942  
FXUS61 KPHI 170553  
AFDPHI  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ  
1253 AM EST TUE DEC 17 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES IN LATER THIS EVENING AND  
CONTINUES INTO EARLY TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE LOOKS TO BUILD IN  
BRIEFLY LATER TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AFFECTS  
OUR REGION LATER WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN ON THURSDAY,  
WITH A CLIPPER SYSTEM POTENTIALLY MOVING INTO THE AREA TO CLOSE  
OUT THE WEEK. MUCH COLDER WEATHER ARRIVES BY THE END OF THE  
WEEKEND, POTENTIALLY CONTINUING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/  
 
A DREARY AND WET START TO THE WEEK IS ONGOING. A WARM FRONT IS  
TRYING TO PUSH NORTHWARD, BUT STRUGGLING WITH SOME PESKY COLD  
AIR VIA COLD AIR DAMMING REMAINING IN PLACE NEAR AND NORTH OF  
I-78. SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN THOUGH, PUSHING THE  
WARM FRONT THROUGH THE NORTHERN AREAS OVERNIGHT. MEANWHILE, A  
WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES BY TO THE NORTH, BRINGING RAIN  
SHOWERS ACROSS THE REGION. A SOUTHWESTERLY LOW- LEVEL JET WILL  
ALSO ENHANCE RAINFALL, WITH PERIODS OF RAIN EXPECTED THROUGH  
AROUND 2-4 AM. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ON THE FASTER SIDE, WITH  
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ONLY GETTING INTO THE 0.1"-0.3" INCH RANGE.  
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE, BUT NOTHING MORE THAN A  
HALF INCH. WITH THE WARM FRONT MOVING THROUGH THIS EVENING, AND  
WARM AIR ADVECTION STRENGTHENING, TEMPERATURES WILL ACTUALLY  
RISE OVERNIGHT, GETTING INTO THE UPPER 40S/LOW 50S.  
 
RAIN MOVES OUT BY DAYBREAK, THOUGH THE COLD FRONT AND ENSUING  
COLD- AIR ADVECTION WILL LAG BEHIND A BIT. MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES  
AND SOME LINGERING FOG POSSIBLE THROUGH LATE MORNING, THEN  
CLEARING OUT INTO THE AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO  
THE MID TO UPPER 50S/LOW 60S WITH SKIES CLEARING OUT AS THE DAY  
GOES ON.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/  
 
A MORE SEASONABLE AND CERTAINLY DRY NIGHT IS ON TAP FOR TUESDAY  
NIGHT WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IN CONTROL. LOWS WILL BE ABOUT 10  
DEGREES BELOW THOSE EXPECTED TONIGHT, MOSTLY IN THE 30S, WHICH  
IS STILL A LITTLE ON THE PLUS SIDE OF NORMAL, BUT NOT NEARLY AS  
MUCH AS IT WILL BE TONIGHT.  
 
NEXT LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST ON WEDNESDAY,  
SO WHILE IT SHOULD START OUT DRY WITH A BIT OF SUN, CLOUDS  
INCREASE AS THE DAY WEARS ON WITH RAIN LIKELY ARRIVING IN THE  
AFTERNOON. GUIDANCE HAS WAVERED ON THIS A BIT, WITH SOME  
GUIDANCE LIKE THE LATEST GFS HOLDING OFF ON THE RAIN FOR THE  
I-95 CORRIDOR ON SOUTH AND EAST UNTIL EVENING, BUT IT STILL  
LOOKS LIKELY TO RAIN AT SOME POINT LATER WEDNESDAY INTO  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGHS WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES BELOW TUESDAY'S  
HIGHS, UPPER 40S TO LOW 50S FOR THE MOST PART, WHICH IS STILL  
ABOVE NORMAL, BUT NEARLY AS FAR ABOVE AS TUESDAY.  
 
THE LOW PRESSURE PULLS EAST OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY,  
WITH PERHAPS A LITTLE SNOW IN THE POCONOS ON THE TAIL END, BUT  
OVERALL, A MOSTLY NON-WINTRY SYSTEM. IN FACT, THERE ISN'T AN  
IMMEDIATE COLD PUSH BEHIND IT, SO LOWS MOSTLY STAY ABOVE  
FREEZING EXCEPT IN THE POCONOS. BY DAYBREAK THURSDAY, THE AREA  
SHOULD BE DRY ONCE AGAIN AS HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD IN  
WITH COLDER AIR FOLLOWING BEHIND THE DEPARTING LOW. HIGHS MAINLY  
IN THE 40S ARE EXPECTED.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
COLDER AIR CONTINUES TO MOVE IN THROUGH THE LONG TERM AS HIGH  
PRESSURE REMAINS LARGELY IN CONTROL.  
 
THE EXCEPTION BEING A POTENTIAL CLIPPER SYSTEM SWINGING BY ON  
FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVE CONTINUED TO HOLD ONTO SLIGHT  
CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS (MAINLY 20-30%) BUT THE LATEST OPERATIONAL  
MODELS HAVE CONTINUED THE NOTABLY DRIER TREND AS THE LOW  
PRESSURE MOSTLY FIZZLES AND STAYS A BIT FURTHER NORTH. THUS, A  
CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW, BUT ODDS RIGHT NOW APPEAR TO CONTINUE  
TO BE DIMINISHING THAT THERE WILL BE ANY IMPACT FROM THIS  
SYSTEM. HIGHS WILL DROP A FEW DEGREES, BUT STILL NOT FAR FROM  
NORMAL.  
 
