917  
FXUS61 KBOX 172201 AAC  
AFDBOX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA  
501 PM EST WED DEC 17 2025  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
WIND ADVISORIES ADDED FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, EXCEPT FOR THE CAPE  
AND ISLANDS WHERE A HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS. THIS WILL BE IN EFFECT  
EARLY FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- DRY WEATHER WITH MILD TEMPERATURES THURSDAY.  
 
- WIDESPREAD RAIN WITH STRONG TO POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS LATE  
THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.  
 
- THE RISK FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING FOR SOUTH-FACING SHORE DURING  
FRIDAY MORNING HIGH TIDE HAS DIMINISHED.  
 
- SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY BRINGING LIGHT RAIN  
SATURDAY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...DRY AND MILDER THURSDAY.  
 
EXPECT TO SEE WINDS DROP OFF OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY  
MORNING, WITH EVEN WARMER TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 40S TO LOW  
50S.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG TO POSSIBLY  
DAMAGING WINDS.  
 
A DEEP TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHEAST LATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH A STRONG LLJ, SEVERAL STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE  
NORMAL IN MAGNITUDE DEVELOPS. THIS WILL HELP TRANSPORT ABOVE NORMAL  
MOISTURE INTO THE REGION (200-300% OF NORMAL). PWATS HAVE ALSO BEEN  
FLAGGED BY NAEFS AS CONSIDERABLY ABOVE NORMAL VALUES. THIS WILL  
SUPPORT NOT ONLY RAIN, BUT A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL. IN TERMS OF  
TIMING OF THE RAIN, SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT, BECOMING  
MORE STEADY INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. STRONG CONVERGENCE AND  
MARGINAL INSTABILITY LATER FRIDAY MORNING INTO EARLY AFTERNOON WILL  
BRING THE ADDITIONAL FORCING TO BRING A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY  
RAIN WITH PERHAPS AN ISOLATED RUMBLE OF THUNDER. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD  
BE QUICK MOVING WHICH WILL LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS BEING AN  
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL EVENT. ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE SHOWS VALUES 0.50-1.00"  
FOR RAIN TOTALS WITH INDICATIONS OF LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. THIS IS  
CONSISTENT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW WEAK THUNDERSTORMS AND THE  
UPPER PERCENTILES OF ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE. LOCALIZED SPOTS MAY RECEIVE  
1-2 INCHES IN THE MORE PERSISTENT DOWNPOURS. GIVEN THE MORNING  
TIMEFRAME, THIS MEANS IT MAY IMPACT THE MORNING COMMUTE ON FRIDAY.  
MINOR URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE STREET FLOODING IS POSSIBLE, BUT GIVEN  
THE QUICK PROGRESSION OF THE RAIN, NO MAJOR FLOODING IMPACTS ARE  
EXPECTED. AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH IN THE AFTERNOON, THERE  
WILL BE STRONG DRYING BEHIND IT WHICH WILL TAPER OFF THE RAIN OTHER  
THAN SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE TROUGH  
APPROACHES. ANY SHOWERS OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN WILL BECOME MORE  
FAVORED AS LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES IN THE EARLY EVENING.  
 
