421  
FXUS61 KPHI 162111  
AFDPHI  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ  
511 PM EDT WED SEP 16 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
AVIATION SECTION UPDATED FOR THE 18Z TAFS.  
 
THE ONSET OF UNSETTLED CONDITIONS THIS WEEKEND HAS TRENDED  
SLIGHTLY EARLIER TO INCLUDE SATURDAY NIGHT.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1. HIGH PRESSURE ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD MOVES OUT TO SEA AS  
A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  
 
2. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY  
NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.  
 
3. A STRETCH OF UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL BEGIN SATURDAY NIGHT  
INTO SUNDAY, CONTINUING INTO THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK.  
MONITORING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...HIGH PRESSURE ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD MOVES  
OUT TO SEA AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD MOVES OUT TO SEA  
TONIGHT. MEANWHILE, A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY  
CONTINUES TO TRACK EAST. SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS TONIGHT AND  
THEN INCREASES ON THURSDAY. A WARM AND HUMID DAY, AT LEAST BY  
MID-SEPTEMBER STANDARDS, SETS UP ON THURSDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE  
LOW TO MID 80S AND SURFACE DEW POINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S.  
SOME SHOWERS, PERHAPS A THUNDERSTORM, MAY MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN  
POCONOS, LEHIGH VALLEY, AND FAR NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY STARTING  
AROUND MIDDAY AND INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS ARE POSSIBLE  
THURSDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.  
 
THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT WILL TRACK FROM NORTHWEST TO  
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT, CLEARING THE REGION  
BY FRIDAY MORNING. AS IT DOES SO, ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS  
AND PERHAPS A FEW STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MOST OF THE  
AREA. HOWEVER, SHOWER AND STORM ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS  
FRONT WILL BE OUTRUNNING INSTABILITY AS IT TRACKS INTO THE AREA,  
WITH A NOCTURNAL INVERSION DEVELOPING AND ONLY MODEST ELEVATED  
INSTABILITY REMAINING. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN'T BE  
ENTIRELY RULED OUT GIVEN PWATS OF 1.5 TO 2 INCHES, BUT COVERAGE  
LOOKS LIMITED AND THE FRONT LOOKS PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH THAT HYDRO  
CONCERNS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED.  
 
THE FRONT WILL USHER IN A DRIER AIRMASS FOR FRIDAY, BUT  
TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY COOL BY A COUPLE OF DEGREES RELATIVE TO  
THURSDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...A STRETCH OF UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL BEGIN  
SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY, CONTINUING INTO THE FIRST HALF OF  
NEXT WEEK. MONITORING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN.  
 
AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND, MID-LEVEL RIDGING THAT HAS BEEN  
CENTERED OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC WILL  
SLOWLY BEGIN TO RETROGRADE SOUTHWESTWARD TOWARDS THE GULF COAST.  
ENHANCED NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL THEN OVERSPREAD THE  
REGION BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND AS MULTIPLE DISTURBANCES PASS TO  
THE NORTH OVER PORTIONS OF ONTARIO AND QUEBEC. AT THE SURFACE,  
HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NORTH OF THE REGION WILL SHIFT EASTWARD  
AND OFFSHORE SATURDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS OUT OF THE  
OHIO VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES REGION TOWARDS THE AREA. AN  
ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT LOOKS TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SUNDAY  
MORNING, WITH A COLD FRONT PASSING THROUGH THE AREA BY MONDAY.  
AT THIS TIME, THIS FRONT LOOKS LIKELY TO STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE  
REGION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
SATURDAY SHOULD BE A DRY AND SEASONABLE DAY WITH TEMPERATURES  
GENERALLY TOPPING OUT IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80. BEGINNING SATURDAY  
NIGHT, CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE  
ACROSS THE AREA AS THE LOW PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL  
BOUNDARIES BEGIN THEIR APPROACH TO THE REGION. SUNDAY INTO  
SUNDAY NIGHT, SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE  
EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION. IT CURRENTLY APPEARS THAT  
INSTABILITY WILL BE MODEST AT BEST LIMITING ANY SEVERE THREAT.  
HOWEVER, PWATS LOOK TO BE NEAR 2 INCHES WITH DEEPLY SATURATED  
VERTICAL COLUMNS. GIVEN THIS, AT LEAST A LIMITED HYDRO THREAT  
COULD EVOLVE. CURRENTLY, WPC HAS PLACED FAR NORTHWESTERN  
PORTIONS OF OUR EASTERN PA COUNTIES IN A MARGINAL RISK (1 OF 4)  
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OUTLOOK FOR SATURDAY NIGHT, WITH THAT RISK  
EXPANDING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA SUNDAY.  
 
