207  
FXUS61 KALY 160242  
AFDALY  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY  
942 PM EST SUN DEC 15 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL BRING SOME LIGHT  
SNOW TONIGHT, BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO A WINTRY MIX AND  
ULTIMATELY RAIN ON MONDAY. SOME AREAS IN THE MID-HUDSON VALLEY  
AND NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT MAY SEE LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND  
A SLIPPERY MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE. MILDER CONDITIONS AND  
WIDESPREAD RAIN ARRIVE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY, BEFORE  
ADDITIONAL RAIN AND SNOW ARRIVE LATE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- LIGHT SNOW DEVELOPS TONIGHT, CHANGING TO FREEZING RAIN AROUND  
DAYBREAK ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MID HUDSON VALLEY, SOUTHEAST  
CATSKILLS AND LITCHFIELD HILLS.  
 
- A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR LITCHFIELD,  
DUTCHESS, AND EASTERN ULSTER COUNTIES FOR ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE  
AND SNOW AND SLICK TRAVEL DURING THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE.  
 
- LOCALLY SLIPPERY TRAVEL CONDITIONS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE FOR THE  
MORNING COMMUTE DUE TO LIGHT SNOWFALL.  
 
DISCUSSION:   
UPDATE...AS OF 9:40 PM EST  
CURRENT GOES 16 WV IMAGERY SHOWS  
A CLOSED UPPER LOW LOCATED NEAR THE EASTERN END OF LAKE ERIE,  
WHILE CORRESPONDING RADAR RETURNS SHOW LIGHT SNOW OVERSPREADING  
AREAS AS FAR EAST AS I-87. SO FAR, PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN VERY  
LIGHT, LIKELY DUE IN PART TO A DRY LOW TO MID-LEVEL AIRMASS SEEN  
ON THE 00Z KALY SOUNDING. WE'VE SEEN AT MOST UP TO A COUPLE  
HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIP SO FAR FOR  
AREAS WEST OF THE HUDSON VALLEY PER LATEST NYS MESONET OBS, BUT  
DID RECEIVE A REPORT OF A LIGHT COATING OF SNOW IN AMSTERDAM  
EARLIER THIS EVENING.  
 
RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS MORE EXPANSIVE PRECIP SHIELD OFF TO OUR  
WEST, WHERE CONVERGENCE IS MAXIMIZED AT THE NOSE OF THE 850 MB  
LLJ. AS THE LLJ SHIFTS EASTWARDS, SO SHOULD THE STEADIER  
PRECIP. PRECIP WILL BE MAINLY LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE.  
TEMPERATURES REMAIN NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING WITH DEW POINTS IN  
THE 10S TO MID 20S, SO WITH WET-BULB EFFECTS PRECIP SHOULD BE  
MAINLY SNOW REGION-WIDE THROUGH MOST OF TONIGHT. THE MID-LEVEL  
WARM NOSE APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST LATE TONIGHT AND/OR  
A LACK OF ICE IN THE CLOUDS COULD ALLOW FOR A TRANSITION TO  
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN/FREEZING DRIZZLE LATE TONIGHT OR TOMORROW  
MORNING BEFORE PRECIP TAPERS OFF. NEWER HI-RES GUIDANCE SUGGESTS  
THE POSSIBILITY FOR SOME SPOTTY LIGHT ICING IN PARTS OF THE  
EASTERN CATSKILLS, AND IF THIS TREND CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT  
FEW HOURS THEN AN SPS OR EXPANSION OF THE WINTER WEATHER  
ADVISORY INTO THIS AREA MAY BE NEEDED. OVERALL, THOUGH, LITTLE  
HAS CHANGED WITH OUR FORECAST THINKING, AND RELATIVELY MINOR  
ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE WITH THIS ESTF. PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS  
DISCUSSION BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS...  
   
