658  
FXUS61 KGYX 211437  
AFDGYX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME  
937 AM EST SAT DEC 21 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS MORNING AS LOW PRESSURE  
PASSES OFFSHORE. AN ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS  
WEEKEND WITH WELL BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND POTENTIALLY  
DANGEROUS WINDCHILLS. AFTER A DRY MONDAY, MORE LIGHT SNOW WILL  
ARRIVE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY FROM A CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM. HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL THEN REBUILD OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY AND  
THURSDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/
 
 
UPDATE...  
SCATTERED FLURRIES AND A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS  
THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR SOME  
SUNSHINE OVER SOUTHERN AREAS AS LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO  
INTENSIFY AND EXIT THROUGH EASTERN CANADA. THE THEME FROM HERE  
ON OUT WILL BE THE ARCTIC AIR POURING INTO THE REGION WITH LOW  
WIND CHILLS OVERNIGHT.  
 
PREV DISC...  
640 AM UPDATE... ASOS AND WEBCAMS INDICATE THAT LIGHT SNOW  
CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA DESPITE LITTLE RADAR  
SUPPORT GIVEN OVERSHOOTING. AS A RESULT, EXPANDED BOTH THE AREAL  
COVERAGE OF POPS AND EXTENDED THEIR RESIDENCE TIME GIVEN  
OVERNIGHT TRENDS. OTHERWISE, THE FORECAST REMAINS LARGELY ON  
TRACK.  
 
PREVIOUSLY...  
NORTHEAST RADAR MOSAIC EARLY THIS SATURDAY MORNING SHOWS A  
REDEVELOPING AREA OF LIGHT SNOW THAT IS GRADUALLY MOVING  
EASTWARD OVER NH AND FAR WESTERN ME. THIS IS IN ASSOCIATION WITH  
A PASSING H5 S/WV TROUGH AXIS THAT IS PROGGED TO CROSS THE  
REGION THIS MORNING BEFORE LIFTING OFF TO OUR NORTHEAST LATER  
TODAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS AREA OF LIGHT SNOW IS NOT BEING  
HANDLED WELL BY LATEST HI-RES GUIDANCE AND THEREFORE USED  
OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS FOR THIS PART OF THE FORECAST. A FRESH  
COATING TO PERHAPS LOCALLY 1" OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE AS THIS  
CROSSES. FURTHER TO THE EAST LIGHT TO AT TIMES MODERATE SNOW  
CONTINUES ACROSS THE MID- COAST AND DOWNEAST ME AND THIS WILL  
ALSO PERSIST FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. ACROSS THESE REGIONS STORM  
TOTAL SNOW OF SEVERAL INCHES IS LIKELY.  
 
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL EXIT OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES LATER  
TODAY BUT A RATHER STRONG PGF WILL PERSIST AS HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDS TO OUR WEST OVER THE GREAT LAKES. THIS WILL RESULT IN  
GUSTY NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WITH SOME GUSTS NEARING 30 MPH.  
LINGERING MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN MAINLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH  
OCCASIONAL SNOW FLURRIES/SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. HIGH  
TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 20 ACROSS THE NORTH TO NEAR  
30 SOUTH BUT WINDCHILLS WILL BE INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND  
TEENS.  
 
SNOW SHOWERS END TONIGHT WITH CLEARING SKIES AND VERY COLD  
TEMPERATURES. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS  
EITHER SIDE OF ZERO AREAWIDE. NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL REMAIN  
ELEVATED WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. THIS WILL CAUSE WINDCHILLS  
TO FALL TO 5-10 BELOW ZERO SOUTH OF THE MOUNTAINS WITH 15-20  
BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE NORTH WITH COLDER READINGS IN THE  
MOUNTAINS THEMSELVES. THESE VALUES ARE CLOSE TO OUR NEW COLD  
WEATHER ADVISORY THRESHOLDS AND THIS WILL THEREFORE NEED TO BE  
WATCHED.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/
 
 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION SUNDAY INTO  
SUNDAY NIGHT, ALLOWING FOR LIGHTER WINDS. DESPITE THIS, IT WILL  
LIKELY BE THE COLDEST DAY OF THE SEASON SO FAR FOR MOST  
LOCATIONS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS  
THE NORTH AND TEENS ELSEWHERE.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
UPDATE...LITTLE CHANGE TO THE EXTENDED FORECAST WITH THE ARRIVAL  
OF THE 01Z NBM. CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW CURRENTLY REMAINS QUITE  
GOOD FOR CHRISTMAS EVE, WITH LOOSE TIMING BEING MAINLY IN THE  
MORNING BASED ON A MULTI-GUIDANCE CONSENSUS.  
 
PREVIOUSLY...  
 
THE LARGE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO CREST OVER THE  
REGION SUNDAY NIGHT. MAINLY CLEAR SKIES, LIGHT WINDS AND LOW  
SURFACE DEW POINTS WILL ALLOW FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING,  
ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT HAVE A FRESH SNOWPACK. OVERNIGHT LOWS  
WILL DROP TO ZERO TO 10 BELOW IN THE NORTH WITH SINGLE DIGITS IN  
THE SOUTH.  
 
ANOTHER DRY AND MILDER DAY WILL FOLLOW ON MONDAY. A SOUTHWEST FLOW  
AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF EXITING HIGH PRESSURE WILL ALLOW  
FOR CHILLY, BUT MILDER TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS AND 20S.  
 
A CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM WILL ALLOW FOR PRECIPITATION TO BREAK OUT  
ACROSS THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. IT WILL BE PLENTY COLD  
FOR AN ALL SNOW SITUATION. 12Z OPERATIONAL MODELS AND LATEST  
ENSEMBLE SOLUTIONS SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY OF PLOWABLE SNOW ON THIS  
BUSY TRAVEL DAY. WILL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS IN OUR LATEST DSS PACKAGES.  
 
THE MIDWEEK PERIOD NEXT WEEK LOOKS RELATIVELY DRY. HOWEVER, WILL  
CONTINUE TO MONITOR ANOTHER CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM WHICH MAY REDEVELOPS  
OFF THE COASTLINE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /15Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
SHORT TERM...PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS  
MORNING, BRINGING SOME LOCALIZED RESTRICTIONS... ESPECIALLY AT  
KRKD. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED LATER TODAY  
THROUGH SUNDAY. GUSTY NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL PREVAIL  
TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT WITH GUSTS OF 20-25 KTS. LIGHTER WINDS ARE  
THEN LIKELY ON SUNDAY. NO LLWS IS ANTICIPATED.  
 
LONG TERM...LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE ON MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY  
TUESDAY WITH POSSIBLE RESTRICTIONS. OTHERWISE MAINLY VFR  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SHORT TERM...LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS OFFSHORE THIS MORNING BEFORE  
EXITING OVER THE MARITIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. GUSTY  
NORTHWESTERLY WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 30 KTS WILL PREVAIL WITH A FEW  
GUSTS OUTSIDE OF THE BAYS NEARING 35 KTS. SEAS OF 3-6 FT CAN BE  
EXPECTED. WINDS AND SEAS WILL THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISH ON SUNDAY.  
FREEZING SPRAY IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY.  
 
LONG TERM...A NORTHWESTERLY GRADIENT WILL KEEP WINDS ABOVE SCA  
INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE CONDITIONS WILL EASE INTO NEXT  
WEEK.  
 

 
   
GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
ME...NONE.  
NH...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM EST SUNDAY FOR ANZ150-152-154.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM EST SUNDAY FOR ANZ151-153.  
 

 
 

 
CANNON/EKSTER  
 
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