596  
FXUS61 KPHI 242254  
AFDPHI  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ  
654 PM EDT WED APR 24 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS OUR REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING,  
THEN HIGH PRESSURE ARRIVES FROM THE GREAT LAKES LATER TONIGHT  
AND THURSDAY BEFORE SHIFTING TO OUR NORTHEAST AND EAST DURING  
FRIDAY. A WARM FRONT SHOULD LIFT NORTH OF OUR AREA LATER  
SATURDAY, THEN A COLD FRONT GRADUALLY APPROACHES LATER MONDAY  
BEFORE MOVING ACROSS OUR AREA LATER TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
ANY SHOWERS OUT THERE CONTINUE TO TAPER OFF, AND ALL SHOULD BE  
OVER BY 8 PM. COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE  
REGION. OTHERWISE, CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTHWARD  
REINFORCING THE COOL, DRY AIR MASS PUSHING SOUTHWARD. IT SHOULD  
BECOME MAINLY CLEAR OVER NE PA INTO NW NJ WITH STILL SOME  
LINGERING CLOUD COVER FARTHER SOUTH. A FREEZE WARNING IS IN  
EFFECT FOR THE LEHIGH VALLEY INTO NW NJ WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE  
EXPECTED TO FALL TO AROUND OR BELOW FREEZING AND THE GROWING  
SEASON HAS STARTED. MEANWHILE A FROST ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR  
BERKS, UPPER BUCKS, AND HUNTERDON COUNTIES WHERE LOWS WILL BE  
MAINLY IN THE MID 30S. WINDS AND RELATIVELY DRIER AIR COULD  
LIMIT FROST FROM BEING TOO EXTENSIVE BUT DECIDED TO ERR ON THE  
SIDE OF CAUTION WITH THE ADVISORY.  
 
FOR THURSDAY, HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC  
AND NORTHEAST. A NOTABLY COLDER AND DRY AIR MASS WILL BE IN  
PLACE THOUGH DESPITE A MAINLY SUNNY SKY FOR MOST WITH HIGH  
TEMPERATURES MOSTLY IN THE 50S. AN ONSHORE WIND WILL KEEP IT  
EVEN COOLER ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IS FORECAST TO BE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND MID-  
ATLANTIC REGIONS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, THEN IT SHIFTS TO OUR EAST  
TO START FRIDAY. STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE  
GREAT LAKES THURSDAY BUILDS EASTWARD THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, THEN  
SHIFTS OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST DURING FRIDAY.  
 
AS THE CENTER OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES TO OUR NORTH BUT  
EXTENDS OVER OUR AREA THURSDAY NIGHT, A COLD NIGHT IS FORECAST  
WITH LITTLE TO NO WIND AND A DRY AIR MASS. MUCH OF THE AREA WILL  
DROP INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR SOME  
LOCATIONS GETTING A LITTLE COLDER. AREAS OF FROST ARE PROBABLE,  
AND FROST AND/OR FREEZE HEADLINES ARE QUITE POSSIBLE.  
 
AFTER A COLD START FRIDAY MORNING, THE SURFACE FLOW SHOULD  
START TO BECOME MORE SOUTHEAST TO EVEN SOUTH-SOUTHEAST. THIS  
WILL STILL KEEP SOME MARINE INFLUENCE ACROSS THE AREA, HOWEVER  
THE AIR MASS IS FORECAST TO START MODIFYING AND THEREFORE HIGH  
TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S, A BIT HIGHER  
COMPARED TO THURSDAY. IT WILL STILL BE COOLER THOUGH CLOSER TO  
THE COAST GIVEN THE ONSHORE FLOW. ANOTHER CHILLY NIGHT FRIDAY  
NIGHT, THOUGH SLIGHTLY WARMER COMPARED TO THURSDAY NIGHT AS WELL  
WITH LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S. THIS WOULD BE  
SUFFICIENTLY WARM ENOUGH TO MITIGATE WIDESPREAD FROST  
DEVELOPMENT, BUT PATCHY FROST REMAINS POSSIBLE.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
SUMMARY...A SIGNIFICANT WARM-UP PROBABLE OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY  
NEXT WEEK. SOME SHOWER CHANCES LATER IN THE WEEKEND AND/OR EARLY  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...A BUILDING RIDGE ARRIVES FROM THE WEST AS AN  
UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH LIFTS ACROSS THE PLAINS AND INTO THE MIDWEST  
THROUGH MONDAY. AS THE INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH GETS  
CLOSER LATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY, THE RIDGE SHIFTS TO OUR EAST. THE  
TIMING OF THIS HOWEVER IS LESS CERTAIN AS THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IN  
THE PLAINS MAY BECOME A CLOSED LOW WHICH TEND TO BE SLOWER MOVING  
(MAY BE TWO SEPARATE SYSTEMS). THIS WILL ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR  
PRECIPITATION CHANCES SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE OVERALL  
PATTERN THOUGH CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT A MUCH WARMER AIR MASS  
WILL OVERSPREAD OUR REGION SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT  
WEEK.  
 
