324  
FXUS61 KOKX 230004  
AFDOKX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY  
704 PM EST THU JAN 22 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO  
MONDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1.) AN ARCTIC AIR MASS SETTLES INTO THE REGION LATE FRIDAY, WITH  
SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST  
MID NEXT WEEK. SOME OF THE COLDEST AIR WILL BE FRIDAY NIGHT. A  
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE ENTIRE AREA FOR  
THAT TIME FRAME FOR MINIMUM WIND CHILL VALUES BETWEEN -5 AND  
-10.  
 
2.) CONFIDENCE HIGH ENOUGH TO ISSUE LONG LEAD TIME WINTER STORM  
WATCHES FOR THE ENTIRE CWA.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
   
KEY MESSAGE 1  
 
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH ON FRIDAY AND USHER IN AN ARCTIC  
AIR MASS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN. NOT ONLY WILL ACTUAL AIR  
TEMPERATURES DROP TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND LOWER TEENS FRIDAY  
NIGHT, BUT SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND  
15-20 MPH. THIS WILL COMBINE TO BRING MINIMUM WIND CHILL VALUES  
DOWN TO -5 TO -10. COLD WEATHER ADVISORY ISSUED. NBM TEMPS WERE  
FOLLOWED, BUT WINDS WERE ADJUSTED CLOSER TO THE NBM 90TH  
PERCENTILE DUE TO A KNOWN LOW BIAS.  
 
THE FRIGID AIR MASS REMAINS ON SATURDAY, AND FORECAST HIGHS IN  
THE TEENS REGION-WIDE WILL MAKE IT ONE OF THE COLDEST DAYS IN  
THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. RECORD COLD HIGHS COULD BE TIED OR  
BROKEN (SEE CLIMATE SECTION BELOW) AT SOME SITES. WHILE NOT AS  
BITTERLY COLD AS SATURDAY, THE SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES LOOK TO  
PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST MID NEXT WEEK, LIKELY AIDED BY A FRESH  
SNOWPACK, WITH DAYTIME HIGHS IN THE 20S FOR MOST, AND LOWS IN  
THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS. WIND CHILLS COULD APPROACH ADVISORY  
CRITERIA ONCE AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING.  
   
KEY MESSAGE 2  
 
AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE RETREATS TO THE NE LATE SAT NIGHT INTO  
SUNDAY, AN EXPANSIVE WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE AREA FROM THEN  
INTO MON. PRIMARY LOW PRESSURE MOVING INTO THE TN VALLEY ON  
SUNDAY SHOULD DISSIPATE WHILE A SECONDARY LOW FORMS NEAR CAPE  
HATTERAS AND THE VA CAPES, AND THEN MOVES TO A POSITION JUST  
INSIDE THE 40N/70W BENCHMARK. SNOW SHOULD BEGIN IN THE NYC METRO  
AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT SAT NIGHT AND SPREAD NE TO THE REST OF THE  
CWA BY DAYBREAK, WITH SOME ACCUMULATION OF 1-2 INCHES POSSIBLE  
BY DAYBREAK FOR THE NYC METRO AREA. HEAVY SNOW IS THEN LIKELY  
DAYTIME SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING VIA STRONG FRONT-END H7-8  
FRONTOGENETIC AND THERMAL FORCING AIDED BY AN ANTICYCLONIC UPPER  
JET TO THE NORTH. GIVEN THE COLD AIR MASS IN PLACE, SNOW RATIOS  
LOOK TO BE ON THE HIGH SIDE (15:1) AT THE ONSET, AND THEN  
SETTLE DOWN A LITTLE CLOSER TO 12:1 AS HEAVIER PRECIP ARRIVES  
AND THE LOW TO MID LEVELS SLOWLY WARM.  
 
DEPENDING ON THE ULTIMATE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM, IT REMAINS  
POSSIBLE ENOUGH WARM AIR COULD INTRUDE ALOFT TO FORCE A BRIEF  
MIX WITH SLEET AND/OR FREEZING RAIN SUNDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY FOR  
NYC AND LONG ISLAND. HAVE ONLY MENTIONED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  
THIS OCCURRING, AND AT ANY RATE THE DAMAGE WILL HAVE BEEN DONE  
WELL BEFORE THEN AS FAR AS MEETING 6+ INCH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS.  
 
TOTAL QPF FOR THE EVENT SHOULD BE ROUGHLY BETWEEN 1.0-1.5  
INCHES. WATCH MENTIONS POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST 6-12 INCHES WITH  
POTENTIAL FOR 12 OR MORE INCHES. THE ABOVE QPF WITH HIGHER SNOW  
RATIOS YIELDS WIDESPREAD POTENTIAL ACCUMULATIONS OF OVER A FOOT.  
 
AS THE COASTAL SYSTEM EXITS NORTH AND EAST INTO MONDAY, THE  
DEEPENING LOW AND AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH MAY ALLOW FOR  
SOME ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATION MUCH OF THE DAY AS WELL,  
THOUGH HEAVY SNOWFALL SHOULD BE OVER BY THAT POINT.  
 