PREVIOUS  
SLIGHTLY MILDER AIR ALOFT MAY ALLOW THE SNOW TO  
MIX WITH/CHANGE TO LIGHT FREEZING RAIN PRIOR TO DAYBREAK ACROSS  
PORTIONS OF THE SE CATSKILLS, MID HUDSON VALLEY AND NW CT, WHERE  
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.  
 
BY DAYBREAK, EXPECT GENERALLY A COATING TO 2 INCHES FOR MOST  
AREAS NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-90, WITH PERHAPS SLIGHTLY GREATER  
AMOUNTS OF 2-3 INCHES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY, AS  
WELL AS ACROSS THE SE CATSKILLS, WHERE ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3-4"  
ARE POSSIBLE.  
 
LIGHTER AMOUNTS OF LESS THAN AN INCH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE  
SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS, FARTHER REMOVED FROM BETTER DYNAMICS AND  
MOISTURE WITH INCOMING SYSTEM.  
 
WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR ANY BANDING THAT DEVELOPS AROUND NORTHERN  
PERIPHERY OF REMNANT UPPER LEVEL LOW AS IT TRACKS EAST-SOUTHEAST  
TO OUR SOUTH. THE COMBINATION OF SLIGHTLY STEEPER MID LEVEL  
LAPSE RATES, AND INFLUX OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE ATLANTIC  
COULD ALLOW SOME POCKETS OF HIGHER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR AREAS  
SOUTH OF I-90 AND ACCOUNTS FOR SOME UNCERTAINTY IN SNOWFALL  
AMOUNTS.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- LIGHT SNOW/WINTRY MIX TAPERS OFF MONDAY MORNING WITH LOCALLY  
SLIPPERY TRAVEL CONDITIONS PERSISTING.  
 
- WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN DEVELOPS MONDAY NIGHT BEFORE  
ENDING TUESDAY MORNING. POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE WHEN  
PRECIPITATION BEGINS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN  
ADIRONDACKS/UPPER HUDSON VALLEY AND SOUTHERN VT.  
 
- MILDER CONDITIONS TUESDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE TURNING COOLER WITH  
SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE SW ADIRONDACKS  
TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 
DISCUSSION: LINGERING LIGHT SNOW FOR AREAS NEAR THE I-90  
CORRIDOR, AND A MIX OF PATCHY LIGHT SNOW, FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN  
CLOSER TO I-84 TAPERS OFF BY MID MORNING. HOWEVER, WITH  
ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINING IN PLACE, CAN NOT RULE OUT  
SOME FLURRIES OR PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE/PLAIN DRIZZLE INTO THE  
AFTERNOON HOURS, ESPECIALLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN  
ADIRONDACKS AND SOUTHERN VT. COVERAGE SHOULD REMAIN PATCHY, SO  
NO ADVISORIES INDICATED, BUT SOMETHING TO WATCH AND CAN BE  
ADDRESSED WITH SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS AS NEEDED. HAVE SIDED  
CLOSER TO NBM 10TH PERCENTILE/NAMNEST/HRRR 2-METER TEMPS FOR  
HIGH TEMPS, AS IT MAY BE TOUGH TO DISLODGE THE COLDER AIR FOR  
AREAS NORTH OF I-90. EXPECTING LATE DAY HIGHS MAINLY IN THE  
LOWER/MID 30S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS, SOUTHERN VT/UPPER  
HUDSON VALLEY, AND MID 30S TO LOWER 40S ELSEWHERE.  
 
NEXT SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT, WITH STRONGER  
FORCING THAN PREVIOUS SYSTEM. LINGERING LOW LEVEL COLD AIR COULD  
LEAD TO POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN MONDAY EVENING ACROSS PORTIONS  
OF THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS, UPPER HUDSON VALLEY AND SOUTHERN VT  
BEFORE CHANGING TO PLAIN RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT, WITH LIGHT TO  
MODERATE RAIN EXPECTED ELSEWHERE TAPERING OFF AROUND DAYBREAK  
TUESDAY. LOCALLY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WHERE  
THE FREEZING RAIN OCCURS. WILL HAVE TO WATCH IN CASE COVERAGE OF  
FREEZING RAIN IS GREATER THAN CURRENTLY INDICATED, WHICH MAY  
NECESSITATE ISSUANCES OF ADDITIONAL WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES  
FOR SOME NORTHERN AREAS.  
 
