290  
FXUS61 KALY 191438  
AFDALY  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY  
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT  
938 AM EST TUE NOV 19 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
TODAY AND TOMORROW WILL BOTH FEATURE TRANQUIL WEATHER  
WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES BEFORE A, A POTENT STORM SYSTEM  
ARRIVES WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BRINGING SOME MUCH-NEEDED RAIN TO THE  
REGION. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO SNOW IN THE HIGH TERRAIN AREAS  
THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE TAPERING TO VALLEY RAIN AND HIGH-ELEVATION  
SNOW SHOWERS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND  
WILL FEATURE MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AS WELL.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
   
UPDATE...AS OF 9:35 AM EST  
CLOUDS CONTINUE ACROSS THE  
SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS AND SOUTHERN GREENS, WHILE ELSEWHERE IS  
MOSTLY CLEAR OUTSIDE OF A CLOUD DECK SLIDING THROUGH ULSTER,  
GREEN, AND DUCHESS COUNTIES. TEMPERATURES ARE RISING THIS  
MORNING INTO THE UPPER 30S AND 40S, AND WINDS REMAIN LIGHT. ONLY  
MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WITH THIS UPDATES TO REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS.  
PREVIOUS FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK.  
   
PREVIOUS  
OUR REGION REMAINS SANDWICHED BETWEEN LOW PRESSURE  
OVER SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC CANADA AND A NARROW RIDGE OF HIGH  
PRESSURE OVER WESTERN NY DOWNSTREAM OF A BUILDING UPPER RIDGE.  
THE INCOMING SURFACE HIGH AND SUBSIDENCE ARE LEADING TO TRANQUIL  
WEATHER CONDITIONS, ALTHOUGH WINDS REMAIN ELEVATED IN SOME  
AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN NEW ENGLAND, WHERE THE PRESSURE  
GRADIENT IS STRONGER. WITH FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING MOISTURE  
TRAPPED BENEATH A LOW-LEVEL INVERSION, WE ARE SEEING STRATUS  
OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF THE ADKS AND SOUTHERN GREENS, WHICH IS  
HELPING TO KEEP TEMPERATURES HERE MORE ELEVATED. THESE CLOUDS  
ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING.  
 
TODAY, THE UPPER RIDGE REMAINS JUST TO OUR WEST, PUTTING OUR  
REGION IN AN AREA OF LARGE-SCALE SUBSIDENCE. THIS, COMBINED WITH  
A NARROW RIDGE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVERHEAD, WILL  
LEAD TO TRANQUIL CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL RUN A FEW TO  
SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL TODAY WITH A RELATIVELY WARM  
AIRMASS ALOFT. SKIES SHOULD BE PARTLY CLOUDY, ALTHOUGH A FEW  
MORE MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON  
AND EVENING.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY/  
 
TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...UPPER RIDGE AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD TONIGHT  
AND SLIDES OFF TO OUR EAST TOMORROW, AS DOES THE SURFACE HIGH.  
AS THIS HAPPENS, A POTENT UPPER LOW WILL BE TRACKING SOUTHWARDS  
INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST AND WILL QUICKLY BECOME VERTICALLY  
STACKED WITH A SURFACE LOW THAT DEVELOPS OVER MICHIGAN. THE WARM  
FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE SOUTH  
TONIGHT AND ATTEMPT TO LIFT NORTHWARDS TOMORROW, ALTHOUGH AT  
THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE THE SURFACE WARM FRONT WILL STRUGGLE TO  
GET NORTH OF I-90. DESPITE LIGHT WINDS TONIGHT, INCREASING  
CLOUDS AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES MAINLY IN  
THE 30S, WITH SOME 20S POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE ADKS,  
UPPER HUDSON VALLEY, AND SOUTHERN VT. TOMORROW, WE LEANED ABOVE  
GUIDANCE FOR THE I-84 CORRIDOR WITH HIGHS WELL INTO THE 50S AND  
LEANED BELOW GUIDANCE FOR AREAS NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT WITH  
HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 40S TO AROUND 50.  
 
