIPATED TO RISE NEAR 1000 J/KG IN OUR WESTERN  
COUNTIES DURING THE AFTERNOON. A FAIR AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE  
WILL REMAIN IN OUR REGION. AS A RESULT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO  
MENTION A CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR MONDAY AND WE WILL ALSO INCLUDE  
THE POTENTIAL FOR AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS. THE GUIDANCE IS  
INDICATING A DECREASE IN PRECIPITATION FOR MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE  
LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING AND WITH THE LACK OF ANY FOCUSING  
MECHANISM.  
 
TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO RISE NEAR +15C AT 850 HPA FOR  
TUESDAY. A SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST SURFACE FLOW WILL CONTINUE AND  
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE INTO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 80S IN  
MUCH OF OUR FORECAST AREA. LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL HELP  
ENHANCE THE INSTABILITY AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING SCATTERED SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  
SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES IN THE 1500 J/KG NEIGHBORHOOD ARE  
POSSIBLE IN OUR SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES. THE MOST UNSTABLE AREAS  
WILL LIKELY HAVE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES  
WITH THERE BEING THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED DOWNPOURS.  
 
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO DROP INTO OUR REGION FROM THE  
NORTH LATE ON TUESDAY. THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY AS TO  
HOW FAR SOUTH THE BOUNDARY WILL PROGRESS. IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO  
HAVE A LEAST A LITTLE MOMENTUM INTO WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER, AS THE MID  
LEVEL RIDGE AXIS PASSES OVERHEAD ON WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT,  
THE BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LIFTING BACK TO THE NORTH.  
REGARDLESS, UNSETTLED CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE.  
 
AS THE MID LEVEL TROUGH BEGINS TO INFLUENCE OUR REGION LATE IN  
THE WEEK IT SHOULD MOVE A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN  
STATES ON FRIDAY. AS A RESULT, WE WILL CARRY A CHANCE OF SHOWERS  
AND AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FOR FRIDAY.  
 
WHILE THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION IN THE FORECAST FOR  
EACH DAY FROM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, THE WEEK SHOULD NOT BE A  
TOTAL WASHOUT. ACTUALLY, MOST OF THE TIME PRECIPITATION WILL NOT  
BE FALLING. OVERALL, TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEK SHOULD AVERAGE  
ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.  
 
AFTER THE COLD FRONT PASSES, DRY AIR IS ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN  
BUILDING INTO OUR REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH FOR FRIDAY  
NIGHT AND SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG,  
KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.  
 
TODAY...MVFR/IFR CEILINGS PREVAIL THROUGH THE DAY, AND THERE IS  
LOWER CONFIDENCE REGARDING ANY IMPROVEMENTS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT  
TERMINALS WITH IFR CEILINGS IMPROVE TO MVFR IN THE AFTERNOON, AND  
THE VISIBILITIES SHOULD BE MOSTLY DEPENDENT ON THE SHOWERS.  
SOUTHEAST WINDS GENERALLY NEAR 10 KNOTS.  
 
TONIGHT...IFR CEILINGS, WITH A CHANCE FOR IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR  
AT TIMES MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF KILG. OVERALL, SOME SHOWERS  
SHOULD BE AROUND ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENING WITH EVEN THIS PERHAPS  
TRANSITIONING TO SOME DRIZZLE, THEREFORE TIMES OF LOCAL VISIBILITY  
RESTRICTIONS SHOULD OCCUR. SOME FOG IS ANTICIPATED WHICH WILL ALSO  
LOWER THE LOCAL VISIBILITY, ALTHOUGH WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT  
ANTICIPATING FOG TO REDUCE THE VISIBILITY TO UNDER 1SM. SOUTHEAST  
WINDS 4-8 KNOTS, SHOULD TURN MORE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...MAINLY VFR. HOWEVER, MVFR AND IFR  
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY  
MORNING HOURS EACH DAY. ALSO, THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD WHICH COULD LOWER CEILINGS  
AND REDUCE THE VISIBILITY AT TIMES.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
HIGH PRESSURE REMAINING TO OUR NORTHEAST TODAY WILL MAINTAIN A  
SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW, ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULD START TO TURN MORE FROM  
THE SOUTH LATER TODAY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN WATERS. THIS SHIFT TO  
SOUTHERLY SHOULD THEN OVERSPREAD ALL THE WATERS TONIGHT. THIS FLOW  
REGIME, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO REMAIN UNDER 25 KNOTS, WILL ALLOW  
THE SEAS TO BUILD SOME MORE THOUGH. THE WAVEWATCH GUIDANCE HAS  
BEEN RUNNING 1-2 FEET TO HIGH, HOWEVER IT IS CATCHING UP AS SEAS  
REACHED 5 FEET EARLIER AT BUOY 44009. THESE HIGHER SEAS ARE  
ANTICIPATED TO SPREAD NORTHWARD TODAY, HOWEVER CONFIDENCE IS NOT  
ALL THAT HIGH THEY GET ABOVE 6 FEET. THEREFORE, THE SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR OUR OCEAN ZONES THROUGH TONIGHT.  
THE CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED TO REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA  
ON DELAWARE BAY. SOME ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN THE DEW POINTS  
TONIGHT COULD RESULT IN SOME FOG DEVELOPMENT.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTHEAST AND EAST WILL CONTINUE TO  
INFLUENCE THE COASTAL WATERS OF NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE INTO  
TUESDAY. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM THE NORTH IS FORECAST TO DROP  
INTO OUR REGION ON TUESDAY NIGHT BEFORE RETREATING BACK TO THE  
NORTH ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.  
 
WIND SPEEDS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN LESS THAN 25 KNOTS FROM MONDAY  
THROUGH THURSDAY. WAVE HEIGHTS ON OUR OCEAN WATERS COULD REMAIN  
AROUND 5 FEET ON MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT AND THE CURRENT SMALL  
CRAFT ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED TO COVER THAT PERIOD. A  
LULL IN WAVE HEIGHTS IS POSSIBLE FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH 5  
FOOT SEAS FORECAST TO RETURN TO OUR OCEAN WATERS FOR THURSDAY AS A  
LONG SOUTHERLY FETCH BECOMES ESTABLISHED ALONG THE EAST COAST.  
 
 
   
PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
PA...NONE.  
NJ...NONE.  
DE...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EDT MONDAY FOR ANZ450>455.  
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...IOVINO  
NEAR TERM...GAINES/GORSE/O'HARA  
SHORT TERM...GORSE  
LONG TERM...IOVINO  
AVIATION...GORSE/IOVINO  
MARINE...GORSE/IOVINO  
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