ONCE THE FRONT CLEARS THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY,  
UNCERTAINTY INCREASES SUBSTANTIALLY. GUIDANCE AGREES THAT THE  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL TO THE SOUTH OF THE REGION WITH A  
FEW WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE RIDING ALONG IT. SHOULD THE BOUNDARY  
STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION OR EVEN OVER SOUTHERN PARTS OF  
THE AREA, SCATTERED SHOWER AND STORM CHANCES WILL LIKELY  
CONTINUE THROUGH MID-WEEK. IF IT STALLS FARTHER SOUTH, IT MAY  
NOT BE QUITE AS UNSETTLED ACROSS OUR REGION. FOR NOW, MOST OF  
THE REGION HAS POPS RANGING FROM 30-50% MONDAY THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
HIGHER CONFIDENCE EXISTS IN NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION FOR THE EARLY PARTS OF NEXT WEEK  
NORTH OF THE FRONT.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /21Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG,  
KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.  
 
REST OF TODAY...VFR. SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
TONIGHT...VFR. A FEW LIGHT SHRA MAY IMPACT KRDG/KABE, BUT  
IMPACTS NOT EXPECTED. LIGHT S TO NEARLY CALM WINDS. MODERATE  
CONFIDENCE.  
 
THURSDAY...OVERALL, VFR. SOME SHRA, PERHAPS A TSRA, MAY MOVE  
INTO KRDG/KABE IN THE AFTERNOON. WILL NOT INCLUDE TSRA MENTION  
IN THOSE TAFS AT THIS TIME. S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. MODERATE  
CONFIDENCE.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT...PRIMARILY VFR. BRIEF PERIODS OF SUB-VFR  
CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND  
STORMS.  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...VFR. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS  
AND STORMS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO SUB-VFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
SUB-SCA CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY WITH WINDS OUT OF THE  
SOUTH/SOUTHWEST AROUND 5 TO 15 KT AND SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...NO MARINE HEADLINES  
CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED WITH WINDS UNDER 25 KT AND SEAS UNDER 5  
FEET.  
 
MONDAY...SCA CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE. EAST-NORTHEAST WINDS WILL  
INCREASE TO 15-20 KT WITH GUSTS 25-30 KT. SEAS 4-6 FEET.  
 
RIP CURRENTS...  
 
THURSDAY...SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES SOME, BUT BREAKING WAVES OF  
1-2 FEET WITH A 6-8 SECOND PERIOD REMAIN FORECAST. THEREFORE, A  
LOW RISK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ARE  
FORECAST AT ALL NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE BEACHES.  
 
FRIDAY...WINDS TURN OFFSHORE, PREDOMINATELY OUT OF THE NORTH-  
NORTHWEST. BREAKING WAVES OF 1-2 FEET WITH A 6-8 SECOND PERIOD  
ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THOUGH, RESULTING IN A LOW RISK FOR THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS AT ALL NEW JERSEY AND  
DELAWARE BEACHES.  
 
FOR SPECIFIC BEACH FORECASTS, VISIT WEATHER.GOV/BEACH/PHI  
 
 
   
PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
PA...NONE.  
NJ...NONE.  
DE...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...COOPER/MPS  
AVIATION...COOPER/MPS  
MARINE...AKL/COOPER/MPS  
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