236  
FXUS61 KALY 180001  
AFDALY  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY  
701 PM EST TUE DEC 17 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS, OUTSIDE OF SOME LIGHT LAKE EFFECT  
SHOWERS IN THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS, WILL BE IN PLACE BRIEFLY  
THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW RETURN FOR  
TOMORROW AFTERNOON THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES  
GRADUALLY TRENDING COLDER. ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FOR  
THE END OF THE WEEK BEFORE A COLD SHOT OF ARCTIC AIR DROPS  
TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL THIS WEEKEND AND INTO THE BEGINNING OF  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/  
 
7:00 PM UPDATE: MINOR ADJUSTMENT TO HOURLY TEMPERATURES THROUGH  
THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS ACROSS THE CAPITAL REGION TO MATCH  
CURRENT SURFACE OBSERVATIONS WHEN THEY BECOME STEADIER FOR THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS. OTHERWISE THE CURRENT FORECAST IS DOING WELL  
AND ON TRACK THROUGH MIDNIGHT, SEE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION BELOW FOR  
MORE DETAILS.  
 
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION: MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE IN PLACE ACROSS  
EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON WITH  
VISIBLE SATELLITE INDICATING SOME CLEARING IN VALLEY AREAS IN  
THE WAKE OF THIS MORNING'S FRONT. TEMPERATURES ARE RATHER  
VARIABLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON COURTESY OF THIS  
CLEARING AND COLD AIR BEING SLOW TO ADVECT EASTWARD IN THE  
NEWLY-ESTABLISHED WEST- SOUTHWEST FLOW. ACCORDING TO THE NYS  
MESONET, THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS HAVE FALLEN TO THE MID 30S  
WITH LOW 40S TO LOW 50S DOMINATING ELSEWHERE. HOWEVER, SOME  
POCKETS OF MID 50S HAVE BEEN REACHED IN PORTIONS OF THE MID-  
HUDSON VALLEY WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS MIXING UP TO ABOUT 900 MB  
ACCORDING TO FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND SOUTH-SOUTHWESTERLY WIND HAS  
LEAD TO DOWNSLOPING.  
 
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING,  
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO VEER FURTHER TO THE WEST, ALLOWING  
MOISTURE TO BE ADVECTED OFF LAKE ONTARIO. VERY LIGHT SHOWERS  
WILL DEVELOP AND DRIFT INTO THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS WITH  
CYCLONIC FLOW DOMINATING ALOFT UNDER A TROUGH FILLING TO THE  
NORTH AND EAST AS THE SURFACE LOW THAT BROUGHT THIS MORNING'S  
FRONT THROUGH ALSO PUSHES FARTHER NORTH AND EAST. SHOWERS WILL  
BEGIN AS RAIN, BUT GRADUALLY TRANSITION TO SNOW THIS EVENING AS  
TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW FREEZING. ANY ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS  
THAN AN INCH. HOWEVER, AS WINDS BACK FROM A PREDOMINANTLY WEST  
DIRECTION TO ONE WITH MORE OF A SOUTHERLY COMPONENT, LAKE EFFECT  
SHOWERS WILL CEASE, LEADING TO REGIONWIDE DRY CONDITIONS BY  
ABOUT 2 AM THROUGH 6 AM. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL FALL TO  
THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/  
 
KEY MESSAGE: LIGHT SNOW TOTALING 0.5 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS THE  
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND IS  
LIKELY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
 
DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING AS GEOPOTENTIAL  
HEIGHTS RISE SLIGHTLY IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTER REACHES OF A SURFACE  
HIGH NOSING INTO THE REGION AS ITS CORE SLIDES EASTWARD JUST TO OUR  
SOUTH. DESPITE DRY CONDITIONS, CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AHEAD  
OF THE NEXT SYSTEM TO BRING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION  
TOMORROW AFTERNOON INTO TOMORROW NIGHT. HIGH TEMPERATURES TOMORROW  
WILL REACH THE MID/UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S WITH AREAS OF LOW 30S ACROSS  
HIGHER TERRAIN. LOW TEMPERATURES TOMORROW NIGHT WILL THEN FALL THE  
MID 20S TO LOW 30S.  
 