IMPROVING CONDITIONS TUESDAY WITH SOME BREAKS OF SUN DEVELOPING  
FOR AREAS NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-90, WHILE REMAINING MOSTLY CLOUDY  
TO THE NORTH WITH SOME SPOTTY RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOPING LATE  
ACROSS THE SW ADIRONDACKS. IT WILL BECOME BREEZY, WITH WEST  
WINDS POSSIBLY GUSTING TO 25-35 MPH TUESDAY AFTERNOON,  
ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE MOHAWK VALLEY, CAPITAL REGION AND  
BERKSHIRES. MAX TEMPS SHOULD REACH THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S,  
THEN DROP INTO THE MID 20S TO LOWER 30S TUESDAY NIGHT. SOME LAKE  
EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS MAY EXTEND INTO THE SW ADIRONDACKS TUESDAY  
NIGHT, WITH SOME ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE MAINLY NORTH OF ROUTE  
28.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
SEVERAL CHANCES FOR PRECIP DURING THE LONG TERM PERIOD, WITH  
TEMPERATURES TRENDING COLDER FOR THE END OF THE WEEK/NEXT WEEKEND...  
 
LONG TERM PERIOD BEGINS AT 12Z WEDNESDAY WITH AN UPPER TROUGH  
DIGGING DOWN OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST, AS A SEPARATE UPPER SHORTWAVE  
AND ASSOCIATED SFC COLD FRONT TRACKS NEAR/THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY.  
AS THE TWO UPPER SHORTWAVES BEGIN TO PHASE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT  
TO THE WEST OF OUR REGION, A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG  
THE COLD FRONT, LIKELY TRACKING SOMEWHERE NEAR THE I-95 CORRIDOR  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND MOVING INTO THE GULF OF MAINE BY 12Z THURSDAY.  
THIS WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION  
ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THERE IS  
STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY IN HOW THE TWO UPER SHORTWAVES WILL  
INTERACT AND WITH THE TRACK OF THE RESULTING SFC LOW, BUT AT THIS  
TIME THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS FOR MORE RAIN FOR VALLEY AREAS  
SOUTH OF I-90, WITH SNOW MORE LIKELY FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS  
NORTH OF I-90. AT THIS TIME NBM PROBABILITIES FOR ADVISORY-LEVEL  
(>4") OF SNOW ARE MAINLY CONFINED TO THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS AND  
SOUTHERN GREENS. HOWEVER, WITH MARGINAL THERMAL PROFILES, SMALL  
CHANGES IN THE EXPECTED TRACK OF THE SFC LOW COULD RESULT IN CHANGES  
TO PRECIP TYPES. IF THE SURFACE LOW TRACKS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST  
THEN WE COULD SEE A LITTLE MORE SNOW IN THE VALLEYS, SO WILL  
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS TIME PERIOD CLOSELY.  
 
