509
FXUS61 KBTV 111821
AFDBTV
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
121 PM EST WED DEC 11 2019
SYNOPSIS
DRY CONDITIONS LINGER THROUGH THIS MORNING, THEN EXPECT SNOW SHOWERS
TO INCREASE ACROSS NORTHERN NY AND NORTHERN VT THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION. SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY
MAY BE BRIEFLY HEAVY LATE IN THE DAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE ST LAWRENCE
VALLEY AND NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS, WHERE A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW WILL
BE POSSIBLE. DRIER BUT COLDER WEATHER ARRIVES ON THURSDAY. THE NEXT
CHANCE FOR WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR SATURDAY, WITH
MODERATE RAIN GENERALLY EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY.
NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/
AS OF 120 PM EST WEDNESDAY...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE WITH
THIS UPDATE. THE MAIN CONCERN FOR THE DAY IS THE ONGOING LAKE
EFFECT SNOWS ACROSS OUR WESTERN NY ZONES. THE FOCUS THEN SHIFTS
TO THE POTENTIAL FOR BRIEF, MODERATE/HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS ALONG A
COLD FRONT BETWEEN 21-03Z. LAKE EFFECT SNOW HAS BEGUN TO
OVERSPREAD THE ST LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY WITH WEBCAMS IN THE AREA
(HAMMOND) SHOWING WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND VISIBILITIES 1/4 MI
OR LESS WITH SNOW BEGINNING TO ACCUMULATE. ADDITIONALLY,
PARAMETERS ARE STILL FAVORABLE FOR A BAND OF CONVECTIVELY DRIVEN
SNOW TO MOVE ACROSS OUR NORTHERN ZONES THIS EVENING ALONG A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY.
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...A FAIRLY QUIET START TO THE DAY TODAY
WITH THE COLD FRONT POSITIONED OFFSHORE AND WELL TO OUR SOUTH. MUCH
DRIER AIR HAS SPREAD ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY BEHIND THE FRONT,
SHUNTING THE STEADIER PRECIPITATION INTO SOUTHERN AND EASTERN NEW
ENGLAND. CONDITIONS WILL CHANGE THIS AFTERNOON, HOWEVER, AS LOW
PRESSURE CURRENTLY OVER LAKE SUPERIOR WILL SCOOT EASTWARD, MOVING
NORTH OF OUR REGION LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE
SOUTHWEST AS THE LOW APPROACHES THIS AFTERNOON, ALLOWING ENHANCED
MOISTURE TO STREAM OFF OF LAKE ONTARIO AND INTO NORTHERN NY.
MEANWHILE, THE LOW'S ATTENDANT COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EASTWARD,
ENTERING THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY MID-LATE AFTERNOON, AND INTO THE
ADIRONDACKS EARLY THIS EVENING. THIS FRONT WILL SERVE TO FOCUS THE
LAKE-ENHANCED MOISTURE. LOW-LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL STEEPEN UNDER
COLD AIR ADVECTION; NOTE THAT MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW
SBCAPE VALUES POSSIBLY EXCEEDING 100 J/KG. HENCE EXPECT THERE WILL
BE A SHARP LINE OF BRIEFLY HEAVY SNOW THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE ST
LAWRENCE VALLEY INTO THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
INTO EARLY EVENING. HI-RES CAMS AGREE WITH THIS SCENARIO, WITH THE
BAND BREAKING UP AS IT MOVES EASTWARD THROUGH THE ADIRONDACKS AND
INTO NORTHERN VT. ONE POSSIBLE SNAG IS THE LACK OF SUBSTANTIAL
MOISTURE FOR THOSE AREAS WELL AWAY FROM LAKE ONTARIO. STILL, WOULD
EXPECT A QUICK INCH OR TWO OF ACCUMULATION WITH THIS BAND ALONG AND
WEST OF THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE ADIRONDACKS, WITH LESSER AMOUNTS
TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. THE AFOREMENTIONED STEEPENING LAPSE RATES
WILL ALSO SERVE TO ALLOW AMPLE MIXING OF WINDS ALOFT DOWN TO THE
SURFACE. THE LATEST NAM SOUNDING FOR MSS INDICATES MIXING TO 10 KFT
POST-FRONT, AND WITH 30-40 KT AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED LAYER, SO
EXPECT WINDS WILL BE GUSTY WITH AND AFTER THE FRONT. THE REINFORCING
SHOT OF COLD AND DRY AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING SNOW TO AN END
BY MIDNIGHT OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER, LINGERING LONGEST IN THE NORTHERN
GREEN MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD UNDER CLEARING SKIES,
THOUGH WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY MUCH OF THE NIGHT DUE TO THE
AFOREMENTIONED COLD AIR ADVECTION/MIXING. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE
SINGLE DIGITS IN THE ADIRONDACKS AND NORTHEAST KINGDOM TO THE MID
TEENS IN THE WIDER VALLEYS.
