089  
FXUS61 KBOX 211129  
AFDBOX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON/NORTON MA  
629 AM EST SAT DEC 21 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
MAINLY DRY BUT BLUSTERY AND VERY COLD THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY  
NEXT WEEK. A WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM MAY BRING LIGHT SNOW  
ACCUMULATIONS CHRISTMAS EVE, THEN MAINLY DRY FOR THE REST OF THE  
CHRISTMAS WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES MODERATING INTO THE 30S AND  
LOW 40S.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/  
 
UPDATED: 4:25 AM  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
* LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS COMING TO AN END BY MID MORNING.  
 
* CLOUDY, COLD, AND BREEZY THIS AFTERNOON. CANNOT RULE OUT A STRAY  
FLURRY OR TWO, BUT OTHERWISE DRY.  
 
AN EARLY MORNING LOOK AT REGIONAL RADARS SHOW ONGOING LIGHT SNOW DUE  
TO AN APPROACHING MID-LEVEL TROUGH. HIGH-RES GUIDANCE INDICATES THE  
ACTIVITY CONTINUES INTO MID MORNING, WITH A FOCUS IN CONNECTICUT AND  
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. WITH CAA AND DRYING ALOFT, THERE IS LITTLE  
QPF, PERHAPS A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. ANY ADDITIONAL SNOW  
ACCUMULATION IS A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH.  
 
THIS AFTERNOON, CANNOT RULE OUT FESTIVE FLURRIES WITH THE MID-LEVEL  
TROUGH OVERHEAD AND SHORTWAVE ENERGY ROUNDING THE BASE. WITH PWATS  
FALLING BETWEEN 0.1" AND 0.2" THIS SHOULD LEND MORE TO PERIODS OF  
CLOUDS, STRATO-CU, WITH THE OCCASIONAL FLURRY. IT WILL BE QUITE COLD  
AND BREEZY TOO. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS HAVE MIXING OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER  
UP TO 900MB AND WITH FORECAST TEMPERATURES AT 925MB -10C TO -12C  
WILL RESULT IN AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 30S AT THE COAST  
AND MID TO UPPER 20S INLAND. FAR NORTHWEST MASSACHUSETTS WILL BE  
COLDER IN THE TEENS. AS MENTIONED, IT WILL BE BREEZY, NORTHWEST  
GUSTS 20 TO 30 MPH. THIS WILL LEAD TO APPARENT AFTERNOON TEMPS IN  
THE UPPER SINGLE DIGITS TO MID TEENS.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/  
 
UPDATED: 4:25 AM  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
* VERY COLD CONDITIONS TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. MINIMUM APPARENT  
TEMPS NEAR COLD WEATHER ADVISORY CRITERIA ACROSS PORTIONS OF  
SNE.  
 
* DRY AND SUNNY FOR SUNDAY, BUT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR OCEAN EFFECT  
SNOW SHOWERS REACHING CAPE COD.  
 
TONIGHT: 1035MB HIGH BUILDS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES, SKIES BECOMING  
CLEAR AND GUSTS REMAIN ELEVATED. WITH CAA ONGOING, OVERNIGHT TEMPS  
FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION AND AT THE  
COAST TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE LOW TO MIDDLE TEENS. WITH ONGOING  
GUSTS, THE APPARENT MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OVERNIGHT ARE BELOW ZERO FOR  
MOST LOCATIONS, WITH EXCEPTION OF THE ISLANDS.  
 
DID HOLD OFF ON THE ISSUANCE OF THE COLD WEATHER ADVISORY. THIS IS A  
NEW PRODUCT, REPLACING WIND CHILL ADVISORY, NOW WE ARE ABLE TO ISSUE  
RELATED PRODUCTS FOR AIR TEMPERATURE AND/OR WIND CHILL WHEN VALUES  
FALL BELOW TO/BELOW -10F IN CONNECTICUT, RHODE ISLAND, AND SOUTHEAST  
MASSACHUSETTS. FOR THE REMAINDER OF MASSACHUSETTS THE THRESHOLD IS  
-15F. RIGHT NOW, THE OVERNIGHT MINIMUM APPARENT TEMPERATURE FOR  
SOUTHERN AREAS ARE -5F TO -8F, WHILE NORTH IT IS -5F TO -12F. IN  
BERKSHIRE COUNTY, MINIMUM APPARENT TEMPERATURE LOWERS TO/BELOW THE  
THRESHOLD OF -15F, WFO ALY HAS ISSUED A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FOR  
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WE WILL HAVE TO REASSESS TODAY TO SEE IF WE ARE  
ANY CLOSER TO THOSE THRESHOLDS. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, IT IS  
BORDERLINE, BUT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE ADVISORY IS EXPANDED  
TO THE EAST SLOPE OF THE BERKSHIRE ON THE DAY SHIFT.  
 