MAIN FOCUS OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL BE A POTENT STORM  
SYSTEM THAT LOOKS TO IMPACT THE REGION BEGINNING WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT. THE UPPER LOW WILL SLIDE FROM THE GREAT LAKES OVER THE  
OHIO VALLEY THURSDAY, THEN TRACK ACROSS PA THURSDAY NIGHT. THE  
OCCLUDED FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE VERTICALLY STACKED LOW TO OUR  
WEST WILL TRACK THROUGH THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BRINGING  
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TO THE REGION. A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS ALONG  
THE FRONT OFF THE COAST OF NJ BENEATH THE LEFT EXIT OF THE UPPER  
JET, THEN TRACKS SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND BEFORE RETROGRADING BACK  
INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND EVENTUALLY EASTERN NY BY THURSDAY  
NIGHT AS IT GETS CAPTURED BY THE UPPER LOW AND DEEPENS BELOW 990  
MB. WIT STRONG CYCLONIC VORTICITY ADVECTION ALOFT, THE LEFT  
EXIT OF THE UPPER JET NEARBY, AND A BAND OF MID-LEVEL FGEN  
ALONG THE OCCLUDED FRONT, WIDESPREAD RAIN IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. WITH THE UPPER LOW TRACKING TO OUR SOUTH,  
THE COLDER AIR WRAPPING AROUND THE UPPER LOW MOVES IN FROM THE  
WEST/SOUTHWEST THURSDAY EVENING AND NIGHT, FACILITATING A  
TRANSITION TO SNOW FOR AREAS ABOVE 1000 FT IN ELEVATION BY 12Z  
FRIDAY. THE EXACT TIMING OF THE RAIN TO SNOW TRANSITION REMAINS  
UNCERTAIN AND WILL DEPEND ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW  
AND SURFACE LOW, BUT IT DOES APPEAR LIKELY THAT AT LEAST SOME  
SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE IN THE HIGH TERRAIN AREAS. WINTER WEATHER  
ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED IN THE COMING DAYS FOR PORTIONS  
OF THE EASTERN CATSKILLS, SOUTHERN ADKS, AND SOUTHERN GREENS.  
 
AS FAR AS IMPACTS FROM THIS SYSTEM, WE WILL SEE A WIDESPREAD  
0.75 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN, WHICH IS MUCH-NEEDED WITH ONGOING  
DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. GIVEN THE ANTECEDENT DRY  
CONDITIONS, FLOODING IS NOT A CONCERN WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE  
HEAVIEST PRECIP AMOUNTS OF LOCALLY OVER 2" WILL FALL ACROSS THE  
EASTERN CATSKILLS AND SOUTHERN GREENS DUE TO EAST/SOUTHEAST  
UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT, BUT SOME OF THIS PRECIP WILL FALL AS SNOW.  
PROBABILITIES FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN THE  
HIGH TERRAIN FOR THURSDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN THE CATSKILLS  
WHERE PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE SHOWS A BETTER THAN 75% CHANCE OF  
OVER 3" OF SNOW. SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN SUMMITS COULD SEE OVER 6"  
OF SNOW BY 12Z FRIDAY, BUT THESE HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS LOOK TO BE  
CONFINED MAINLY TO AREAS ABOVE 3000 FT IN ELEVATION AT THIS  
TIME. PWSSI GUIDANCE SHOWS A 40 TO 60% OF "MODERATE IMPACTS" IN  
THE CATSKILLS DUE TO SNOW LOAD, WITH LOWER PROBABILITIES ACROSS  
THE ADKS AND SOUTHERN GREENS. WITH SNOW TO LIQUID RATIONS MUCH  
LESS THAN 10:1, THE SNOW WILL BE WET AND HEAVY, AND ISOLATED  
POWER OUTAGES DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW ON TREE LIMBS CAN'T  
BE RULED OUT IN THESE HIGH TERRAIN AREAS. EVEN VALLEY AREAS  
COULD SEE A FEW SNOW FLAKES MIX IN TOWARDS DAYBREAK FRIDAY,  
ESPECIALLY WITH ANY DYNAMIC COOLING/HEAVIER PRECIP RATES.  
HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTING MUCH IF ANY  
ACCUMULATION IN THE VALLEYS WITH MARGINAL THERMAL PROFILES AND  
ANTECEDENT WARM GROUND CONDITIONS.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
*KEY MESSAGE 1: CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING IN THE OCCURRENCE OF A HIGH-  
ELEVATION SNOW EVENT FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY MORNING WHOSE RESULTING  
ACCUMULATIONS COULD WARRANT THE ISSUANCE OF OUR FIRST WINTER  
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON.  
 
