000
FXUS61 KOKX 231439
AFDOKX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New York NY
1039 AM EDT Sat Sep 23 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
The region will be in between high pressure in the Northern
Atlantic and Tropical Storm Ophelia well to the south and west
today. Ophelia is forecasted by the National Hurricane Center
to transition from tropical storm to a post-tropical depression
tonight into Sunday morning as it moves northward within the
mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, an associated warm front will approach
the region tonight and stall south of Long Island this weekend.
The area of low pressure will continue to approach to close
this weekend before passing south of Long Island early next
week. This will be followed by high pressure building in from
Southeast Canada mid into late next week.

For the latest forecasts on Tropical Storm Ophelia, refer to the
National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov and/or the NWS New
York office`s tropical page at weather.gov/okx/tropical

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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Forecast remains on track. Only minor adjustments were made based on current observations. The forecast omega increases vertically as time progresses further into the day with the atmospheric column getting close to saturated. The forecast from the National Hurricane Center has Tropical Storm Ophelia moving northward inland across eastern North Carolina on Saturday. In the local area, the area will be within a tightening pressure gradient between Ophelia to the south and west and high pressure in the Northern Atlantic to the southeast of Nova Scotia. Gusty easterly winds will be highest across NYC and Long Island and decrease farther north across the Lower Hudson Valley and interior Southern Connecticut. Highest gusts generally this afternoon into evening, with max gusts close to 40 mph along the coast, closer to 35 mph inland. Increasing mid level positive vorticity advection with the approach of mid level cutoff low as well as approach of southerly upper level jet streak and its left front quad will enhance vertical lift through Saturday. Layer precipitable waters increase to near 1.7 to 1.9 inches. Parallel flow from low to mid levels will allow for training of convection. So, this will lead to steady stratiform rain with some embedded locally heavier rain from time to time. The threat for flash flooding remains low so well below threshold for a flash flood and therefore there is no flood watch in effect at this time. Forecast highs will only be in the upper 50s to lower 60s, much below normal for this time of year.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... The forecast from the National Hurricane Center has Ophelia becoming post-tropical and weakening to a depression Saturday night into early Sunday morning. An associated warm front will approach from the south and stall south of Long Island. The upper level jet streak and its left front quad shift farther east of the region. With mid levels exhibiting some space between positive vorticity and next positive vorticity with mid level cutoff low to the southwest, there will be less vertical lift for rainfall, leading to a lull in the rain. The rain will become more intermittent. Forecast model BUFKIT profiles show a lack of omega as well for much of the night. Layer precipitable waters also decrease near a third to a half inch, down to near 1.3 to 1.4 inches for Saturday night. However for late night into very early Sunday morning, the mid level cutoff low gets closer to the area with greater positive vorticity advection moving into the local region. The back end of the upper level jet streak will be moving south of Long Island, with its right rear quad getting closer to the area. Enhanced lift accounting for mid and upper level factors will be more present across the southern sections of the region for NE NJ, NYC and Long Island. POPs lower to chance for the first half of tonight and then trend back to likely overnight into very early Sunday morning for SW portions of the forecast region. The forecast from the National Hurricane Center keeps Ophelia as post-tropical as a post tropical depression. This low makes its way towards the DelMarva Sunday into early Sunday evening. Some forecast model BUFKIT profiles such as the NAM and some members of the SREF convey a sharp increase in omega to greater magnitudes than present on the previous day for Sunday morning. However, other forecast model BUFKIT profiles do not depict the rapid increase or magnitude of omega. Models are depicting some elevated instability as conveyed by near zero to slightly negative Showalter Indices for Sunday across the coastal sections with cold pool aloft from cutoff mid level low moving into the area by the start of Wednesday evening. The positive vorticity advection increases during the day Sunday. However, the cutoff low will be weakening with time. Precipitable waters shown by forecast models return to around 1.8 to 1.9 inches on Sunday. For Sunday night, low pressure traverses near to south of Long Island along the stalled warm front. Mid level positive vort maximum moves across as well but will be getting less organized and weakening. For Monday, weakening mid level flow will allow for the weakened low to slow down and remain in the vicinity. Weakening mid level trough pushes farther south on Monday night, steering the low relatively farther south of Long Island. POPs for rain showers will decrease with mainly dry conditions anticipated. Temperatures will remain below normal for high temperatures and near to slightly below normal for low temperatures. For the latest forecasts on Tropical Storm Ophelia, refer to the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov and/or the NWS New York office`s tropical page at weather.gov/okx/tropical && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Region in mid