SUNDAY: VERY COLD, 925MB TEMPERATURES SETTLE BETWEEN -16C AND -20C  
AND WITH GOOD MIXING DUE TO THE CAA, SHOULD HAVE HIGHS IN THE TEENS  
TO LOW 20S AT THE COAST, UTILIZED THE BLEND OF THE 25TH AND 50TH  
PERCENTILE OF THE NBM TO ACHIEVE THOSE TEMPERATURES. GUSTS ARE NOT  
AS STRONG AS THEY WERE ON SATURDAY, GENERALLY UP TO 20 MPH. THE  
APPARENT TEMPERATURE MID AFTERNOON IS DOWNRIGHT FRIGID, +5F TO -5F!  
WHILE IT IS A MAINLY SUNNY DAY, PWATS PLUMMET TO LESS THAN 0.1" THE  
NNW WIND DIRECTION OVER THE RELATIVELY WARMER EASTERN OCEAN WATERS,  
COULD LEAD TO OCEAN EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS. HIGH-RES GUIDANCE SHOWS  
STREAMERS MOVING TOWARDS THE OUTERMOST CAPE... ADDED POPS HERE TO  
SHOW THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
* RATHER COLD AND DRY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY BUT WITH LESS WIND  
 
* TEMPS RECOVERING TO NEAR SEASONABLE NORMALS FOR THE REST OF THE  
CHRISTMAS WEEK  
 
* WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM MAY BRING MINOR SNOW ACCUM LATE MON NIGHT  
AND TUE, ESPECIALLY IN THE INTERIOR  
 
* MAINLY DRY CHRISTMAS DAY THROUGH FRI  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...  
 
STRONG HIGH PRES ~1040 MB BUILDS INTO NEW ENG WHICH WILL BRING  
DIMINISHING WIND AND MAINLY CLEAR SKIES, ALTHOUGH THE NORTHERLY FLOW  
AND COLD AIR OVER WARMER SST WILL KEEP OCEAN EFFECT CLOUDS OVER THE  
OUTER CAPE INTO MON MORNING AND PERHAPS A FEW FLURRIES. SUNSHINE  
MONDAY WILL GRADUALLY GIVE WAY TO INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS IN THE  
AFTERNOON AS NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. COLDEST NIGHT OF  
THE SEASON WILL BE SUNDAY NIGHT AS RADIATIONAL COOLING ALLOWS FOR  
LOW DROPPING INTO THE SINGLE NUMBERS, POSSIBLY NEAR ZERO NW MA, BUT  
TEENS SE COASTAL MA AND CAPE/ISLANDS WHERE SLIGHTLY MORE WIND AND  
CLOUD COVER, ESPECIALLY OUTER CAPE. HIGHS MONDAY WILL RECOVER INTO  
THE MID-UPPER 20S WITH LOWER 30S NEAR THE SOUTH COAST.  
 
MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...  
 
NEXT MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE GT LAKES MON NIGHT  
MOVING ACROSS NEW ENG TUE. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A WEAK  
CLIPPER SYSTEM. THERE IS UNCERTAINTY WITH THE TRACK OF THE LOW BUT  
THIS IS EXPECTED TO BE A LIGHT QPF EVENT WITH POTENTIAL FOR SOME  
LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LATE MON NIGHT INTO TUE. ANY CHANGEOVER TO  
RAIN NEAR THE SOUTH COAST WILL DEPEND ON WHETHER LOW TRACKS TO THE  
NORTH WITH A WIND SHIFT TO SOUTH. LATEST ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE  
INDICATING HIGH PROBS FOR 1 INCH, ESPECIALLY IN THE INTERIOR. THE  
75TH PERCENTILE OF THE GEFS AND EPS DISTRIBUTION INDICATING  
POTENTIAL 1-2 INCH ACCUMS WHICH IS PROBABLY A REASONABLE EXPECTATION  
FOR THIS EVENT. AFTER A COLD NIGHT MON NIGHT TEMPS WILL RECOVER INTO  
THE 30S TUE.  
 