*KEY MESSAGE 2: THE PROBABILITY OF ADVISORY-LEVEL SNOWFALL, AT  
LEAST 4", IS LOW TO MEDIUM (20-50%) FOR THE HIGH-TERRAIN REGIONS OF  
THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS IN NEW YORK AND THE SOUTHERN GREENS IN  
VERMONT. HOWEVER, FOR THE EASTERN CATSKILLS IN NEW YORK, THE  
PROBABILITY OF ADVISORY-LEVEL SNOWFALL IS MEDIUM TO HIGH (40-70%).  
 
THE LARGE-SCALE STORM SYSTEM THAT WILL HAVE BROUGHT OUR FIRST  
SUBSTANTIAL RAINFALL IN SEVERAL WEEKS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH  
THURSDAY WILL REMAIN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EASTERN NEW YORK AND  
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND FOR THE START OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD  
FRIDAY MORNING. THERE REMAINS SOME RUN-TO-RUN DISCREPANCY IN THE  
EXACT LOCATION OF THE UPPER-LEVEL, CLOSED LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE  
CYCLONE RELATIVE TO OUR FORECAST AREA, HOWEVER, GENERAL CONSENSUS  
PLACES THE CORE OF THE SYSTEM IN AND AROUND THE I-95 CORRIDOR. AND  
THOUGH, BY THIS TIME, THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN A GRADUAL  
WEAKENING TREND, IT WILL STILL BE PACKING A PUNCH WITH 500 MB  
HEIGHTS ANTICIPATED TO REACH 2 TO 2.5 STDEV BELOW NORMAL.  
 
WITH THE CORE OF THE UPPER-LOW LOOKING TO BECOME POSITIONED JUST TO  
OUR SOUTH, WE REMAIN WITHIN NORTHEASTERLY FLOW ABOUT ITS NORTHERN  
PERIPHERY SUCH THAT MOISTURE WILL CONTINUOUSLY FEED INTO THE REGION  
OFF THE ATLANTIC. PERSISTENT, BROAD, CYCLONIC FLOW, AIDED BY  
REINFORCEMENT OF VERTICAL ASCENT WITH THE PERTURBATION OF NUMEROUS  
VORTICITY LOBES ABOUT THE CORE OF THE LOW, WILL SUSTAIN WRAP-AROUND  
PRECIPITATION ON ITS NORTHWESTERN FLANK THROUGHOUT THE DAY FRIDAY.  
WHILE LARGE VALLEY AREAS WILL LIKELY SEE RAIN AS THEIR PRIMARY  
PRECIPITATION TYPE, A TRANSITION TO WET SNOW IS ANTICIPATED BY  
FRIDAY MORNING IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN REGIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST  
ADIRONDACKS, EASTERN CATSKILLS, AND SOUTHERN GREENS AS A RESULT OF  
BOTH COOL AIR ADVECTION AND ADIABATIC COOLING ON THE BACK SIDE OF  
THE LOW. OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF VERTICAL ASCENT IN THESE AREAS  
WILL INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF SNOWFALL TOTALS REACHING ADVISORY-  
LEVEL CRITERIA ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGHEST PEAKS OF THESE MOUNTAIN  
RANGES. AT THIS TIME, THE NBM-CONUS PROBABILISTIC 24-HOUR SNOWFALL  
FORECAST ALLUDES TO A LOW TO MEDIUM PROBABILITY (20-50%) OF  
GREATER THAN 4" OF SNOWFALL IN THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS AND  
SOUTHERN GREENS BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE EASTERN CATSKILLS,  
HOWEVER, LOOK TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO SNOW QUICKER THAN THE  
AFOREMENTIONED AREAS, DRIVING THE PROBABILITY FOR ADVISORY-LEVEL  
SNOW INTO THE MEDIUM TO HIGH CATEGORY (40-70%). WILL CONTINUE  
TO MONITOR CONDITIONS AS LEAD TIME DECREASES AND ISSUE HEADLINES  
ACCORDINGLY.  
 
