078  
FXUS61 KBOX 182302  
AFDBOX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA  
602 PM EST TUE FEB 18 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
STRONG WINDS START TO DIMINISH THIS EVENING. IT STILL WILL BE  
COLD AND GUSTY WEDNESDAY, BUT WITH MUCH LESS WIND. A COASTAL  
STORM MAY BRUSH THE FAR SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND COAST WITH SOME  
ACCUMULATING SNOW THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. TRENDING MILDER  
AND DRIER FRIDAY INTO THIS WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/
 
 
KEY MESSAGES...  
 
* A BRIEF SPOT SNOW SHOWER POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN MA/CT INTO  
THIS EVENING  
* BLUSTERY AND VERY COLD TONIGHT WITH LOWS BETWEEN 5 AND 15  
ABOVE ZERO  
* WIND CHILLS DROPPING TO BETWEEN 0 TO 10 BELOW ZERO  
 
A POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MARITIMES TONIGHT,  
AND FARTHER FROM SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THIS WILL GRADUALLY  
WEAKEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT, AND ALLOW WINDS TO DIMINISH SOME.  
IT WILL STILL BE GUSTY, SO DESPITE A MAINLY CLEAR SKY, NOT  
EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO BOTTOM OUT AS MUCH AS WOULD BE  
POSSIBLE ON A STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING NIGHT. SHOULD WINDS  
SLACKEN FASTER THAN CURRENT FORECAST, LOW TEMPERATURES WOULD  
NEED TO BE ADJUSTED EVEN LOWER DUE TO A RELATIVELY FRESH  
SNOWPACK AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE COASTS.  
 
ENOUGH WIND PRESENT TO RESULT IN WIND CHILLS DROPPING TO  
BETWEEN 0 AND 10 BELOW ZERO OVERNIGHT, BUT SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE  
THE THRESHOLDS FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COLD WEATHER ADVISORIES.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/
 
 
KEY MESSAGES...  
 
* PLENTY OF SUNSHINE WED, BUT WITH MUCH LESS WIND  
 
PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTINUES TO RELAX WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT. STILL GUSTY BUT MORE TYPICAL FOR OUR REGION THAN THE HIGH  
GUSTS WE'VE SEEN THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. EXPECTING TEMPERATURES  
TO TICK UP A NOTCH DURING THE DAY, BUT BETTER RADIATIONAL  
COOLING CONDITIONS SHOULD MAKE IT EVEN COLDER WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY SOME 10-15 DEGREES CONTINUE. STILL  
NOT THINK WE'LL NEED ANY COLD WEATHER ADVISORIES, BUT THIS WILL  
BE MONITORED WITH LATER FORECASTS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
* THURSDAY'S COASTAL LOW LIKELY BRINGING SNOW TO THE SOUTH COAST,  
CAPE, AND ISLANDS.  
 
* CALMER WEATHER INBOUND FOR THE WEEKEND, INCLUDING A SLIGHT WARM UP  
FOR DAYTIME TEMPS.  
 
* HIGH UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING PRECIP FOR THE START OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...  
 
MODELS CONTINUE TO NARROW IN ON THE TRACK OF THE COASTAL LOW PASSING  
TO OUR SOUTH THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. NAM12KM REMAINS THE OUTLIER  
AND THE FURTHEST NORTHWEST; HOWEVER, MOST ENSEMBLES HAVE TICKED  
SLIGHTLY FURTHER WEST AND NORTH WITH EACH SUBSEQUENT RUN. WITH THE  
SLIGHT SHIFT IN TRACK, THE PROBABILITY OF SEEING >3" OF SNOW IN 24  
HOURS ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PORTION OF THE CAPE AND NANTUCKET HAS  
INCREASED TO 50 TO 60 PERCENT, WITH 30 TO 40 PERCENT FOR THE SOUTH  
COAST OF RHODE ISLAND. THE PROBABILITY FOR >1" OF SNOW IN 24 HOURS  
ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR BETWEEN PROVIDENCE AND BOSTON REMAINS NEAR  
30 TO 40 PERCENT. CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH THAT THE HIGH TO OUR NORTH  
SHOULD KEEP ENOUGH LINGERING COLD AIR FOR ANY PRECIP TO REMAIN AS  
SNOW.  
 
