940  
FXUS61 KOKX 181206  
AFDOKX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY  
706 AM EST SAT JAN 18 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
A FRONTAL SYSTEM PASSES BY TODAY WITH LOW PRESSURE MOVING EAST  
TONIGHT. ANOTHER WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS THE MID ATLANTIC  
COAST ON SUNDAY AND PUSHES NORTHEAST INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. AN  
ARCTIC AIRMASS BUILDS INTO THE REGION FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.  
A WEAK LOW MAY PASS OFFSHORE ON WEDNESDAY, WITH CHANCES FOR  
ANOTHER LOW TO IMPACT THE AREA DURING THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/  
 
FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK WITH ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOUNT  
FOR THE LATEST OBSERVATIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO PUSH OFFSHORE WITH A COLD FRONT  
APPROACHING FROM THE WEST THROUGH THE DAY. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL  
WARM TEMPERATURES AND INCREASE MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL  
PASSAGE TONIGHT. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE  
TO UPPER 40S FOR THE COASTAL AREAS AND LOW 40S FOR THE  
INTERIOR.  
 
SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BEGIN TO APPROACH THE AREA LATE MORNING AND  
GRADUALLY BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD INTO THE AFTERNOON. ENHANCED  
LIFT AND MOISTURE OVER THE EASTERN CWA WILL ALLOW FOR MORE  
ROBUST DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AS THE FRONT APPROACHES THIS  
AFTERNOON. GENERALLY LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN IS  
EXPECTED.  
 
THE FRONT PASSES BY OVERNIGHT WHICH DRIES THE AREA OUT AND SHIFTS  
THE WIND BACK TO THE W AND EVENTUALLY NW INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.  
LOWS WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE 20S TO LOW 30S.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE  
MID-ATLANTIC ON SUNDAY BEING FORCED BY A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE  
ROUNDING THE BASE OF A LARGE TROUGH. AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM  
GRADUALLY STRENGTHENS INTO SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MOISTURE OVERRUNS THE  
NORTHERN SIDE OF THE LOW AND PRECIPITATION BLOSSOMS OVER THE AREA.  
THIS WILL BE AIDED BY LARGE SCALE SYNOPTIC FORCING AS THE AREA WILL  
LIKELY REMAIN ON THE LEFT-EXIT REGION OF AN UPPER-LEVEL JET STREAK.  
 
IT IS WORTH MENTIONING THAT WHILE CONFIDENCE IS HIGH IN THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM, CONFIDENCE IN THE STRENGTH AND  
TRACK OF THE LOW REMAINS MORE UNCERTAIN THAN TYPICALLY EXPECTED  
WITHIN A 48 HOUR TIMEFRAME. THERE ARE GENERALLY TWO SOLUTIONS FOR  
THIS SYSTEM: A MORE AMPLIFIED AND STRONGER LOW THAT RIDES CLOSER TO  
THE COAST WITH MORE SYNOPTIC LIFT AND MOISTURE; AND A WEAKER, MORE  
TRANSIENT LOW THAT RIDES SOUTH OF THE CWA. THESE TWO SOLUTIONS AND  
THE POSSIBLE VARIATIONS BETWEEN THEM MAKE THIS FORECAST PARTICULARLY  
DIFFICULT FOR VARIOUS REASONS.  
 
A MORE AMPLIFIED, STRONGER LOW WILL RESULT IN MORE LIFT AND THE  
REALIZATION OF MORE PRECIPITATION ON THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE  
LOW. THIS WOULD MAKE FOR A WINTER STORM WARNING LEVEL SNOWFALL FOR  
THE INTERIOR CWA WITH A WIDESPREAD 4-8 INCHES OF SNOW WITH  
LOCALLY UP TO 10". SINCE THIS WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN A CLOSER  
PASS OF THE LOW, COASTAL AREAS WOULD SEE A COMBINATION OF LESS  
SYNOPTIC FORCING WITH THE CENTER OF THE LOW PASSING NEARBY AS  
WELL AS MORE MODERATE TEMPERATURES AND A LIKELIHOOD OF A  
PRIMARILY RAIN OR MOSTLY RAIN EVENT, ESPECIALLY FOR LONG ISLAND.  
THE CMC HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN THIS TYPE OF SOLUTION FOR THE  
LAST SEVERAL DAYS.  
 
