889  
FXUS61 KLWX 171917  
AFDLWX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC  
217 PM EST SUN NOV 17 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DRIFT SOUTH OF THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT WHILE A  
WEAK SURFACE TROUGH CROSSES FROM WEST TO EAST. A DRY COLD FRONT WILL  
DROP IN FROM THE NORTH MONDAY NIGHT, THEN RETURN NORTHWARD AS A WARM  
FRONT TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS STRONG LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM THE  
PLAINS TO THE GREAT LAKES. A SECOND AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL LIKELY  
DEVELOP NEAR THE MID-ATLANTIC WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY, THEN  
TRACK TOWARD NEW ENGLAND THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK DRAGGING A  
SERIES OF COLD FRONTS THROUGH THE REGION.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
RIDGING ALOFT WILL MOVE OFFSHORE THROUGH TONIGHT WHILE AN  
UPPER-LEVEL LOW HEADS FOR THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY. AT  
THE SURFACE, HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OFF THE COAST AS A TROUGH  
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ABOUT 3 TO 6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH  
TONIGHT AS THIN HIGH CLOUDS INCREASE. THE CLOUDS WILL BE THIN  
ENOUGH TO NOT HINDER RADIATIONAL COOLING IN SHELTERED VALLEY  
LOCATIONS OVERNIGHT.  
 
LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT.  
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL RETURN BY DAYBREAK MONDAY AS THE WEAK  
SURFACE TROUGH CROSSES THE REGION. OTHER THAN PERHAPS AN  
ISOLATED SPRINKLE OR SHOWER ALONG AND WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY  
FRONT IN WESTERN MARYLAND, A DRY PASSAGE OF THE TROUGH IS  
EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/
 
 
THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER-LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND,  
THEN MERGE WITH ANOTHER UPPER-LEVEL LOW OVER THE CANADIAN  
MARITIMES MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. THE CONGLOMERATE CYCLONE  
WILL THEN STALL OFFSHORE OF NOVA SCOTIA AND NEWFOUNDLAND THROUGH  
TUESDAY DUE TO A BUILDING ANOMALOUS RIDGE EXTENDING FROM HUDSON  
BAY TO THE DAVIS STRAIT. LOCALLY, SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL PIVOT  
ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS. THIS WILL PLACE THE MID-ATLANTIC IN A  
MILD BUT DRY PATTERN FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WORKWEEK.  
 
A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WILL DEPART OFFSHORE THROUGH MIDDAY  
MONDAY. THIS BOUNDARY IS DENOTED BY LITTLE MORE THAN A WIND  
SHIFT. THE DOWNSLOPING COMPONENT TO THE NW WIND AND LACK OF  
COLD AIR ADVECTION IS EXPECTED TO SEND TEMPERATURES WELL INTO  
THE 60S TO AROUND 70 MONDAY AFTERNOON EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS,  
WITH 50S FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.  
 
A DRY COLD FRONT SPIRALING AROUND THE LOW TO THE NORTHEAST WILL  
DROP IN FROM THE NORTH MONDAY NIGHT. A LACK OF FORCING (GIVEN  
RIDGING ALOFT) AND MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN ITS DRY PASSAGE.  
 
AFTER STALLING TO THE SOUTH BRIEFLY TUESDAY, THE FRONT WILL  
RETURN NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT HEADING INTO MIDWEEK IN  
RESPONSE TO STRONG LOW PRESSURE SPIRALING FROM THE PLAINS TOWARD  
THE GREAT LAKES. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST DURING  
THIS TIME LOCALLY, THOUGH DAYTIME HIGHS TUESDAY WILL BE A BIT  
COOLER THAN MONDAY. RAIN SHOWER CHANCES WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE  
FROM WEST TO EAST TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE WARM FRONT  
LIFTS NORTH AND THE PARENT UPPER TROUGH DRIVING THE LOW INTO THE  
GREAT LAKES SLOWLY APPROACHES THE MID-ATLANTIC.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
THE HEMISPHERIC PATTERN ACROSS THE MID-LATITUDES WILL BE VERY  
AMPLIFIED DURING THE PERIOD. ON WEDNESDAY, KEY FEATURES INCLUDE  
CLOSED LOWS EAST OF NOVA SCOTIA, ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST, AND  
ANOTHER NEARING THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST. IN PARTICULAR, THE  
SYSTEM ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY WILL USHER IN QUITE A  
PATTERN CHANGE TO THE NORTHEASTERN U.S. AN UPPER LOW, COMPRISED OF  
MID-LEVEL HEIGHT ANOMALIES AROUND 2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS BELOW  
AVERAGE, IS FORECAST TO TRACK FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST TOWARD THE OHIO  
VALLEY ON WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. AS EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE ENERGY  
TRANSLATES EASTWARD, A SURFACE CYCLONE DEVELOPS ACROSS THE OHIO  
VALLEY BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS DAY'S RUNS, THE  
TRENDS HAVE BEEN WEAKER IN TERMS OF SURFACE PRESSURES. EVENTUALLY,  
A TRIPLE POINT LOW FORMS OVER THE LOCAL AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT  
BEFORE PUSHING TOWARD LONG ISLAND ON THURSDAY. THE OVERALL  
SYSTEM TENDS TO CONGEAL AND CONSOLIDATE OVER NEW ENGLAND BY THE  
END OF THE WORKWEEK. A BROAD UPPER LOW PERSISTS OVER THE  
NORTHEASTERN U.S. THROUGH SATURDAY BEFORE ADVANCING INTO  
SOUTHEASTERN CANADA BY THE WEEKEND'S END. MULTI-CYCLE ENSEMBLE  
TRENDS HAVE BEEN TO SLIGHTLY SPEED UP THE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, WITH  
THIS FEATURE CURRENTLY JUST SOUTH OF THE GULF OF ALASKA, DETAILS  
WILL LIKELY CHANGE IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO.  
 
