180  
FXUS61 KGYX 180636  
AFDGYX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME  
136 AM EST WED FEB 18 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
CHANCES FOR SNOW HAVE SHIFTED SOUTH THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND  
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS HAVE COME DOWN.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1. A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR RAIN AND  
SNOW TO DEVELOP NEAR THE NH/MA BORDER THIS AFTERNOON WITH  
PRECIPITATION BECOMING ALL SNOW THIS EVENING BEFORE ENDING  
AROUND MIDNIGHT. OVERALL THIS SYSTEM HAS TRENDED DRIER WITH  
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AROUND A COATING TO AN INCH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN  
COUNTIES OF NH. SOME SLICK TRAVEL IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE  
EVENING COMMUTE.  
 
2. AN ACTIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND, WITH ONE SYSTEM  
LIKELY TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY EVENING. WHILE CONDITIONS  
LOOK SUPPORTIVE OF MOSTLY SNOW, THERE REMAINS A WIDE SPREAD OF  
SOLUTIONS FOR SNOW MAGNITUDE AND WHERE IT FALLS. MORE UNSETTLED  
WEATHER MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THE SUNDAY/MONDAY TIMEFRAME.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...  
A COLD FRONT CROSSING THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING WILL STALL  
ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THROUGH TONIGHT. LATEST AVAILABLE  
00Z GUIDANCE HAS TRENDED DRIER WITH PRECIPITATION THAT FORMS  
ALONG THIS BOUNDARY WITH MANY MODEL SOLUTIONS KEEPING  
PRECIPITATION CONFINED SOUTH OF THE NH/MA BORDER. THE LATEST NBM  
HAS COME DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH CHANCES FOR SNOW AND SNOW  
ACCUMULATIONS. CHANCES FOR SNOW ARE NOW CONFINED TO THE SOUTHERN  
TIER OF COUNTIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WITH POPS TOPPING OUT AROUND  
50 PERCENT ALONG THE NH/MA BORDER. LIKEWISE, SNOW AMOUNTS OF A  
COATING TO AN INCH ARE CONFINED TO AN AREA FROM KEENE TO  
MANCHESTER AND POINTS SOUTHWARD. THE BEST CHANCES FOR  
ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL OCCUR AROUND THE TIME FOR THE EVENING  
COMMUTE SOME SLICK TRAVEL STILL REMAINS POSSIBLE. CHANCES FOR  
SNOW WILL DIMINISH BETWEEN 10 PM AND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2 DESCRIPTION...  
AN OCCLUDING LOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES ON THURSDAY MAY ALLOW FOR THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE EAST COAST ON FRIDAY. THE  
REDEVELOPMENT SHOULD LIMIT WARM AIR ADVECTION INTO THE NORTHEAST,  
WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR TEMPERATURES TO STAY COLDER ACROSS THE REGION.  
FOR MOST ACROSS OUR AREA, THERMAL PROFILES GENERALLY LOOK TO BE  
SUPPORTIVE OF MOSTLY SNOW DESPITE ABOVE FREEZING HIGH TEMPERATURES  
ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE LOW COULD INTENSIFY AS IT LEAVES NEW  
ENGLAND, WITH MEASURABLE SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS NEW HAMPSHIRE AND  
MAINE. AT THIS POINT, MODELS SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING THE MOST WITH  
QPF, AS SOME MEMBERS HAVE A MUCH BROADER SHIELD OF SNOW OVER THE  
AREA THAN OTHERS. SLICK AND SNOW COVERED ROADS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE  
FRIDAY EVENING AND SATURDAY MORNING COMMUTES.  
 
WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON A POTENTIAL SYSTEM IN THE SUNDAY/MONDAY  
TIMEFRAME AS WELL. A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY EXISTS WITH THIS POTENTIAL  
SYSTEM, WITH ALL SOLUTIONS REMAINING ON THE TABLE.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /04Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY...CEILINGS HAVE SCATTERED ACROSS SOUTHERN  
TAF SITES WITH ALL SITES TRENDING TOWARDS VFR BETWEEN 07Z AND  
11Z. CLOUDS THICKEN AND LOWER ACROSS SOUTHERN NH STARTING AROUND  
18Z. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR THE NH/MA BORDER FROM  
21Z UNTIL 04Z. KMHT WILL SEE THE BEST CHANCE TO SEE SOME MVFR  
DURING THIS TIME WHILE REMAINING TAF SITES LIKELY STAY VFR.  
 
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: MVFR CIGS MAY REMAIN ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN NH,  
TRENDING TO VFR OVERNIGHT.  
 
THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT: VFR W/ NO SIG WX.  
 
FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT: MVFR CIGS APPROACH FROM THE WEST  
ACROSS NH WITH SN. IFR VIS POSSIBLE IN SN.  
 
SATURDAY: UNCERTAINTY HOW QUICKLY SN EXITS EAST ALONG WITH  
CEILING RESTRICTIONS.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY: TREND SHOULD BE VFR WITH HIGH  
PRESSURE TO THE NORTH.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
SEAS ALONG THE OUTER WATERS WILL RUN NEAR 5 FEET THROUGH TODAY  
FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING 20-25 KTS  
TONIGHT. HAVE HOISTED AN SCA FOR THE OUTER WATERS THROUGH 12Z  
THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTH BRINGS QUIET  
CONDITIONS OVER THE WATERS THURSDAY.  
 
LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND FRIDAY INTO  
SATURDAY BRINGING INCREASED NE FLOW. THIS WILL BRING A PERIOD  
OF SCA CONDITIONS WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS. IN NE WINDS, WAVE  
HEIGHTS SHOULD RESPOND, BUILDING 5 TO 6 FT OFF THE NH SEACOAST  
AND SOUTHERN ME COAST.  
 
 
   
GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ME...NONE.  
NH...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST THURSDAY FOR ANZ150-152-  
154.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...PALMER/SCHROETER  
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