A WEAKER, MORE TRANSIENT LOW THAT PASSES MORE TO THE SOUTH OF THE  
CWA MAY RESULT IN GENERALLY LIGHTER PRECIPITATION RATES, BUT A  
PRIMARILY SNOW EVENT FOR MUCH OF THE CWA, THOUGH SOME MIXING FOR THE  
IMMEDIATE SOUTH COAST REMAINS POSSIBLE. THIS WOULD RESULT IN A  
SNOWIER SOLUTION FOR THE COAST, BUT WITH LESSER SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR  
THE ENTIRE CWA. A WEAKER AND MORE TRANSIENT LOW WOULD RESULT IN A  
WIDESPREAD 2-5 INCHES FOR MUCH OF THE CWA, OR A WINTER WEATHER  
ADVISORY-TYPE EVENT. THE ECMWF AND MORE RECENTLY THE NAM HAVE THIS  
TYPE OF SOLUTION. THE GFS HAS A TYPE OF HYBRID SOLUTION WITH A  
STRONGER LOW THAT PASSES MORE SOUTH OF THE AREAS RESULTING IN A MORE  
WIDESPREAD WARNING LEVEL EVENT FOR THE INTERIOR AND A HIGH END  
ADVISORY LEVEL EVENT FOR THE COAST.  
 
GIVEN THE REMAINING LARGE AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY, HAVEN'T CHANGED THE  
FORECAST MUCH FROM PREVIOUS. THE BIGGEST CHANGE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT  
DOWNWARD TREND IN THE SNOWFALL FOR LONG ISLAND AND THE SE CT  
COASTLINE DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE P-TYPE DURING THE BEST  
SYNOPTIC LIFT SUNDAY EVENING. A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT  
FOR THE INTERIOR PORTIONS OF THE CWA FOR THE POTENTIAL OF 4-8 INCHES  
OF SNOW.  
 
THE LOW DEPARTS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDING INTO THE AREA FROM THE EST INTO MONDAY. A BRISK NW  
FLOW WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG CAA. HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL BE IN THE  
20S.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
IT WILL BE COLD THRU THE EXTENDED, PARTICULARLY THRU THU, AS AN  
ARCTIC AIRMASS BUILDS INTO THE REGION. THIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT  
HIGH CONFIDENCE FEATURE OF THE FCST. MIN APPARENT TEMPS MON NGT AND  
TUE NGT AROUND -10 PER THE LATEST DATA. IF WE DEVELOP A GOOD  
SNOWPACK, SOME OF THE OVERNIGHT TEMPS MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED DOWN A  
FEW DEGREES. SOME MODIFICATION IN TEMPS TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK,  
WITH HIGHS PERHAPS ECLIPSING FREEZING AT THE COASTS ON FRI.  
 
OUTSIDE OF THE COLD, THERE ARE TWO CHANCES FOR PCPN. THE FIRST IS  
LATE TUE NGT AND WED WITH THE AREA ON THE NRN EDGE OF A MOISTURE  
SHIELD AS A SHRTWV PASSES THRU. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN PRETTY GOOD  
AGREEMENT WITH THE OVERALL IDEA OF THE SYS. THE SFC LOW IS PROGGED  
TO BE WELL OFFSHORE, BUT IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH MOISTURE WITH THE  
VERY COLD AIRMASS IN PLACE TO PRODUCE SOME HIGH RATIO LGT SNOW. SRN  
AREAS FAVORED ATTM, WITH NBM BLENDED POPS COMING IN IN THE CHC  
CATEGORY.  
 
THE NEXT CHC FOR PCPN IS AROUND FRI WITH A POTENTIALLY STRONGER AND  
CLOSER LOW. RIGHT NOW, THE GFS IS WOULD BE A SNOW EVENT FOR MOST OF  
THE AREA, PARTICULARLY ERN AREAS. STRONG WAA ON THE ERN SIDE  
HOWEVER, SO ANY WWD TREND COULD BRING RAIN OR A MIX TO THE COASTS AT  
LEAST. OF COURSE, THE ECMWF IS TOO FAR OUT TO SEA TO PRODUCE ANY  
PCPN ACROSS THE CWA, SO CONFIDENCE IN THE SYS IS LOW. THE NBM POPS  
ARE ACTUALLY DRY, BUT BASED ON THE PREV FCST AND THE GFS/PATTERN,  
MANUALLY BROUGHT THE ENTIRE CWA UP TO SLIGHT CHC.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
A FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE WEST TODAY, PASSING THROUGH  
THIS AFTN.  
 
