116
FXUS61 KCTP 171019
AFDCTP
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
519 AM EST TUE DEC 17 2024
SYNOPSIS
* SUNSHINE RETURNS TODAY WITH MILD TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS
* MORE PRECIPITATION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY MORNING
WITH RAIN LIKELY SOUTH OF I-80 AND SNOW OR A WINTRY MIX NORTH
* A CLIPPER WILL BRING MORE LIGHT SNOW ON FRIDAY AND LEAVE
BEHIND A CONSIDERABLY COLDER STRETCH OF WEATHER FOR THE
WEEKEND.
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE EVIDENT ON SATELLITE AND RADAR THIS
MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS WHERE A COLD FRONT HAS
CLEARED THE REGION AND WEST-SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE OCCASIONALLY
GUSTING 20 TO 30MPH. FARTHER EAST, THINK LOW CLOUDS AND PATCHY
FOG REMAIN PERSISTENT WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS AND A FEW
PASSING RAIN SHOWERS. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO TAPER OFF THIS
MORNING WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS EXPECTED AS THE FRONT PUSHES
THROUGH THE REST OF THE REGION.
TEMPERATURES AT DAYBREAK RANGE FROM THE MID 30S IN THE CENTRAL
RIDGE AND VALLEY REGION TO THE MIDDLE 40S IN THE LOWER
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AND LOW 50S WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT
(WHERE SOUTHWEST WINDS HAVE USHERED IN A CONSIDERABLY MILD
AIRMASS. AS WINDS SHIFT SOUTHWESTERLY ACROSS CENTRAL PA THIS
AFTERNOON, A MILD DAY IS IN STORE AREAWIDE. AFTERNOON HIGHS
COULD MAKE A RUN AT 60F IN SE PA WHILE HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID
40S ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER AND LAURELS WILL STILL BE ABOUT 5
TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. A GUSTY WEST WIND WILL TEMPER THE
COMFORT LEVEL A BIT, BUT STILL A PLEASANT DAY OVERALL.
ANOTHER WELCOME CHANGE WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS CLOUD COVER
LATER THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH CLOUDS MAY BE STUBBORN FOR MUCH
OF THE MORNING, BUILDING RIDGING WILL SUPPORT MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES
FOR LOCATIONS SOUTH OF I-80 THIS AFTERNOON AND AT LEAST SOME
BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS FARTHER NORTH. HIGH PRESSURE MOVING
OVERHEAD TONIGHT WILL SUPPORT LIGHT WINDS AND EVEN SOME FOG
DEVELOPMENT. HIGHEST PROBABILITIES FOR FOG ARE ON THE RIDGETOPS
ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER AND IN THE VALLEYS IN THE LOWER
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. LOWS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL GENERALLY BE
AROUND 30 DEGREES.
SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
ON WEDNESDAY, A SYSTEM OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO
VALLEY REGION AND BRING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION TO PENNSYLVANIA
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY MORNING. THERMAL PROFILES
SUPPORT RAIN FOR LOCATIONS SOUTH OF I-80 AND POTENTIAL FOR SNOW
AND/OR A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION FARTHER NORTH. QPF SHOULD
RANGE FROM A QUARTER OF AN INCH ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER TO
AROUND HALF AN INCH IN THE SOUTH. THIS WILL CORRESPOND TO A
COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW NORTH OF US-6.
THE ARRIVAL OF PRECIPITATION ON WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL BE AN
IMPORTANT DETAIL TO MONITOR AS AN EARLIER ONSET COULD GENERATE A
RISK FOR SOME FREEZING RAIN. WARMER AIR MOVING IN OVER TOP OF
COOLER VALLEYS IN CENTRAL PA WOULD LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR
SLICK SPOTS ON UNTREATED AND ELEVATED SURFACES. AT THIS POINT,
IT APPEARS PRECIPITATION WILL OVERSPREAD LATER IN THE DAY AND
LEAD TO A LESSER RISK FOR FREEZING RAIN, BUT IT IS WORTH
MONITORING. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL GENERALLY RANGE
FROM THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S WITH SOME DOWNSIDE POTENTIAL IN A
COLD AIR DAMMING SCENARIO.