REGARDING SENSIBLE WEATHER IMPACTS, THIS DEEP UPPER LOW IS PRIMED TO  
BRING A PLETHORA OF HAZARDS TO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. WHILE MODELS  
HAVE TRENDED A BIT WEAKER WITH THE LEAD SURFACE LOW ACROSS THE  
OHIO VALLEY/LOWER GREAT LAKES, A BAND OF GUSTY SHOWERS IS STILL  
EXPECTED SOMETIME WEDNESDAY EVENING/NIGHT. THERE IS QUITE A BIT  
OF WIND IN THE CLOUD-BEARING LAYER, BUT WITH RATHER PALTRY  
INSTABILITY GIVEN THE LATE TIMING OF THIS ACTIVITY. THE ACTION  
QUICKLY EXITS TO THE EAST AHEAD OF DAYBREAK ON THURSDAY. THE  
FOCUS THEN SHIFTS TO THE ALLEGHENY FRONT WHERE THE FIRST  
SIGNIFICANT SNOWS OF THE SEASON ARE BECOMING LIKELY. MODEL  
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO FAVOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SNOW SHOWERS,  
SOME BECOMING MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON  
THE STRENGTH/DIRECTION OF THE LOWER TROPOSPHERIC WIND FIELDS,  
QUALITY OF MOISTURE, AND POSITION OF EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES.  
OVERALL, MOUNTAIN TRAVEL MAY BECOME VERY DIFFICULT GIVEN THE  
EXPECTATION OF SNOW COVERED ROADS AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.  
WITH THAT IN MIND, WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE AS  
GRADIENTS TIGHTEN OVER THE AREA. THE THREAT FOR SNOW SHOWERS  
LIKELY PERSISTS INTO SATURDAY GIVEN THE PROLONGED CYCLONIC FLOW  
ALOFT. EXPECT IMPROVING CONDITIONS TO FINISH OUT THE WEEKEND.  
 
DAILY TEMPERATURES FALL RATHER QUICKLY WITH THIS POWERFUL UPPER  
TROUGH. AFTER MID-WEEK HIGHS IN THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S, PRONOUNCED  
COLD ADVECTION AND GUSTY WINDS TAKE SHAPE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. ON  
FRIDAY, MOST CAN EXPECT HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S,  
WITH 30S IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST AROUND 25 TO  
35 MPH, WITH HIGHER GUSTS IN THE MOUNTAIN LOCALES. OVERNIGHT  
TEMPERATURES EACH NIGHT LARGELY REMAIN SEASONABLE IN NATURE. WHILE  
MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION ENDS ON SUNDAY, IT REMAINS COOL BUT WITH  
INCREASING SUNSHINE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DRIFT TO THE SOUTH TONIGHT. LIGHT SOUTHWEST  
FLOW OF 3-5 KTS IS EXPECTED AHEAD OF A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH  
APPROACHING FROM THE WEST THROUGH THE EVENING. LIGHT AND  
VARIABLE WINDS ARE LIKELY OVERNIGHT BEFORE BECOMING NW BY  
DAYBREAK MONDAY. A FEW GUSTS OF 15-20 KTS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY,  
EXCEPT AT KCHO WHERE THE GRADIENT WILL BE MUCH WEAKER. A DRY  
COLD FRONT WILL DROP IN FROM THE NORTH MONDAY NIGHT TURNING  
WINDS TO THE NORTH, EAST, THEN SOUTH THROUGH TUESDAY. VFR  
CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH TUESDAY, THEN LOWER CIGS ARE  
POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE AFOREMENTIONED DRY COLD FRONT  
RETURNS NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE  
HEADING INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS THROUGH.  
 