REGARDING THE WIND POTENTIAL...A 70-80 KT LLJ DEVELOPS ACROSS  
SOUTHEAST SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND FRIDAY MORNING WITH THE STRONGEST  
CORE OF THE WINDS SHIFTING OVER THE CAPE AND ISLANDS TOWARD THE  
AFTERNOON. THE CHALLENGE (AS IT USUALLY IS WITH SOUTHERLY LLJ  
EVENTS) IS HOW MUCH WIND WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. MODEL  
SOUNDINGS DISPLAY AN INVERSION IN THE THERMAL PROFILES ACROSS  
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND FRIDAY MORNING WITH A STRONGER INVERSION  
PRESENT OVER THE CAPE/ISLANDS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT WE WILL NEED  
ADDITIONAL WARMING TO EFFICIENTLY MIX DOWN THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT.  
MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES CONTINUED WARM AIR ADVECTION FRIDAY MORNING  
WITH SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IN HOW WARM IT ENDS UP GETTING. WE WILL  
LIKELY NEED TEMPERATURES AROUND 57-59F FOR THE DEEPER MIXING. NOW  
THAT WE ARE GETTING IN HIGH-RESOLUTION GUIDANCE, IT IS APPEARING TO  
BE CLOSE WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE MID-50S WITH SOME  
SOLUTIONS SHOWING TEMPERATURES APPROACHING 60 AS THE LLJ SHIFTS  
ACROSS. USING MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY OF  
DEEPER MIXING, 50-60 PERCENT YIELDS GUSTS 40-55 MPH WITH THE  
STRONGEST GUSTS SE MA, MOST CONSISTENTLY FOR THE CAPE/ISLANDS LATE  
AM TO MID-AFTERNOON. IF TEMPERATURES END UP WARMER, GUSTS 60+ ARE  
POSSIBLE. ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT MODERATE  
PROBABILITIES FOR 50 KTS OR GREATER FOR SE MA AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF  
THE SOUTH COAST. PRESSURE FALLS AND EVEN THE MARGINAL CONVECTION MAY  
ALSO BE FEATURES THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BRINGING DOWN STRONGER  
GUSTS. WITH REASONABLE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HIGH  
WINDS, THE CAPE/ISLANDS REMAIN IN A HIGH WIND WATCH. AS  
CONFIDENCE IN THE THERMAL PROFILES INCREASES THIS WILL BE  
CONVERTED TO EITHER A WARNING OR ADVISORY. WIND ADVISORIES HAVE  
BEEN ADDED FOR THE REST OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.  
 
ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY  
SATURDAY. STRONG COLD ADVECTION BEHIND A COLD FRONT AND 40-50 KT  
WESTERLY LLJ WILL PROMOTE A PERIOD OF STRONG WEST WINDS. ENSEMBLES  
SHOW HIGH PROBABILITIES FOR GUSTS 40 MPH OR GREATER FOR THE HIGHER  
TERRAIN OF THE INTERIOR AND CAPE/ISLANDS. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW  
POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS 45-55 MPH. WITH THE ADDITIONAL DOWNSLOPE  
ENHANCEMENT OFF THE SLOPES OF THE BERKSHIRES, CAN'T RULE OUT A  
GUST OR TWO TO 60 MPH FRIDAY NIGHT. ADVISORIES EXTEND THROUGH  
SATURDAY MORNING TO COVER THIS PERIOD, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT  
THE MORE CONSISTENT ADVISORY (45 MPH+) LEVEL GUSTS STAY CONFINED  
TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND CAPE/ISLANDS RATHER THAN ALL OF  
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...DIMINISHING RISK FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING  
 
LATEST GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THE TIMING OF THE LOW LEVEL JET  
AND HIGHEST SURGE WILL OCCUR A FEW HOURS AFTER HIGH TIDE FRI MORNING  
WHICH WOULD LIKELY PRECLUDE MINOR COASTAL FLOOD IMPACTS ALONG THE  
SOUTH COAST. THE GREATEST RISK WOULD BE FOR NARRAGANSETT BAY AND  
BUZZARDS BAY, BUT IT WOULD TAKE A STORM SURGE OF 2.5 TO 3 FT DURING  
HIGH TIDE TO PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING. LATEST GUIDANCE FROM THE  
STEVENS INSTITUTE INDICATED A 2-2.5 FT SURGE FOR PROVIDENCE BUT  
OCCURRING AFTER HIGH TIDE. THE 95TH PERCENTILE WHICH REPRESENTS A 5  
PERCENT EXCEEDANCE PROBABILITY HAS PROVIDENCE SLIGHTLY EXCEEDING THE  
7 FT FLOOD STAGE BUT THIS IS A VERY LOW PROBABILITY AT THIS TIME. IT  
WOULD TAKE MORE FAVORABLE TIMING OF THE STRONGEST WINDS AT HIGH TIDE  
AND A WORST CASE WIND FORECAST TO REALIZE THIS POTENTIAL, WHICH  
WOULD YIELD JUST MINOR FLOODING IMPACTS ALONG NARRAGANSETT AND  
BUZZARDS BAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 4...SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY  
BRINGING LIGHT RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS.  
 