THAT PART CHANGES AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND, AND ANOTHER  
STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTHWARD ACROSS OUR  
REGION. THIS ONE MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE COLDEST AIR SINCE  
LAST JANUARY, RIVALING LAST WINTER'S COLDEST DAYS, WITH HIGHS BY  
SUNDAY POTENTIALLY STAYING IN THE 20S AND LOWS IN THE SINGLE  
DIGITS AND TEENS. THE LACK OF SNOW COVER LIKELY KEEPS THINGS A  
LITTLE MORE MODERATE, BUT EITHER WAY, IT COULD BE QUITE A SHOCK  
TO THE SYSTEM. SO, IF YOU LIKE REALLY COLD AND DRY WEATHER,  
SUNDAY IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE YOUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE  
FORECAST. TEMPERATURES MAY BEGIN TO MODERATE SLIGHTLY INTO  
MONDAY, AS THE CENTER OF THE HIGH SHIFTS EASTWARD, BUT DRY  
CONDITIONS LOOK TO CONTINUE.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG,  
KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS...  
 
REST OF TONIGHT (THROUGH 12Z)...ANOTHER QUICK MOVING SYSTEM  
WITH LOW CIGS/VSBYS AND PERIODS OF RAIN EXPECTED. PRIMARILY  
LIFR/IFR CIGS WITH AN IMPROVEMENT TO IFR AFTER THE RAIN ENDS BY  
09Z FOR THE REMAINING SITES WITH LIFR. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS  
INCREASING TO AROUND 5-10 KNOTS. SOME GUSTS NEAR 18-20 KTS  
POSSIBLE. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL LIKELY HELP LIMIT VISIBILITY  
RESTRICTIONS AND FAVOR LOW CIGS. LLWS ANTICIPATED AT MOST SITES  
DURING THE PERIOD OF RAINFALL OVERNIGHT. HIGH CONFIDENCE IN  
PREVAILING LIFR/IFR, LOW CONFIDENCE ON TIMING OF ANY  
IMPROVEMENT.  
 
TUESDAY...PRIMARILY IFR TO START, BUT CONDITIONS IMPROVING TO  
VFR BY 15-18Z. WHILE CEILINGS LIKELY REMAIN IFR, VISIBILITY  
SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPROVE BY 12Z OR SO. SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10  
KTS EARLY SHIFTING WESTERLY AROUND 15-18Z WITH SOME 18-20 KTS  
GUSTS AT TIMES. MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN TIMING OF IMPROVEMENT.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT...VFR WITH NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER.  
 
WEDNESDAY...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS TO START. INCREASING  
RESTRICTIONS, LIKELY TO IFR, BY LATE WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT AS WIDESPREAD RAIN MOVES INTO THE REGION, CONTINUING  
THROUGH MUCH OF WEDNESDAY NIGHT. CONDITIONS BEGIN TO IMPROVE  
BACK TOWARDS VFR LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS RAIN CLEARS OUT OF THE  
REGION.  
 
THURSDAY...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED.  
 
FRIDAY...SUB-VFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WITH A CHANCE FOR RAIN  
AND/OR SNOW.  
 
SATURDAY...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
SOME AREAS OF FOG WITH VISIBILITY NEAR 1 NAUTICAL MILE HAVE BEEN  
OBSERVED IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS THIS EVENING. AREAS OF FOG AND  
PERIODS OF RAIN WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT.  
 
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OCEAN ZONES UNTIL 1  
PM TOMORROW. THE SCA CONTINUES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF TUESDAY  
FOR COASTAL ZONES NORTH OF GREAT EGG INLET. SEAS OF 4 TO 6 FEET  
ARE EXPECTED THOUGH WIND GUSTS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST COULD GET  
NEAR 25 KT AT TIMES TONIGHT.  
 
ON DELAWARE BAY, NO MARINE HEADLINES EXPECTED AS WINDS WILL BE  
MUCH LIGHTER, GENERALLY AROUND 10-20 KT OUT OF THE  
SOUTH/SOUTHWEST THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING, BECOMING WESTERLY FOR  
THE AFTERNOON.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MAINLY SUB-SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY CONDITIONS BUT WIND GUSTS AROUND 20 KNOTS POSSIBLE  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...SCA CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AS  
WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 25 KNOTS WITH AROUND 5 FOOT SEAS.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...SUB-SCA CONDITIONS EXPECTED.  
 
SATURDAY...SCA CONDITIONS POSSIBLE.  
 
 
   
PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
PA...NONE.  
NJ...NONE.  
DE...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ450-  
451.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR  
ANZ452>455.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...AKL/RCM  
NEAR TERM...HOEFLICH/MJL/STAARMANN  
SHORT TERM...AKL/RCM  
LONG TERM...AKL/RCM  
AVIATION...AKL/HOEFLICH/MJL/STAARMANN  
MARINE...AKL/HOEFLICH  
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