BY TOMORROW MORNING, A POSITIVELY-TILTED SHORTWAVE WILL BE DIGGING  
SOUTH AND EAST INTO THE UPPER-MIDWEST ABOUT THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY  
OF AN UPPER LOW IN THE HUDSON BAY AREA AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE  
ORGANIZES IN THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. AS THE SHORTWAVE DIGS FARTHER  
SOUTH AND EAST, THE SURFACE CYCLONE WILL DRIVE NORTH AND EAST  
TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN OHIO VALLEY/WESTERN MID-ATLANTIC REGION. THOUGH  
THE WARM FRONT OF THE SURFACE LOW, EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY EASTWARD,  
WILL REMAIN WELL TO OUR SOUTH, WARM AIR ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC  
LIFT WILL INCREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, INTERSECTING THE FAVORED  
RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE UPPER JET TO ENHANCE VERTICAL ASCENT  
ACROSS THE AREA. AT THIS TIME, THE SURFACE LOW LOOKS TO REMAIN SOUTH  
OF THE REGION, RUNNING NORTH AND EAST ALONG LONG ISLAND SUCH THAT  
COOLER AIR IS USHERS INTO THE REGION ON ITS NORTHWEST QUADRANT.  
ADDITIONAL AID IN VERTICAL ASCENT WITH PVA ALONG THE LEADING  
EDGE OF THE INCOMING SHORTWAVE WILL ALLOW WIDESPREAD  
PRECIPITATION TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION BEGINNING EARLY TOMORROW  
AFTERNOON AND LASTING THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT AS FAST UPPER-LEVEL  
FLOW BRINGS THE SWIFT EXIT OF BOTH THE UPPER SHORTWAVE AND THE  
EVENTUAL COASTAL LOW.  
 
WITH LATEST GUIDANCE KEEPING CONTINUITY WITH THE LOW TRACKING SOUTH  
OF THE REGION, ISOTHERMAL PROFILES, AND THEREFORE A RAIN/SNOW,  
SOLUTION IS FAVORED. UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT THROUGH SOUTHWEST FLOW IN  
THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS, EASTERN  
CATSKILLS, SOUTHERN GREENS, AND BERKSHIRES WILL PROMOTE ADDITIONAL  
COOLING LEADING TO A PRIMARY PRECIPITATION TYPE OF SNOW.  
ELSEWHERE IN VALLEY AREAS, RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY  
PRECIPITATION TYPE, THOUGH SOME LIGHT, WET SNOW COULD MIX IN  
ESPECIALLY TOMORROW NIGHT AS TEMPERATURES COOL. HOWEVER, THIS  
WOULD PRIMARILY BE IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY AND UPPER-HUDSON WHERE  
LATEST FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW BELOW OR FREEZING TEMPERATURES  
JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE. GENERALLY, SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS  
THE REGION WILL REACH A DUSTING TO 2 INCHES WITH THE HIGHEST  
ACCUMULATIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS AND SOUTHERN GREEN  
MOUNTAINS WHERE 3 TO LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF UP TO 4 INCHES ARE  
POSSIBLE. AT THIS TIME, MEDIUM CONFIDENCE EXISTS IN SNOW  
ACCUMULATIONS REACHING UP TO 3 INCHES IN THESE AREAS WITH LOW  
CONFIDENCE IN LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 4 INCHES. THE MAIN  
DRIVER OF LOWER-END CONFIDENCE IN THESE LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS  
IS THE TIMING OF SNOWFALL. THIS WILL BE A FAIRLY PROGRESSIVE  
SYSTEM, SO THE SHEAR DURATION OF SNOWFALL COULD SIGNIFICANTLY  
LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL RECEIVED EVEN WITH UPSLOPE FLOW TO  
HELP WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS.  
 
MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE SAID AND DONE BEFORE THE MORNING  
COMMUTE THURSDAY, SO NO VISIBILITY ISSUES WILL BE HAD DURING ROUTINE  
TRAVEL, THOUGH UNTREATED ROADWAYS COULD BE SLIPPERY. WEAK,  
PERSISTENT CYCLONIC FLOW AND THE PASSAGE OF A BACK-DOOR COLD FRONT  
COULD LEAD TO SOME LIGHT LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS OFF LAKE ONTARIO FOR  
THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING, BUT DRY  
CONDITIONS WILL BE REINFORCED REGIONWIDE BY THE AFTERNOON AS HIGH  
PRESSURE MOVES IN OVERHEAD FROM SOUTHERN ONTARIO. HIGH TEMPERATURES  
THURSDAY WILL BE COOLER THAN WEDNESDAY WITH UPPER 20S TO UPPER 30S  
AND POCKETS OF LOW 40S IN THE MID-HUDSON VALLEY. LOW TEMPERATURES  
THURSDAY NIGHT WILL THEN DROP TO THE UPPER 10S TO MID 20S WITH LOW  
10S IN THE SOUTHWEST ADIRONDACKS.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
THE LONG TERM PERIOD WILL BE DRY IN COMPARISON TO RECENT DAYS WITH  
TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY FALLING BELOW NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK...  
 
THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLIDE EASTWARD THROUGH  
SOUTHEAST CANADA FRIDAY AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE SINKS SOUTH  
AND EAST FROM THE GREAT LAKES. A WEAK SURFACE WAVE WILL DEVELOP AND  
SLIDE EAST THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC, ALLOWING  
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP LATE FRIDAY MORNING/EARLY FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON, HOWEVER THERE STILL REMAINS A GOOD AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY  
IN SPATIAL COVERAGE. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS  
THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE DEEPENS OVER THE REGION AND AN ARCTIC  
COLD FRONT SWINGS THROUGH THE REGION. SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF  
THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY WITH REGIONWIDE DRY CONDITIONS  
RETURNING SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG  
TERM PERIOD WITH HIGH PRESSURE BECOMING LOCKED IN ACROSS EASTERN  
CONUS. BEHIND THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT, MUCH COOLER, BELOW-NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN PLACE.  
 
FRIDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE PERIOD WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW  
20S TO LOW 30S ACROSS THE REGION. SATURDAY WILL SEE HIGHS PRIMARILY  
IN THE UPPER 10S TO UPPER 20S BEFORE SUNDAY'S HIGHS ONLY REACH  
SINGLE DIGITS TO LOW 20S. A SLIGHT INCREASE IN HIGHS THEN COMES  
MONDAY WITH UPPER 10S TO MID 20S. LOW TEMPERATURES FRIDAY WILL FALL  
TO THE LOW 10S TO LOW 20S WITH SINGLE DIGITS IN THE SOUTHWEST  
ADIRONDACKS. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHTS WILL BOTH FEATURE NEGATIVE  
SINGLE DIGITS AT HIGH ELEVATIONS WITH LOW TO UPPER SINGLE DIGITS  
ELSEWHERE. MONDAY NIGHT'S LOWS WILL FALL TO THE UPPER SINGLE DIGITS  
TO LOW 10S.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY...VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR ALL TAF  
SITES THROUGH 18/18Z. A MID-LEVEL CLOUD LAYER CONTINUES FOR KGFL  
THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. AFTER 18Z, OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES  
IN BRINGING CHANCES OF RAIN AT KPOU, KPSF, AND KALB AND A MIX  
OF SNOW AND RAIN FOR KGFL THAT WILL TRANSITION OVER TO SNOW  
TOWARDS THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. CEILINGS WILL TRANSITION FROM  
VFR/MVFR TO MVFR/IFR AFTER 18Z. WINDS CONTINUE TO BE LIGHT AND  
VARIABLE THROUGH TONIGHT TRANSITIONING TO A LIGHT SOUTHERLY WIND  
FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: HIGH OPERATIONAL IMPACT. DEFINITE SHRA...SHSN...RA.  
THURSDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. BREEZY. NO SIG WX.  
THURSDAY NIGHT: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX.  
FRIDAY: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHSN.  
FRIDAY NIGHT: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. LIKELY SHSN.  
SATURDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHSN.  
SATURDAY NIGHT: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX.  
SUNDAY: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX.  
 
 
   
ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...NONE.  
NY...NONE.  
MA...NONE.  
VT...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...GANT  
NEAR TERM...GANT/WEBB  
SHORT TERM...GANT  
LONG TERM...GANT  
AVIATION...WEBB  
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