472  
FXUS61 KPHI 190904  
AFDPHI  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ  
404 AM EST THU DEC 19 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE BRIEFLY RETURNS THURSDAY AHEAD OF ANOTHER AREA OF  
LOW PRESSURE WHICH PASSES BY ON FRIDAY AS SECONDARY LOW  
PRESSURE DEVELOPS OFFSHORE. IN ITS WAKE, COLD CANADIAN HIGH  
PRESSURE ARRIVES FOR THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A NEW  
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE COULD AFFECT THE AREA BY CHRISTMAS EVE INTO  
CHRISTMAS DAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/
 
 
THE COLD FRONT HAS NOW MOVED OFF THE COAST AND PRECIPITATION HAS  
CONCLUDED. SKIES ARE BEGINNING TO SCATTER OUT AT THIS HOUR AND  
SHOULD BECOME MOSTLY CLEAR BY DAYBREAK. TEMPERATURES ARE MAINLY IN  
THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S AT THIS HOUR AND WILL FALL A FEW MORE  
DEGREES BEFORE SUNRISE.  
 
BEHIND THE FRONT, HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO WILL MOVE INTO  
SOUTHERN QUEBEC LATER TODAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN COOL/DRY NORTHERLY  
FLOW AND RATHER BENIGN WEATHER FOR THE DAY TODAY. SOME PASSING HIGH  
CLOUDS ARE LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS AN IMPULSE ALOFT PASSES  
THROUGH, BUT NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. HIGH TEMPS WILL BE QUITE  
SEASONABLE; MAINLY IN THE 40S AREAWIDE WITH 30S ACROSS THE POCONO  
PLATEAU.  
 
HEADING INTO TONIGHT, HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN CONTROL TO OUR  
NORTH, HOWEVER CLOUD COVER WILL STEADILY INCREASE DURING THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS AHEAD OF OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM. LOW TEMPERATURES  
WILL BOTTOM OUT IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S/LOW TO MID 30S BEFORE CLOUDS  
ARRIVE AND LEVEL TEMPERATURES OFF.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/
 
 
A DEEPENING UPPER TROUGH WILL BE APPROACHING THE AREA TO CLOSE THE  
WEEK, WHICH WILL BE ACCOMPANIED WITH SEVERAL SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN  
THE FLOW. AT THE SURFACE, LOW PRESSURE ORIGINATING OVER THE HIGH  
PLAINS WILL TRAVERSE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION AND  
APPROACH OUR REGION BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. FORECAST GUIDANCE HAS  
TRENDED A LITTLE DEEPER WITH THE PRIMARY SHORTWAVE, SO AS THE LOW  
APPROACHES, SOME PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND OVERSPREAD  
THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. AT THE SAME TIME, A SECONDARY LOW  
WILL BE DEVELOPING A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST  
AND DEEPEN RAPIDLY AS IT LIFTS NORTHEAST; ENHANCED BY SPEED MAX  
ROUNDING BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH.  
 
WITH THE LOW OFFSHORE REMAINING IN 'CLOSE ENOUGH' PROXIMITY TO THE  
AREA, IT IS LIKELY THAT THERE WILL BE SOME AREAS OF MAINLY LIGHT  
RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE  
INITIAL LOW TRANSITIONS ITS ENERGY TO THE OFFSHORE LOW. IN ADDITION,  
SOME FORECAST GUIDANCE INDICATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INVERTED /  
NORLUN TROUGH SET-UP ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE OFFSHORE LOW. THIS  
WOULD ENHANCE PRECIPITATION ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA, HOWEVER, IT  
IS STILL UNCERTAIN WHERE OR IF THIS FEATURE IS TO EVEN DEVELOP AT  
THIS TIME. FOR NOW, THE BEST CHANCE OF OBSERVING ACCUMULATING SNOW  
WILL BE ACROSS THE LEHIGH VALLEY, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AND IN THE  
POCONOS WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER THROUGH THE DURATION OF  
THE EVENT. CURRENT FORECAST SNOW TOTALS IN THESE AREAS ARE FOR  
BETWEEN 1-2", LOCALLY UP TO 3". LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF A DUSTING UP  
TO 1" ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA  
AND NORTHERN DELAWARE AS RAIN TRANSITIONS TO SNOW ON FRIDAY NIGHT AS  
TEMPERATURES COOL BELOW/NEAR FREEZING. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THOUGH  
THAT THESE TYPE OF INVERTED TROUGH SETUPS ARE NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT  
TO FORECAST AS THEY CAN SOMETIMES HAVE LOCALIZED HEAVIER  
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS. IF THIS OCCURS, SOME AREAS COULD "OVER  
PERFORM" AND SEE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 4 OR 5 INCHES. BEST  
CHANCES FOR THIS WOULD BE CENTRAL INTO NW NJ, NE PA.  
 
PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST BY EARLY SATURDAY  
MORNING AS THE LOW EXITS TOWARD NOVA SCOTIA. THE REMAINDER OF THE  
DAY SATURDAY WILL BE BLUSTERY AND COLD WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM THE  
20S TO LOW 30S NORTH WITH MID TO HIGH 30S FOR HIGHS NEAR AND  
SOUTH/EAST OF THE I-95 CORRIDOR. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO THE  
FALL INTO THE TEENS SATURDAY NIGHT AN ARCTIC AIRMASS BEGINS TO TAKE  
HOLD ACROSS THE REGION.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
AN EXPANSIVE AREA OF ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE IN FOR SUNDAY  
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. SUNDAY'S HIGHS WILL ONLY BE IN THE 20S AREA  
WIDE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS FOR THE POCONOS. TEMPERATURES  
WILL THEN CRATER COME SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SINGLE DIGITS FORECASTED FOR  
THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND THE PINE BARRENS WITH THE URBAN CORRIDOR  
AND COASTAL STRIP IN THE LOW-TEENS, MAKING FOR THE COLDEST NIGHT IN  
SOME TIME!  
 
MONDAY WILL ONLY BE A BIT BETTER THAN SUNDAY AS THE AIRMASS STARTS  
TO MODIFY WITH HIGHS GENERALLY RANGING FROM THE MID 20S NORTH TO THE  
LOW TO MID 30S SOUTH. A NEW WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BE APPROACHING THE  
AREA BY THE CHRISTMAS EVE INTO CHRISTMAS DAY TIME FRAME AS THE HIGH  
PRESSURE SYSTEM STARTS TO RETREAT AND TEMPERATURES MODIFY. THIS  
CURRENTLY DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A MAJOR SYSTEM BUT COULD FEATURE A  
WINTRY MIX FOR PARTS OF THE AREA LIKELY TRANSITIONING TO MAINLY RAIN  
CHRISTMAS DAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /09Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG,  
KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS...  
 
REST OF TONIGHT (THROUGH 12Z)...A MIX OF MVFR/VFR CEILINGS EXPECTED.  
CEILINGS SHOULD BECOME VFR BY 10Z AT ALL TERMINALS. W-NW WINDS  
AROUND 10 KT WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS UP TO 18-20 KT POSSIBLE. MODERATE  
CONFIDENCE.  
 
THURSDAY...VFR EXPECTED UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. NW-N WINDS AROUND  
8-13 KT, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS AROUND MIDDAY. HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT...MAINLY VFR EXPECTED WITH AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS  
LATE. N-NE WINDS AROUND 5 KT. HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...SUB-VFR LIKELY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN  
AND/OR SNOW.  
 
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...VFR. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM THIS MORNING FOR ALL  
THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND THE DELAWARE BAY.  
 
NORTH-NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25-30 KT ARE  
EXPECTED THIS MORNING WITH SEAS OF 4-5 FEET. WINDS WILL DIMINISH  
DURING THE AFTERNOON TO 10-20 KT WHILE SEAS ABATE TO 2-4 FEET.  
 
FOR TONIGHT, NO MARINE HEADLINES ARE EXPECTED. NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS  
AROUND 10-15 KT AND SEAS OF 2-3 FEET.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...INCREASING WINDS/SEAS WITH SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY CONDITIONS LIKELY BY LATE FRIDAY LASTING THROUGH SATURDAY.  
WIND GUSTS COULD EVEN APPROACH GALE FORCE BY LATER SATURDAY.  
 
SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY LINGER INTO EARLY  
SUNDAY HOWEVER WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE DIMINISHING BY THIS TIME. THE  
REMAINDER OF SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL SEE CONDITIONS BELOW SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY LEVELS.  
 

 
   
PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
PA...NONE.  
NJ...NONE.  
DE...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR ANZ430-  
431-450>455.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...FITZSIMMONS/MJL  
NEAR TERM...DESILVA  
SHORT TERM...FITZSIMMONS/MJL  
LONG TERM...FITZSIMMONS/MJL  
AVIATION...DESILVA/MJL  
MARINE...DESILVA/MJL  
 
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