FOR SATURDAY...A BUILDING RIDGE STARTS TO ARRIVE FROM THE WEST AND  
THIS WILL INITIALLY KEEP A COOL AIR MASS ACROSS OUR REGION. HOWEVER,  
SOME WARM AIR ADVECTION STARTS AS MORE OF A SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW  
STARTS INITIATES. IN ADDITION, A WARM FRONT SHOULD LIFT TO OUR NORTH  
LATER SATURDAY. WHILE A FEW SHOWERS CANNOT BE RULED OUT WITH THIS  
WARM FRONT, MAINLY NORTHWEST OF THE I-95 URBAN CORRIDOR, THE  
PROBABILITY LOOKS TO BE ON THE LOW SIDE AT THIS POINT. CLOUD  
COVER SHOULD DOMINATE THE SKY DURING AT LEAST A PORTION OF  
SATURDAY DUE TO SOME INCREASING WARM AIR ADVECTION AND SOME  
INCREASE IN MOISTURE AHEAD OF AND WITH THE WARM FRONT. THE  
TIMING OF THIS WARM FRONT LOOKS TO BE DRIVEN BY A LEAD UPPER-  
LEVEL TROUGH OR CLOSED LOW THAT LIFTS ACROSS THE MIDWEST WHICH  
ALSO HAS A SURFACE LOW WITH IT.  
 
FOR SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH  
CONTINUES TO LIFT UP ACROSS THE PLAINS AND MIDWEST, THE  
DOWNSTREAM RIDGE AXIS SLIDES ACROSS OUR REGION SUNDAY AND MONDAY  
BEFORE SHIFTING OFFSHORE INTO TUESDAY. WHILE THE INITIAL  
TROUGH LOOKS TO CONTINUE TO LIFT TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS  
EASTERN CANADA, IF THE SECONDARY TROUGH FORMS, IT MAY NOT PUSH  
THROUGH OUR AREA UNTIL WEDNESDAY. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TRACKS  
ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND INTO ADJACENT CANADA MONDAY INTO  
TUESDAY, AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT APPROACHES OUR AREA  
MONDAY NIGHT. THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL NOT SLIDE  
ACROSS OUR AREA UNTIL LATER TUESDAY. THE DETAILS HOWEVER WILL  
DEPEND ON THE TIMING AND AMPLIFICATION OF THE TROUGH. IN  
ADDITION, HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING EAST OF HUDSON BAY CANADA MONDAY  
INTO TUESDAY MAY SEND A COLD FRONT DOWN ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND  
CLOSER TO OUR AREA. WHILE THIS FRONT MAY SETTLE INTO AT LEAST  
OUR NORTHERN AREAS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY, IT SHOULD NOT GET  
TOO FAR SOUTH GIVEN THE CONTINUED SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE  
AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH FROM THE WEST. PLENTY OF WARM AIR WITH  
INCREASING DEW POINTS ARE THEREFORE CURRENTLY FORECAST ACROSS  
THE AREA, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR MUCH OF THE AREA IN THE 70S  
TO EVEN SOME LOW TO MID 80S. THE SURFACE FLOW HOWEVER LOOKS  
MORE SOUTH OR EVEN SOUTHEAST AT TIMES AND THIS WILL KEEP IT  
SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER AT THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES COMPARED TO  
FARTHER INLAND. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT, WITH POPS  
MAINLY IN THE 30-50% RANGE DURING THIS PERIOD. WITH THE  
POSSIBILITY OF A SECONDARY FRONT, SLIGHT CHANCE POPS (15-25%)  
LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG, KILG,  
KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS...  
 
TONIGHT...VFR. NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT,  
BECOMING NE AROUND 10 KT THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. HIGH  
CONFIDENCE.  
 
THURSDAY...VFR. NORTHWEST WINDS GENERALLY 5 TO 10 KNOTS BEFORE  
DIMINISHING LATE DAY.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...VFR.  
 
SATURDAY...A PERIOD OF NEAR MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE, MOST LIKELY  
SATURDAY NIGHT, OTHERWISE MAINLY VFR.  
 
SUNDAY AND MONDAY...VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SEAS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH TONIGHT BEFORE SLOWLY  
STARTING TO COME DOWN THROUGH THURSDAY. FOR THIS REASON, THE  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WAS EXTENDED TO 16Z THURSDAY FOR OUR  
NORTHERN OCEAN ZONE OFF THE COAST OF MONMOUTH COUNTY WITH IT  
RUNNING UNTIL 22Z THURSDAY FOR THE REMAINING OCEAN ZONES.  
NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE LATER TONIGHT TO A BRIEF PERIOD OF  
SCA LEVELS OF 15 TO 20 GUSTING UP TO 25 KNOTS BUT SHOULD  
OTHERWISE BE SUB SCA.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...THE CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED  
TO BE BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA.  
 

 
   
PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
PA...FREEZE WARNING FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR PAZ061-062.  
FROST ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR PAZ060-105.  
NJ...FREEZE WARNING FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR NJZ001-007-  
008.  
FROST ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR NJZ009.  
DE...NONE.  
MD...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ450.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ451>455.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...FITZSIMMONS/GORSE  
NEAR TERM...FITZSIMMONS/MPS/RCM  
SHORT TERM...AKL/GORSE  
LONG TERM...AKL/GORSE  
AVIATION...AKL/FITZSIMMONS/MPS/RCM  
MARINE...AKL/FITZSIMMONS/RCM  
 
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