THURSDAY WILL BE CHILLY BUT DRY AS HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY BUILDS OVER
THE NORTHEAST CONUS. WE'LL START OUT WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE, BUT
HIGH CLOUDS WILL SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AHEAD
OF WEAK LOW PRESSURE PUSHING INTO THE GREAT LAKES. WINDS WILL TURN
TO THE SOUTH/SOUTHWEST LATE IN THE DAY AS THE RIDGE AXIS MOVES EAST,
BUT TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR MID DECEMBER.
HIGHS WILL RANGE THE UPPER TEENS IN THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM TO THE MID
AND UPPER 20S IN THE MORE SOUTHERN VALLEY LOCATIONS.
SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/
AS OF 331 AM EST WEDNESDAY...THURSDAY NIGHT INTO THE PRE-DAWN HOURS,
QUIET CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED, THOUGH INCREASINGLY GUSTY WILL ADD
SOME DISRUPT THE QUIET. AS HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS OFFSHORE, STRONG
PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL RESULT IN INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW THAT
WILL CHANNEL THROUGH THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY, IN PARTICULAR. A WEAK
UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL PASS TO OUR NORTH WITH THE MAIN IMPACTS BEING
CLOUD COVER. WITH THAT AND THE INCREASING WINDS, OVERNIGHT LOWS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE TEENS TO MID 20S.
CLOUDS SHOULD BRIEFLY CLEAR AS MOISTURE CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTH AND
EAST. WE SHOULD ALSO SEE GUSTY WINDS PEAK LATE MORNING/EARLY
AFTERNOON ONCE WARM AIR ADVECTION ALOFT REDUCES OUR MIXING
POTENTIAL. WE SHOULD SEE HIGHS CREEP ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF
THE REGION, EXCEPT AT SOME OF OUR COLDER HOLLOWS.
TOWARDS THE EVENING HOURS, SOME DRIZZLE OR FLURRIES COULD BEGIN TO
WORK ITS WAY NORTHWARD INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL VERMONT INTO THE
ADIRONDACKS AS WARM, MOIST ADVECTION CONTINUES TO INCREASE. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS ARE FAIRLY COMPLEX WITH LITTLE CLOUD ICE SUGGESTING MORE
DRIZZLE/FLURRY AT ONSET. DEEP LAYER MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO
INCREASE. AS THE PREVIOUS FORECASTER NOTED, SOME OF OUR COLD HOLLOWS
COULD HOVER AROUND THE FREEZING MARK AND REMAIN NEAR THAT POINT FROM
WET-BULBING. THERE IS A VERY QUICK WINDOW WHERE A BRIEF SNOW AND
FREEZING RAIN MIX TAKES PLACE AS THE WARM NOSE STRENGTHENS AND WHILE
THE WET-BULB EFFECT MAINTAINS THE COLDER AIR ACROSS THOSE COLDER
HOLLOWS.
LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/
AS OF 331 AM EST WEDNESDAY...ANY MIXED PRECIP TYPES SHOULD TRANSITION
TO RAIN DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS ON SATURDAY. THE HIGHER SUMMITS
WILL BE THE EXCEPTION AND WILL BE THE LAST TO TRANSITION TO RAIN.
FORECAST GUIDANCE REMAINS CONSISTENT IN STRONG WARMING WITH SURFACE
TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE 40S.
NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH WILL MOVE IN DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY
WITH A COASTAL LOW LIKELY TRACKING INTO INTERIOR NEW ENGLAND. NOT
MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE OVERALL DETAILS WITH NEAR RECORD PWATS STILL
FORECAST ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS ON THE WESTERN
SLOPES FROM A 40-45KT EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY LOW-LEVEL JET TO THE NORTH
OF THE LOW. WITH THE MOSTLY STABLE AIR, NOT ANTICIPATING TOO MUCH
GUSTINESS, BUT PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN GREENS SEEMS THE MOST LIKELY
TO SEE GUSTY WINDS CHANNELING THROUGH ANY GAPS IN THE MOUNTAIN
RANGE. AS FOR PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS, EARLY INDICATIONS ARE STILL FOR
ABOUT A 0.50"-1.00" WITH A LOCALLY UP TO 1.5", PARTICULARLY EAST OF
THE GREENS.
ACTIVE WEATHER CONTINUES INTO SUNDAY AS THE MID-LEVEL LOW TRACKS
ACROSS THE REGION. PLENTY OF SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING FOR ASCENT
REMAINS AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS DURING THE MORNING HOURS.
UNFORTUNATELY, COLDER AIR WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE IN AS THE MID-LEVEL
LOW TRACKS NORTH OF US, KEEPING MORE WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW IN
PLACE. BY THE TIME COLD AIR DOES ARRIVE, THE BACKSIDE OF THE TROUGH
BEGINS TO LIFT OUT OF THE REGION WITH MOISTURE QUICKLY THINNING
SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. MAINLY MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE
POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING/MONDAY. OTHERWISE, MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS
MONDAY INTO EARLY TUESDAY. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL ALREADY BE AT OUR
DOORSTEP ON TUESDAY.
AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS
THE ST LAWRENCE VALLEY THROUGH EARLY EVENING WITH MVFR CEILINGS
AND IFR VISIBILITIES, WITH LOCALLY LOWER LIFR VISBILITIES (DOWN
TO 1/4 MI) IN THE HEAVIEST SNOWS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST THIS EVENING AND ALONG WITH IT
PROVIDE FOCUS FOR A BAND OF MODERATE TO BRIEFLY HEAVY SNOW. THIS
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT KMSS AND KSLK BETWEEN 22-23Z, KPBG
AND KBTV 23-00Z AND KMPV AROUND 00-01Z. VISIBILITIES MAY BRIEFLY
DROP DOWN TO IFR. AFTER 02Z, ALL SITES WILL BECOME VFR EXPECT
KSLK WHICH COULD SEE SOME MVFR SNOW SHOWERS LINGER THROUGH 04Z.
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS BETWEEN 10-15 KNOTS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON/EVENING, WITH GUSTS AROUND20 KNOTS
POSSIBLE. AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH WINDS WILL TURN OUT OF
THE WEST WITH GUSTS UP TO 25-30 KNOTS AT TIMES.
OUTLOOK...
THURSDAY NIGHT: VFR. NO SIG WX.
FRIDAY: MAINLY VFR, WITH LOCAL MVFR POSSIBLE. NO SIG WX.
FRIDAY NIGHT: MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. DEFINITE RA, CHANCE
FZRA, SLIGHT CHANCE SN.
SATURDAY: MAINLY IFR, WITH AREAS MVFR POSSIBLE. DEFINITE RA.
SATURDAY NIGHT: IFR. LIKELY RA, LIKELY SN.
SUNDAY: MAINLY MVFR, WITH AREAS IFR POSSIBLE. LIKELY SN, CHANCE
RA.
SUNDAY NIGHT: MAINLY VFR, WITH AREAS MVFR POSSIBLE. CHANCE SN,
SLIGHT CHANCE FZRA.
MONDAY: VFR. NO SIG WX.
BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
VT...NONE.
NY...NONE.
SYNOPSIS...HASTINGS
NEAR TERM...HASTINGS/LAROCCA
SHORT TERM...HAYNES
LONG TERM...HAYNES
AVIATION...LAROCCA
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