CHRISTMAS DAY THROUGH FRIDAY...  
 
HIGH PRES WILL BE BUILDING TO THE NORTH ON CHRISTMAS AND PERSISTING  
INTO FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS, BUT  
PERSISTENT NE FLOW MAY LEAD TO MORE CLOUD COVER ACROSS EASTERN NEW  
ENG WITH LOW RISK FOR A FEW SHOWERS AT TIMES. NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPS  
EXPECTED.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
FORECAST CONFIDENCE LEVELS:  
 
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MODERATE - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
TODAY...MODERATE CONFIDENCE.  
 
MVFR CONDITIONS ACROSS WESTERN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THIS MORNING  
DUE TO -SN PASSING THROUGH, VISIBILITIES ARE 3-5SM AND CEILINGS  
ARE 025-040. THESE CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH 12Z/14Z. THIS  
AFTERNOON MAINLY VFR CIGS, BUT LOWER MVFR CIGS POSSIBLE EARLY  
CAPE/ISLANDS. NW WIND 10-20 KT WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS.  
 
TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
VFR, BUT OCEAN EFFECT CLOUDS MAY LOWER CIGS TO MVFR AT TIMES  
OVER THE OUTER CAPE, MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF HYA. NW WIND 10-20  
KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS NEAR THE COAST, DIMINISHING SUNDAY  
AFTERNOON.  
 
KBOS TAF...HIGH CONFIDENCE IN IMPROVING TREND TO VFR BY 12Z.  
 
KBDL TAF...MODERATE CONFIDENCE.  
 
AREAS OF -SN LEADING TO MVFR CONDITIONS, SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR  
BY 13Z/14Z.  
 
OUTLOOK /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY: VFR.  
 
MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL IFR  
POSSIBLE. CHANCE SN.  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT: VFR. SLIGHT CHANCE SN.  
 
CHRISTMAS DAY: VFR.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS:  
LOW - LESS THAN 30 PERCENT.  
MEDIUM - 30 TO 60 PERCENT.  
HIGH - GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT.  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
* SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY.  
 
SATURDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST FROM SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND, BUT  
WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING TO THE WEST, IT WILL LEAD TO NORTHWEST  
FLOW WITH GUSTS CONTINUING THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HAVE EXTENDED THE  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AS A RESULT THROUGH THE DAY. SEAS REMAIN ROUGH  
3 TO 6 FEET ON THE SOUTHERN WATERS AND 5 TO 8 FEET ON THE EASTERN  
WATERS.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE MOVING OVERHEAD. NW WINDS 15-20 KTS GUSTING TO 25  
KTS. SEAS 5-7 FT. A FEW OCEAN EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE  
SUNDAY ACROSS THE EASTERN WATERS.  
 
OUTLOOK /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...  
 
SUNDAY NIGHT: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. AREAS OF SEAS APPROACHING  
5 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS.  
 
MONDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT.  
 
MONDAY NIGHT: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. CHANCE OF RAIN, CHANCE OF  
SNOW. LOCAL VISIBILITY 1 TO 3 NM.  
 
TUESDAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. SEAS LOCALLY APPROACHING 5 FT.  
CHANCE OF RAIN, CHANCE OF SNOW. LOCAL VISIBILITY 1 TO 3 NM.  
 
TUESDAY NIGHT: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. SEAS LOCALLY APPROACHING  
5 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN, CHANCE OF SNOW.  
 
CHRISTMAS DAY: WINDS LESS THAN 25 KT. AREAS OF SEAS APPROACHING  
5 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS.  
 
 
   
BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
CT...NONE.  
MA...NONE.  
RI...NONE.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST SUNDAY FOR ANZ231-232-251.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR  
ANZ233>235-237.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST SUNDAY FOR ANZ250-254>256.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...KJC/DOOLEY  
NEAR TERM...DOOLEY  
SHORT TERM...DOOLEY  
LONG TERM...KJC  
AVIATION...KJC/DOOLEY  
MARINE...KJC/DOOLEY  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab MA Page
The Nexlab RI Page
The Nexlab NH Page
The Nexlab CT Page
Main Text Page