WHILE WEDNESDAY STARTS OFF WITH VFR CONDITIONS, A STRONG FRONTAL  
SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST MAY BRING A BAND OF GUSTY SHOWERS  
TO THE AREA WEDNESDAY EVENING INTO THE NIGHT. THIS MAY LEAD TO SOME  
RESTRICTIONS AS THIS OCCURS. FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, A PERSISTENT  
UPPER LOW WILL SUPPORT SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY, PARTICULARLY DURING THE  
AFTERNOON HOURS. SUB-VFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES IN THIS  
REGIME. THIS ALSO COMES WITH GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 25  
TO 30 KNOTS, PERHAPS HIGHER DEPENDING ON HOW STRONG THE PARENT  
SYSTEM BECOMES.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT,  
THEN NORTHWEST RETURNS HEADING INTO MONDAY IN THE WAKE OF A  
WEAK SURFACE TROUGH. A FEW GUSTS OF 15-20 KTS ARE POSSIBLE  
AROUND DAYBREAK MONDAY AS THE SURFACE TROUGH CROSSES, THEN AGAIN  
MONDAY MIDDAY/AFTERNOON OVER THE NORTHERN WATERS WHERE THE  
GRADIENT WILL BE A BIT STRONGER AND VERTICAL MIXING WILL BE A  
BIT DEEPER. HAVE HELD OFF ON ANY SCAS DUE TO THE MARGINAL/BRIEF  
NATURE OF THE EXPECTED WINDS. FLOW WILL BECOME NORTH TO EAST  
MONDAY NIGHT IN THE WAKE OF A DRY COLD FRONT DROPPING IN FROM  
THE NORTH, THEN TURN SOUTHERLY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE  
BOUNDARY RETURNS NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. A FEW SHOWERS COULD  
APPROACH THE WATERS TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 
AFTER STARTING OFF WITH SUB-ADVISORY LEVELS WINDS ON WEDNESDAY,  
EXPECT A MARKED RAMP UP AS A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES THE  
WATERS FROM THE WEST. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL BE NEEDED FOR  
WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THE NIGHT GIVEN GUSTY SOUTHERLY  
WINDS. THIS ALSO MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY A THREAT OF LOW-TOPPED  
CONVECTION WHICH COULD TAP INTO THE STRONGER WINDS HIGHER IN THE  
STORM CLOUDS. AS SUCH, A FEW SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS MAY BE  
NEEDED LATE WEDNESDAY. A GUSTY WESTERLY FLOW ENVIRONMENT ENSUES  
INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WHICH WILL NECESSITATE SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORIES. GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM, GALES ARE POSSIBLE  
AS WELL. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.  
 

 
   
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING
 
 
LIGHT WINDS WILL ALLOW SOME EXCESS WATER TO RETURN NORTHWARD UP  
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER THROUGH TONIGHT.  
NEAR MINOR FLOODING MAY RESULT ALONG VULNERABLE SHORELINE SUCH  
AS ANNAPOLIS AND WASHINGTON DC SW WATERFRONT FOR THE EVENING  
HIGH TIDE (HIGHER ASTRONOMICALLY). WINDS WILL BRIEFLY BE  
OFFSHORE MONDAY, BEFORE TURNING EAST THEN SOUTH THROUGH TUESDAY  
NIGHT. ANOMALIES WILL LIKELY REMAIN ELEVATED WITH THE THREAT OF  
AT OR NEAR MINOR FLOODING LINGERING DURING THE EVENING TIDES.  
 
A LARGE AND DEEP AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH THE REGION  
WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THERE IS UNCERTAINTY IN THE EXACT TRACK  
AND STRENGTH OF THE LOW, BUT GIVEN ITS ANOMALOUS DEPTH AND  
POTENTIAL TRACK NEAR THE MID-ATLANTIC, THE THREAT OF AT LEAST  
MINOR TIDAL FLOODING COULD FEASIBLY DEVELOP.  
 

 
   
LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
DC...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
VA...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...DHOF  
NEAR TERM...DHOF  
SHORT TERM...DHOF  
LONG TERM...BRO  
AVIATION...BRO/DHOF  
MARINE...BRO/DHOF  
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...DHOF  
 
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