ONCE THE LOW LIFTS OUT FRIDAY, A QUICK BLAST OF COLDER AIR WILL  
BRING ANOTHER ROUNDS OF GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WITH OVERNIGHT  
TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE MID-TEENS.  
 
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...  
 
A WEAK MID-LEVEL RIDGE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ON  
SATURDAY WILL ALLOW FOR A RESPITE FROM THE WINTER WEATHER. WAA UNDER  
THE RIDGE LOOKS TO ALLOW SOME WARMING OF SURFACE TEMPERATURES,  
BRINGING THEM CLOSER TO THE CLIMATOLOGICAL NORM OF UPPER-30S TO LOW-  
40S FOR THE WEEKEND. THE RELAXED PRESSURE GRADIENT UNDER THE RIDGE  
SHOULD ALSO BRING RELIEF FROM THE GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS.  
 
EARLY NEXT WEEK...  
 
THE START OF NEXT WEEK REMAINS VERY UNCERTAIN. GUIDANCE IS HINTING  
AT A TROUGH SWEEPING THROUGH SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, POSSIBLY BRINGING  
A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION SOMETIME MONDAY INTO TUESDAY; HOWEVER,  
MODEL SPREADS AND RUN-TO-RUN DIFFERENCES ARE TOO VAST TO MAKE ANY  
DETERMINATIONS AT THIS TIME. STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /23Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
FORECAST CONFIDENCE LEVELS:  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
00Z TAF UPDATE...  
 
TONIGHT...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR. W WIND GUSTS DIMINISH BUT STILL EXPECT GUSTS TO PERSIST IN  
THE 15 TO 30 KNOT RANGE.  
 
WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR. NW WINDS DIMINISHING THROUGHOUT THE DAY, GUSTS EARLIER ON  
20 TO 25 KTS, BUT SUBSIDE TO LESS THAN 15 KTS LATE AFTERNOON.  
 
KBOS TAF...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF.  
 
KBDL TAF...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF.  
 
OUTLOOK /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...  
 
THURSDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. SLIGHT CHANCE  
SN.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. BREEZY.  
CHANCE SN.  
 
FRIDAY: VFR. WINDY WITH LOCAL GUSTS UP TO 30 KT.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: VFR. BREEZY.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: VFR.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS:  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MEDIUM - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
HIGH CONFIDENCE...  
 
* GALE WARNINGS CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT  
* FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORIES CONTINUE INTO MID MORNING WED  
 
THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
STRONG LOW PRESSURE LIFTING NORTH OF THE CANADIAN MARITIMES WILL  
CONTINUE TO RESULT IN STRONG COLD ADVECTION WITH W WIND GUSTS OF  
35 TO 45 KNOTS INTO TONIGHT. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD DROP  
ENOUGH LATER TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY SO THAT SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORIES WILL BE ABLE TO GRADUALLY REPLACE THE GALE WARNINGS.  
EXPECTING WINDS AND SEAS TO SUBSIDE ENOUGH WHERE NO MARINE  
HEADLINES SHOULD BE NEEDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
 
IN ADDITION, GIVEN THE VERY COLD AIRMASS MOVING ACROSS THE  
WATERS, EXPECT AREAS OF MODERATE FREEZING SPRAY INTO MID MORNING  
WED. FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT.  
 
OUTLOOK /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...  
 
THURSDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. CHANCE OF SNOW. LOCAL  
VISIBILITY 1 NM OR LESS.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT: LOW RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. LOCAL ROUGH SEAS. CHANCE OF SNOW, CHANCE OF  
FREEZING SPRAY. AREAS OF VISIBILITY 1 NM OR LESS.  
 
FRIDAY: MODERATE RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH GUSTS  
UP TO 25 KT. AREAS OF ROUGH SEAS. CHANCE OF FREEZING SPRAY.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: LOW RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS UP TO 5 FT. CHANCE OF FREEZING SPRAY.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. SEAS LOCALLY  
APPROACHING 5 FT.  
 

 
   
BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
CT...NONE.  
MA...NONE.  
RI...NONE.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ230-236.  
FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR  
ANZ230>237-250-251-254>256.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ231>235-237-250-  
251-254.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ255-256.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...BELK/MCMINN  
NEAR TERM...BELK  
SHORT TERM...BELK  
LONG TERM...MCMINN  
AVIATION...BELK/MCMINN  
MARINE...BELK/MCMINN  
 
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