674  
FXUS61 KCAR 160914  
AFDCAR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME  
414 AM EST MON DEC 16 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA TODAY. AN OCCLUDED  
FRONT WILL APPROACH MONDAY NIGHT AND CROSS THE AREA TUESDAY  
MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH OF THE AREA TUESDAY  
NIGHT. LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH WEDNESDAY AND CROSS THE AREA  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL APPROACH ON THURSDAY AND  
CREST OVER THE AREA FRIDAY.  
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
NIGHTTIME MICROPHYSICS IMAGERY IS SHOWING VERY LITTLE PROGRESS  
OF CIRRUS SHIELD INTO CWA EARLY THIS MORNING. LOOKING AT 00Z  
RAOBS OUT OF CAR AND GYX EXPLAINS WHY AS A VERY DRY AIRMASS  
EXISTS FROM THE SFC TO 500MB. VORT MAX CURRENTLY MOVING INTO WRN  
NEW ENGLAND IS SPREADING LOWER CLOUDS INTO SRN MAINE AND OVER  
DOWNEAST. PRECIPITATION HAS SPREAD INTO SRN NEW ENGLAND WITH  
VERY FAINT ECHOES UP INTO NRN VT IN LIGHT SNOW. GIVEN EXTENSIVE  
AMOUNT OF DRY AIR NOT EXPECTING ANY PRECIP TO MOVE INTO THE  
REGION UNTIL LATER THIS EVENING.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL RISE TO ABOVE NORMAL TODAY WITH WARM ADVECTION  
PRESENT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HIGH. MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES THIS  
MORNING OVER THE SOUTH WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH AS VORT MAX DROPS  
WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES EXPECTED THIS  
AFTERNOON ACRS THE WEST AND DOWNEAST AREAS WITH MOSUNNY OVER THE  
NORTH AND EAST.  
 
AS OVERRUNNING DEVELOPS OVERNIGHT PRECIP WILL MOVE INTO THE  
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. COOLER AND DRIER SFC TEMPS FROM A GREENVILLE  
TO CARIBOU CORRIDOR WILL POSE A THREAT FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE  
AND/OR FREEZING RAIN. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT AS  
PRECIPITATION MOVES IN FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST, TEMPS AND DWPTS  
SHOULD RISE JUST SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE RAIN. HAVE VERY LITTLE  
IN THE WAY OF FROZEN PCPN ACRS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT SO WILL  
ALLOW DAYSHIFT TO GET ANOTHER LOOK AT POTENTIAL FOR ICING.  
 
SOUTHERLY LOW-LVL JET MOVES INTO WRN ZONES AFTER 06Z WITH  
STRONGEST WINDS OCCURRING RIGHT AROUND 12Z. VERY STABLE BOUNDARY  
LAYER MAY MINIMIZE GUSTS BUT STILL CANNOT RULE OUT A GUST TO 35  
MPH AS THE JET PUSHES EAST. MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND THE  
PREVIOUS EVENT IS THE ABSENCE OF A QLCS MOVING THRU TO HELP MIX  
STRONGEST WINDS TO THE SFC.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/  
 