A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES THROUGH LATE SATURDAY INTO  
SUNDAY. MOISTURE WILL BE FAIRLY MARGINAL WHICH WILL LIMIT  
PRECIPITATION TO SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS. A SW 40-60 KT LLJ NUDGES  
NORTHWARD SUNDAY NIGHT BRINGING AT GUSTS 30-40 MPH TO AT LEAST THE  
COASTAL WATERS. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A FRONT WHICH WILL FAVOR  
EFFICIENT MIXING FROM THE HIGHER WINDS ALOFT WHILE IN THE CAA REGIME  
ON SUNDAY. STILL FURTHER OUT, BUT GUSTS 30-40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN  
THE AFTERNOON.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /21Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS...  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
18Z TAF UPDATE: HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
TONIGHT AND TOMORROW ...HIGH CONFIDENCE  
 
VFR. SW WIND GUSTS FROM 20 TO 30 KNOTS CONTINUE THROUGH LATE  
THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS SHIFT TO W THIS EVENING BECOMING LIGHT  
OVERNIGHT, THEN S AROUND 10 KT THU AFTERNOON.  
 
TOMORROW NIGHT...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TRENDS  
 
MVFR/IFR CEILINGS OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST  
TOMORROW NIGHT WITH RA. WINDS INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTH  
WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS APPROACHING  
25 TO 35 KNOTS BY FRIDAY MORNING.  
 
KBOS TERMINAL...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF.  
 
KBDL TERMINAL...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN TAF.  
 
OUTLOOK /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...  
 
FRIDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH LOCAL IFR POSSIBLE. STRONG WINDS WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. RA.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: VFR. STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT.  
 
SATURDAY: VFR. WINDY WITH LOCAL GUSTS UP TO 30 KT.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY: VFR. WINDY WITH LOCAL GUSTS UP  
TO 30 KT. SLIGHT CHANCE RA.  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT: VFR. WINDY WITH LOCAL GUSTS UP TO 30 KT.  
 
MONDAY: BREEZY.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS...  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
THROUGH THURSDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
WINDS DECREASE AND SEAS SUBSIDE BRIEFLY DURING THE DAY THURSDAY.  
WINDS INCREASE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING WITH GALE  
FORCE WINDS LIKELY BY 12Z FRIDAY CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY  
MORNING. SEAS INCREASE TO 6-10 FT FRIDAY OVER THE OUTER WATERS  
WITH 10-12 FT POSSIBLE FOR THE SOUTHERN OUTER WATERS LATE AM TO  
EARLY AFTERNOON FRIDAY.  
 
OUTLOOK /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...  
 
FRIDAY: GALE FORCE WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. ROUGH SEAS UP  
TO 16 FT. RAIN.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: GALE FORCE WINDS WITH AREAS OF GUSTS UP TO 45 KT.  
ROUGH SEAS UP TO 16 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.  
 
SATURDAY: LOW RISK FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WITH GUSTS UP  
TO 30 KT. ROUGH SEAS UP TO 11 FT.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT: LOW RISK FOR GALE FORCE WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO  
35 KT. SEAS UP TO 5 FT.  
 
SUNDAY: STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT. AREAS OF ROUGH  
SEAS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT: STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT. SEAS UP TO  
5 FT.  
 
MONDAY: STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT. AREAS OF ROUGH  
SEAS.  
 
 
   
BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 1 AM EST SATURDAY FOR  
CTZ002>004.  
MA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 1 AM EST SATURDAY FOR  
MAZ002>021-026.  
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON  
FOR MAZ022>024.  
RI...WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 1 AM EST SATURDAY FOR  
RIZ001>008.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ230>237-251.  
GALE WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR  
ANZ230.  
GALE WATCH FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING  
FOR ANZ231>234-251.  
GALE WATCH FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING  
FOR ANZ235-237.  
GALE WATCH FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT  
FOR ANZ236.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST THURSDAY FOR ANZ250-254>256.  
GALE WATCH FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING  
FOR ANZ250-254>256.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...MENSCH/RM  
AVIATION...MENSCH/RM  
MARINE...MENSCH  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab MA Page
The Nexlab RI Page
The Nexlab NH Page
The Nexlab CT Page
Main Text Page