AFTER THE LOW MOVES EAST OF THE REGION, WINDS WILL SHIFT TO
NORTHWESTERLY OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY AND GENERATE POTENTIAL FOR
SOME LAKE EFFECT/UPSLOPE SNOW INTO THE DAY ON THURSDAY. SNOW
ACCUMULATION WILL BE LIGHT AND CONFINED PRIMARILY TO THE
TYPICAL SNOW BELT AND UPSLOPE SNOW REGIONS. HIGHS ON THURSDAY
WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE
30S FOR MOST.
LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/
CLIPPER MOVING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES ON FRI SHOULD PRODUCE A
LITTLE LIGHT SNOW, BUT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A SIGNIFICANT
SNOWFALL. HOWEVER, THE GFS HAS THE SHARPEST PART OF THE UPPER
TROUGH PASSING OVERHEAD LATE FRI/EARLY FRI NIGHT. TEMPS ARE
ALREADY COLD, BUT DEPENDING ON TIMING, SNSQ ARE POSSIBLE, ESP IF
THE FORCING ARRIVES MID-AFTN. THE AIR MASS BEHIND THE CLIPPER
SYSTEM IS VERY COLD, AND WE HAVE MADE SURE TO STAY ON THE LOW
SIDE OF GUIDANCE FOR TEMPS SAT- SUN NIGHT. SUN NIGHT MAY BE THE
COLDEST AS THE SFC RIDGE WILL BE CRESTING OVERHEAD AND LAKE
EFFECT CLOUDS WILL BE GOING AWAY.
AVIATION /10Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
LOW CIGS WITH IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THE
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AS A DEEP LAYER OF SFC MOISTURE RESIDES
BENEATH A STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL INVERSION. THESE LOW CIGS ARE
EXPECTED TO STICK AROUND THROUGH 12Z BEFORE A COLD FRONT
APPROACHES.
A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL BRING A BROKEN
LINE OF SHOWERS THAT WILL WEAKEN EVEN MORE AS IT PUSHES
EASTWARD. BEHIND THE FRONT, LOWER DEWPOINT AIR WILL HELP TO
SCOUR OUT LOW CIGS MAINLY ACROSS WESTERN AIRFIELDS BETWEEN 08Z
AND 10Z, HOWEVER BKN MVFR CIGS ARE LIKELY TO REDEVELOP BEFORE
SUNRISE. THE FRONT WILL MAKE IT TO THE LOWER SUSQ VALLEY AROUND
12Z.
IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES WITH ALL TERMINALS EXCEPT BFD LIKELY
RISING OUT OF IFC WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS OF SUNRISE.
LLWS IS OCCURRING AND AND IS NEAR PEAK. 40-45KT ARE EXPECTED
NEAR THE TOP OF THE LAYER, AS THE HIGHEST 925-850MB WIND SURGES
THROUGH.
OUTLOOK...
WED-THU...FOG POSSIBLE WED MORNING, THEN RAIN MOVES IN DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUES INTO THURSDAY, BEFORE PARTIAL
CLEARING LATER THURSDAY.
FRI...IFR POSSIBLE IN SNOW NW & RAIN SE.
SAT...MVFR CIGS NW.
CLIMATE
ASTRONOMICAL WINTER (SOLSTICE) BEGINS ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21ST
AT 4:19 A.M. EST.
CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SYNOPSIS...BANGHOFF
NEAR TERM...BANGHOFF
SHORT TERM...BANGHOFF
LONG TERM...LAMBERT/DANGELO/BAUCO
AVIATION...DANGELO/COLBERT
CLIMATE...STEINBUGL
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