CYCLONIC FLOW KEEPS HOLD OF THE REGION THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND,  
LEADING TO ADDITIONAL SHOWERS, PRIMARILY IN THE FORM OF LAKE EFFECT  
FOR THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS AND EASTERN CATSKILLS, THOUGH THE MOST  
WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW WILL TAPER OFF BY SATURDAY MORNING AS THE  
UPPER-LOW BEGINS TO SHIFT AWAY FROM THE REGION TO THE NORTH AND  
EAST. LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS CONTINUE ON AND OFF THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE  
WEAK RIDGING BUILDS IN ALOFT TO REINFORCE DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE  
START OF THE NEW WORK WEEK. OVERALL, TEMPERATURES LOOK TO FALL INTO  
THE "NORMAL" RANGE THROUGHOUT THE LONG TERM PERIOD WITH HIGHS  
IN THE MID/UPPER 30S TO UPPER 40S/LOW 50S WITH THE EXCEPTION  
BEING ELEVATIONS IN EXCESS OF 1500 FT WHERE LOW 30S ARE LIKELY.  
LOW TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM THE MID/UPPER 20S TO  
LOW/MID 30S.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /15Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY...VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL ACROSS ALL TERMINALS  
THIS MORNING WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF PERSISTENCE THROUGHOUT THE 12Z  
TAF PERIOD. SOME LOW STRATUS HAVE DRIFTED INTO THE KGFL AND KPSF  
TERMINALS, BUT THE ONLY CEILING IS AT KGFL AND IT IS WELL WITHIN THE  
VFR LIMITS. NO REDUCTIONS TO MVFR HEIGHTS ARE ANTICIPATED. WINDS  
THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD WILL PREVAIL OUT OF THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AT  
SUSTAINED SPEEDS UNDER 10 KT.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. DEFINITE SHRA...RA.  
THURSDAY: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. DEFINITE RA.  
THURSDAY NIGHT: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. DEFINITE RA.  
FRIDAY: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. LIKELY RA.  
FRIDAY NIGHT: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHRA.  
SATURDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. BREEZY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHRA.  
SATURDAY NIGHT: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHRA.  
SUNDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. BREEZY. NO SIG WX.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
IN COORDINATION WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES AND MA STATE PARTNERS,  
A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM 700 AM TO 600 PM EST  
TODAY FOR BERKSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND AN SPS  
FOR LITCHFIELD COUNTY. RH VALUES LOOK TO BOTTOM OUT AT 35 TO  
45% ACROSS THE MID HUDSON VALLEY, CATSKILLS, AND WESTERN CT  
TODAY. WINDS WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER THAN YESTERDAY WITH MAX GUSTS  
OF ONLY 10 TO 15 MPH, ALTHOUGH ISOLATED HIGHER GUSTS OF 15 TO 20  
MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON IN THE LITCHFIELD HILLS, AND  
SOUTHERN GREENS. TODAY SHOULD BE THE LAST DAY WITH FIRE WEATHER  
CONCERNS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, AS WINDS TOMORROW WILL BE  
EVEN LIGHTER THAN TODAY AND MINIMUM RH VALUES WILL BE IN THE 45  
TO 55% RANGE OR HIGHER. A WIDESPREAD SOAKING RAINFALL IS  
EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY, WITH CLOUDY CONDITIONS  
AND SHOWERS CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...NONE.  
NY...NONE.  
MA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR MAZ001-025.  
VT...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...MAIN  
NEAR TERM...MAIN/BTV  
SHORT TERM...MAIN  
LONG TERM...GANT  
AVIATION...GANT  
FIRE WEATHER...PICARD/SPECK  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab NY Page
The Nexlab VT Page
The Nexlab MA Page
The Nexlab CT Page
Main Text Page