VFR THIS MRNG WITH LOWERING CIGS. MVFR OR LOWER POSSIBLE AFTER 17Z  
OR SO WITH RAIN DEVELOPING. RAIN ENDS BY 00-03Z AND CONDITIONS BEGIN  
TO IMPROVE TO VFR OVERNIGHT INTO SUN MRNG. IFR CIGS CAN'T BE  
RULED OUT AT TIMES. MVFR AND LOWER RETURNS SUN AFTN WITH SNOW  
DEVELOPING, BUT THE TIMING APPEARS TO BE AFT 18Z ATTM.  
 
INCREASING SLY FLOW THIS MRNG, WITH GUSTS AROUND 20KT AT TIMES INTO  
THIS AFTN. WINDS DROP BELOW 10 KT THIS EVENING AND FLOW GOES NW  
TONIGHT.  
 
...NY METRO (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF UNCERTAINTY...  
 
GUST MAY ONLY BE OCNL TODAY. TIMING OF MVFR CONDS AND RAIN  
COULD BE OFF BY AN HOUR OR TWO. IFR CIGS POSSIBLE.  
   
OUTLOOK FOR 12Z SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
 
SUNDAY: MVFR OR LOWER WITH SNOW DEVELOPING IN THE AFTERNOON AND  
ENDING OVERNIGHT. RUNWAY ACCUMS LIKELY, ESPECIALLY NYC AND N AND  
W.  
 
MONDAY: MAINLY VFR. MVFR POSSIBLE IN THE MORNING. NW WIND GUSTS NEAR  
20 KT.  
 
TUESDAY: VFR. W WIND GUSTS AROUND 20 KT.  
 
WEDNESDAY: CHANCE OF MVFR OR LOWER IN -SN, PARTICULARLY COASTAL  
ARPTS.  
 
DETAILED INFORMATION, INCLUDING HOURLY TAF WIND COMPONENT FORECASTS,  
CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTPS:/WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ZNY/N90  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
A SCA REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE OCEAN WITH INCREASING S WIND GUSTS  
AND WAVE HEIGHTS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM. MORE  
MARGINAL SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE  
BAYS OF LI. THE WINDS THEN SWITCH TO A MORE W DIRECTION WITH A COLD  
FRONT SWINGING THROUGH TONIGHT AS SUB-SCA CONDITIONS PREVAIL THROUGH  
THE DAY SUNDAY, ALTHOUGH VISIBILITIES WILL LOWER. WINDS AND SEAS  
BEGIN TO INCREASE LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH DEVELOPING  
LOW PRESSURE MOVING CLOSER. AS THE LOW PULLS AWAY SUNDAY NIGHT, SCA  
CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL ACROSS ALL WATERS WITH A GUSTY WNW BEHIND  
ANOTHER COLD FRONT. GALES FORCE GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE OCEAN  
ZONES SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. FREEZING SPRAY  
WILL BE LIKELY ON MUCH OF THE OCEAN AND LIS WATERS MONDAY.  
 
MARGINAL SCA CONDITIONS ON THE OCEAN ON TUESDAY, THEN WINDS AND  
WAVES LIKELY BELOW SCA LEVELS ALL WATERS WEDNESDAY THROUGH  
THURSDAY. SOME FREEZING SPRAY CAN BE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
HYDROLOGY  
 
NO HYDROLOGIC ISSUES ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY.  
 
 
   
OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SUNDAY  
NIGHT FOR CTZ005>007.  
NY...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SUNDAY  
NIGHT FOR NYZ067>070.  
NJ...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SUNDAY  
NIGHT FOR NJZ002-004-103>105-107.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ350-  
353-355.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...JMC/MW  
NEAR TERM...MW  
SHORT TERM...MW  
LONG TERM...JMC  
AVIATION...JMC  
MARINE...JMC/MW  
HYDROLOGY...JMC/MW  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab NY Page
The Nexlab NJ Page
The Nexlab CT Page
Main Text Page