ASIDE FROM LINGERING LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS FOR THE WESTERN  
ADIRONDACKS AND POSSIBLY WESTERN MOHAWK VALLEY, PRECIP MAINLY COMES  
TO AN END BY 12Z THURSDAY WITH MUCH COOLER AIR ADVECTING INTO THE  
REGION WITH W/NW FLOW. WITH RISING HEIGHTS ALOFT AND A NARROW RIDGE  
OF HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD, DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY  
NIGHT. HIGHS THURSDAY WILL BE MAINLY IN THE 20S(TERRAIN) TO UPPER  
30S (VALLEYS) WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 10S AND 20S THURSDAY NIGHT.  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...ANOTHER UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH TRACKS  
THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY, AND THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE  
LOW MAY RESULT IN SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION (MAINLY SNOW) ACROSS OUR  
AREA. SOME GUIDANCE IS HINTING AT SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS TAKING PLACE  
OFF THE EAST COAST AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC.  
WHILE UNCERTAINTY IS HIGH THIS FAR OUT AND FORECAST CHANGES SHOULD BE  
EXPECTED, THE CURRENT CONSENSUS IS FOR ANY RESULTING LOW TO REMAIN  
EAST OF OUR AREA. HOWEVER, WITH THE UPPER TROUGH AMPLIFYING OVER THE  
EASTERN US, A MUCH COLDER AIRMASS SHOULD BE ADVECTED INTO OUR  
REGION. HIGHS SATURDAY AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY MAY REMAIN IN THE 20S  
EVEN FOR VALLEY AREAS. OVERNIGHT LOWS COULD DROP INTO THE SINGLE  
DIGITS FOR SOME VALLEY AREAS, WITH BELOW-ZERO READINGS NOT OUT OF  
THE QUESTION OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /03Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY...CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY VFR, BUT WE  
SHOULD SEE A DETERIORATING TREND THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS  
AS SNOW OVERSPREADS THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST. ONSET TIME  
FOR SNOW LOOKS TO BE MAINLY 9PM TO MIDNIGHT, AND SHOULD BEGIN  
FIRST AT ALB/GFL/POU FOLLOWED BY PSF. ONCE SNOW BEGINS, MAINLY  
IFR VSBYS AND MVFR TRENDING TO IFR CIGS EXPECTED THROUGH THE  
REMAINDER OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD.  
 
UP TO AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW POSSIBLE THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING.  
PRECIPITATION TAPERS OFF SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE, AND MAY END AS  
A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN  
A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE. EVEN AFTER PRECIP ENDS, EXPECTING LOW  
STRATUS AND MIST TO LINGER WELL INTO TOMORROW, WITH  
PREDOMINANTLY IFR CIGS AND MVFR TO IFR VSBYS THROUGH TOMORROW  
MORNING. CIGS AND VSBYS SHOULD IMPROVE TO LOW-END MVFR FOR MOST  
OF TOMORROW AFTERNOON, ALTHOUGH PSF MAY SEE IFR CIGS CONTINUE  
THROUGH THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING.  
 
WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE AT 5 KT OR LESS TONIGHT, AND WITH WEAK  
SFC WINDS A PERIOD OF LLWS IS EXPECTED AT ALB AND GFL AS WINDS  
AT 2000 FT INCREASE TO AROUND 30-35 KT FROM THE SOUTH. LLWS  
CONCERNS DIMINISH AFTER SUNRISE TOMORROW, BUT ARISE ONCE AGAIN  
AT ALL TERMINALS DURING THE AFTERNOON, ESPECIALLY AFTER SUNSET,  
AS WINDS AT 2000 FT INCREASE AGAIN TO 35-40 KT FROM THE SOUTH.  
SFC WINDS TOMORROW WILL INCREASE TO 5-8 KT FROM THE SOUTHEAST  
DURING THE AFTERNOON.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
MONDAY NIGHT: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. BREEZY. DEFINITE RA.  
TUESDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. BREEZY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHRA.  
TUESDAY NIGHT: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX.  
WEDNESDAY: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHRA...SHSN.  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. LIKELY SHRA...SHSN.  
THURSDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. BREEZY. NO SIG WX.  
THURSDAY NIGHT: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX.  
FRIDAY: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHSN.  
 
 
   
ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 11 AM EST MONDAY FOR  
CTZ001-013.  
NY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 11 AM EST MONDAY FOR  
NYZ064>066.  
MA...NONE.  
VT...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...KL/PICARD  
NEAR TERM...KL/MAIN  
SHORT TERM...KL  
LONG TERM...MAIN  
AVIATION...MAIN  
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