COASTAL FLOODING DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A BIG ISSUE WITH THIS  
STORM. NYHOPS GUIDANCE DOES SHOW POTENTIAL FOR MINOR FLOODING ON  
THE BACK BAYS OF NASSAU LATE SUNDAY NIGHT, WHILE BIAS-CORRECTED  
STOFS SHOWS WATER LEVELS AT NEARLY ALL SITES REMAINING BELOW  
MINOR FLOOD THRESHOLDS AS TIDAL DEPARTURES REMAIN BELOW 2 FT.  
UNCERTAINTY IS ON THE HIGH SIDE DUE TO THE LONG LEAD TIME, AND  
GUIDANCE CAN SOMETIMES BE SLOW TO CATCH UP WITH UNFOLDING LONGER  
TERM EVENTS, SO IF DEPARTURES ARE CLOSER TO 2.5 FT, THEN SOME  
MINOR FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE AT THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE LATE  
SUNDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN MON AFTERNOON.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND A DEPARTING COLD FRONT TONIGHT,  
THEN ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH DURING FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON/EVENING.  
 
VFR. WSW-W WINDS 10-15KT, BCMG MORE WNW TOWARDS THE END OF THE  
FRIDAY MORNING PUSH, INCREASING AND BECOMING GUSTY. AFTERNOON  
WINDS AROUND 20KT WITH GUSTS AROUND 30KT - STILL PREVAILING  
SOUTH OF 310 MAGNETIC. WINDS VEERING MORE NW FRIDAY NIGHT AND  
DIMINISHING SLIGHTLY.  
 
...NY METRO (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF UNCERTAINTY...  
 
OCCASIONAL GUSTS UP TO 20 KT MAY BEGIN 05Z-06Z AND LAST THROUGH  
THE ENTIRE MORNING PUSH.  
   
OUTLOOK FOR 00Z SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT: VFR. NW WINDS G25-30KT.  
 
SATURDAY: VFR. NW WINDS G15-20KT. MAINLY IN THE MORNING.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY: SNOW DEVELOPING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH  
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT, ENDING ON MONDAY. NE WINDS 10-15KT  
G20-25KT, BECOMING NW ON MONDAY.  
 
TUESDAY: VFR. W WINDS G20KT.  
 
DETAILED INFORMATION, INCLUDING HOURLY TAF WIND COMPONENT  
FORECASTS, CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTPS:/WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ZNY/N90  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
A FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE OCEAN AND  
SOUND FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. A COMBINATION OF ELEVATED SEAS, 20-30 KT  
WINDS AND AIR TEMPS IN THE TEENS WILL RESULT IN MODERATE  
FREEZING SPRAY (ACCUMULATION OF 0.3 INCHES TO 0.8 INCHES PER  
HOUR). THE OVERLAND TECHNIQUE WAS MAINLY FOLLOWED, BUT  
STALLABRASS AND MINCOG MODELS AS VIEWED ON OPC'S FREEZING SPRAY  
GUIDANCE PAGE ARE ALSO SHOWING MODERATE VESSEL ICING RATES.  
OTHER BAY AREAS AND THE NEW YORK HARBOR WILL LIKELY NOT SEE  
WAVES HIGH ENOUGH TO RESULT IN MODERATE VESSEL ICING, BUT SOME  
LIGHT ICING CAN NOT BE RULED OUT.  
 
SCA ON THE OCEAN REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. GUSTS  
UP TO 25 KT ARE POSSIBLE MOST OF TONIGHT, BUT THEN A LULL MAY BE  
POSSIBLE VERY LATE TONIGHT INTO FRI MORNING. WINDS AND SEAS PICK  
BACK UP ON FRI WITH CONDITIONS CLOSE TO GALE, SO AN UPGRADE TO A  
GALE WARNING CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. ON ALL OTHER WATERS A SMALL  
CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY  
NIGHT FOR 25-30 KT WIND GUSTS. CONDITIONS LOOK TO FINALLY FALL  
BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA ON SATURDAY.  
 
AS A WINTER STORM AFFECTS THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK, NE GALES MAY  
BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON THE OCEAN, AND ON ALL WATERS  
SUNDAY NIGHT. THERE MAY BE A LULL (WITH SCA COND) BEFORE NW  
GALES RESUME LATE MON AFTERNOON ON THE OCEAN WATERS AND ON ALL  
WATERS MON NIGHT. THESE GALES MAY LINGER INTO TUE ON THE OCEAN.  
FOLLOWING THAT, SCA COND LIKELY ON ALL WATERS INTO TUE NIGHT.  
 
 
   
CLIMATE  
 
RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES:  
 
JANUARY 24:  
KEWR: 15/1936  
KBDR: 20/2014  
KNYC: 6/1882  
KLGA: 18/1987  
KJFK: 19/1987  
KISP: 19/2014  
 
 
   
OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST SATURDAY  
FOR CTZ005>012.  
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR CTZ005>012.  
NY...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST SATURDAY  
FOR NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179.  
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179.  
NJ...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST SATURDAY  
FOR NJZ002-004-006-103>108.  
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR NJZ002-004-006-103>108.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 6 AM EST SATURDAY  
FOR ANZ331-332-335-338-340-345.  
FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 6 AM EST SATURDAY  
FOR ANZ331-332-335-350-353-355.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST SATURDAY FOR ANZ350-353.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST SATURDAY FOR ANZ355.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...GOODMAN/JT  
AVIATION...JC/DW  
MARINE...GOODMAN/JT  
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