TUESDAY...  
TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ABOVE FREEZING AREAWIDE BY AROUND  
SUNRISE, WITH JUST PLAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND A DECENT  
SOUTH BREEZE OVER THE AREA. THE OCCLUDED FRONT EXITS TO THE EAST  
AND RAIN TAPERS OFF FROM WEST TO EAST, WITH MOST AREAS DRY  
OUTSIDE A FEW HIT AND MISS RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.  
AIRMASS WILL STILL BE QUITE MILD, AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD REACH  
INTO THE MID 40S NORTH AND LOW 50S DOWNEAST TUESDAY AFTERNOON.  
THERE WILL BE A GUSTY SW BREEZE WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS ABOUT 30  
MPH. SOME CLEARING IN THE AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY S/E OF THE  
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT...  
REMAINING BREEZY TUESDAY NIGHT. ONLY FAIRLY WEAK COLD ADVECTION  
BEHIND THE EARLY TUESDAY SYSTEM, SO STILL LOOKING FAIRLY MILD  
TUESDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE LOW TO MID 30S. CAN'T RULE OUT A  
COUPLE RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS TUESDAY EVENING MAINLY IN THE N/NW, BUT  
GENERALLY DRY TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 
WEDNESDAY...  
TRANQUIL DAY WEDNESDAY WITH DRY CONDITIONS, PARTLY TO MOSTLY  
CLOUDY SKIES, AND HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT...  
NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES IN WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A DIGGING UPPER  
TROUGH WILL BE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST AND EXPECT SURFACE LOW  
PRESSURE TO DEVELOP SOMEWHERE AROUND THE MID-ATLANTIC AND TRACK  
NE SOMEWHERE OVER THE GULF OF MAINE. MODELS HAVE NOT LOCKED ONTO  
THIS SYSTEM'S TRACK YET. GENERAL TREND IS A BIT FURTHER NORTH  
WHICH WOULD BRING MORE PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA, BUT THERE IS  
STILL PLENTY OF VARIABILITY IN THE MODELS. A MORE SHARPLY  
DIGGING UPPER TROUGH TO OUR WEST WOULD LEAD TO A FURTHER  
NORTH/STRONGER SURFACE LOW WHICH COULD BRING MORE PRECIPITATION,  
WHILE A FLATTER TROUGH WOULD LEAD TO A WEAKER AND FURTHER SOUTH  
LOW TRACK WITH LESS PRECIP. EVEN WITH A STRONGER/FURTHER NORTH  
SOLUTION, THIS IS NOT LOOKING LIKE A BIG SYSTEM. ADVISORY LEVEL  
SNOW IN EXCESS OF 4 INCHES IS POSSIBLE, BUT WARNING LEVEL  
SNOWFALL OVER 6-8 INCHES IS VERY UNLIKELY. IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE  
THAT LESS THAN 2 INCHES WILL FALL IF THE WEAKER/FURTHER SOUTH  
SOLUTION PANS OUT. PRECIP TYPE SHOULD BE MOSTLY SNOW NORTH OF  
BANGOR, WITH MIXED RAIN/SNOW IN PLAY FROM BANGOR TO THE COAST.  
WINDS NOT A CONCERN WITH THE SYSTEM, AS THERE WILL LIKELY BE A  
WEAKNESS IN THE PRESSURE FIELD NORTH OF THE LOW TRACK. THIS WILL  
BE A VERY FAST MOVING SYSTEM, WITH ONLY ABOUT 6-9 HOURS' WORTH  
OF PRECIPITATION AT ANY ONE SPOT.  
 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
COOLER AIR MOVES IN LATER THURSDAY WITH A DECENT NW WIND. COULD  
BE A FEW SNOW SHOWERS LEFT MAINLY IN THE NORTH. COLD HIGH  
PRESSURE OVER THE AREA FOR FRIDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE MID TEENS TO  
MID 20S. UNCERTAINTY INCREASES SUBSTANTIALLY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO  
SATURDAY. ANOTHER DEEPENING UPPER TROUGH WILL BE APPROACHING  
FROM THE NW WITH A GOOD DOSE OF ARCTIC AIR, AND THERE IS  
SIGNIFICANT UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER IT CAN TAP INTO ANY  
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE IN TIME TO SPIN UP A SURFACE LOW CLOSE  
ENOUGH TO US TO GIVE US SNOW, OR IF THIS WILL OCCUR TO OUR EAST  
AND WE WILL JUST BE LEFT IN THE INCOMING ARCTIC AIRMASS. THE  
MAJORITY OF SOLUTIONS KEEP US FAIRLY DRY, BUT A SIGNIFICANT  
MINORITY OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS DO BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW FRIDAY  
NIGHT/SATURDAY. THIS PATTERN IS ALSO CONDUCIVE TO A NORLUN  
INVERTED TROUGH-TYPE EVENT. HAVE CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST  
FOR NOW. MOST LIKELY ANY PRECIPITATION WOULD BE SNOW. THE ARCTIC  
AIR SHOULD AT LEAST GET INTO THE AREA BY SUNDAY/MONDAY, WITH  
PROBABLY THE COOLEST AIR WE'VE SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON.  
 
   
AVIATION /08Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
NEAR TERM: VFR CONDITIONS INTO THIS EVENING WITH A CHANCE FOR  
CIGS DROPPING TO MVFR LATE IN THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
SHORT TERM:  
TUESDAY...MVFR/IFR EARLY IMPROVING TO VFR DOWNEAST IN THE  
AFTERNOON AND MVFR OVER NRN TERMINALS LATE. S 10-15KTS WITH  
GUSTS 20-30KTS. LLWS POSSIBLE EARLY.  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT-WEDNESDAY...MAINLY VFR, TRANSITIONING TO MVFR WEDS EVENING.  
WSW 5-15KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20KTS.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT-THURSDAY...MVFR BECOMING IFR IN LIGHT SNOW  
NORTH AND AND RAIN/SNOW MIX DOWNEAST. WINDS LIGHT S WEDNESDAY NIGHT,  
BECOMING W 10-15KTS AND GUSTY THURSDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT-FRIDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH FAIRLY LIGHT WINDS.  
 
   
MARINE  
 
NEAR TERM: SEAS AND WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW SCA LEVELS TODAY AND  
THIS EVENING. SOUTHERLY WINDS APPROACH SMALL CRAFT LEVELS OVER  
THE OUTER WATERS AFTER MIDNIGHT AND APPROACH GALE FORCE TOWARD  
DAYBREAK. SEAS WILL APPROACH 7FT OVER THE OUTER WATERS AT THE  
VERY END OF THE PERIOD.  
 
SHORT TERM: ISSUED GALE WATCH FOR S WINDS GUSTING TO 40 KTS  
TUESDAY. WINDS WILL DROP BELOW 25 KTS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT, WITH  
SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO RETURN THURSDAY AND THURSDAY  
NIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 9 FEET ON TUESDAY, THEN SUBSIDING TO 3  
TO 5 FEET...THEN BUILDING TO AROUND 6 FEET THURSDAY.  
 
 
   
CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ME...NONE.  
MARINE...GALE WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR  
ANZ050>052.  
 
 
 
 
 
NEAR TERM...BUSTER  
SHORT TERM...FOISY  
LONG TERM...FOISY  
AVIATION...BUSTER/FOISY  
MARINE...BUSTER/FOISY  
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