levels remains between troughs, one to the east and one to the west. More uncertainty towards end of week but mid level heights do not change too much. At the surface, high pressure builds southward into the region later Tuesday through Thursday night. Mainly dry weather conditions expected. Some uncertainty initially early Tuesday with how fast low pressure departs farther away and location of low pressure towards end of the week as well as the strength of high pressure. There are some slight chance POPs for rain showers in these time periods. && .AVIATION /15Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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*High impact aviation weather expected Today* Tropical Storm Ophelia, over eastern North Carolina this morning and lifts northward through tonight. Rain, moderate to briefly heavy, continues with MVFR conditions. IFR expected to develop for most terminals by 17Z and last through the remainder of the TAF period. Afterward 21Z the rain should taper off and become lighter into this evening with -SHRA. The rain may completely end for a short time late tonight, before returning early Sun morning. ENE winds 15-20 kt, gusting 25-35 kt, with the highest gusts at the coast, and points points east, with an isolated gust of around 35 kt possible. The wind direction is not expected to change, remaining NE through the day. Timing of the peak winds is late morning into the mid to late afternoon. Winds should decrease slightly toward this evening, but gusts will remain through tonight and into Sunday morning with the winds generally remaining out of the NE. LLWS remains a possibility towards midday - early afternoon, but confidence is too low to include in the TAFs at this time. Best chances for LLWS will be across the coastal terminals. There will be another chance for LLWS towards early Sunday morning, with confidence too low at this time to include in TAFs. ...NY Metro (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF Uncertainty... Timing of any flight category changes may be off by an hour or two and amendments are likely through the TAF period. LLWS occurrence remains possible today and early Sun AM. OUTLOOK FOR 12Z SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... Sunday: LLWS possible early. MVFR or lower likely in rain with possible embedded thunder. Gusty winds to 25 kt possible. Monday: Mainly VFR. MVFR possible in showers. Tuesday and Wednesday: Mainly VFR. Detailed information, including hourly TAF wind component forecasts, can be found at: https:/www.weather.gov/zny/n90
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&& .MARINE... HiRes ARW and FV3 show afternoon gusts in the 30 to 35 kt range for non-ocean waters and in the 35 to 40 kt range for the ocean waters. Multiple members of SREF indicate gale force gusts on the Long Island Sound this afternoon at multiple hours. It appears the weight of the guidance is favoring gales across much of the marine zones. Looks to be confined to this afternoon and evening but some gales could very well occur late tonight as well for non-ocean waters. Hoisted the gale warning for the non-ocean waters considering the aforementioned guidance for today into tonight. Gales remain in effect for the ocean waters for today into tonight. For Sunday, wind gusts mostly in the SCA range which will gradually lower below SCA thresholds Sunday night across the forecast waters. Ocean seas remain well into SCA range Sunday through Sunday night. For early Sunday, there could be some remaining localized areas with gale force gusts. Another round of widespread SCA conditions early next week but by midweek just ocean seas with SCA conditions in the forecast. && .HYDROLOGY... Storm total rainfall of near 2 to 3 inches forecast for much of the region today through Monday. Maximum hourly rates still appear to be mainly around a quarter to half inch but could get higher Sunday with some thunderstorms. There remains a low chance for flash flooding this weekend especially for any locations that get locally more than 3 inches and if those locations are poor drainage and low-lying. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... There is a high rip current risk for all Atlantic facing beaches through Sunday early evening due to long period easterly wind waves and E/S swells. A high surf advisory has been extended for all coastal zones of Long Island, including the ocean shorelines of Brooklyn and Queens through early Sunday evening. Breaking waves of 6 to 10 ft are forecast from a combo of E/S long period swells. This will lead to beach flooding and erosion, with scattered areas of dune erosion. The threat for localized overwashes is low at this point. Surf will subside to 4 to 8 Sunday afternoon, but could continue at that level into early next week with onshore flow. Strengthening E/NE flow ahead of an approaching warm front will allow for surge of around 1 ft to develop for the aft/eve high tide, resulting in minor coastal flooding along the Lower NY/NJ Harbor, Jamaica Bay, Great South Bay of Nassau County, as well as coastal Westchester and Fairfield counties. Elsewhere across LI and NYC, generally localized minor coastal flooding expected due to combo of wave action and elevated water levels. Another round of localized minor coastal flooding is likely for Lower NY/NJ harbor and southern bays of NYC/LI on Sunday with a persistent but weakened onshore flow. Additional rounds of minor coastal flooding are possible for next week as astronomical tides continue to increase, and E/NE flow possibly strengthening depending on evolution of TS Ophelia. && .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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CT...Coastal Flood Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 8 PM EDT this evening for CTZ009. NY...Coastal Flood Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 8 PM EDT this evening for NYZ071. High Risk for Rip Currents through Sunday evening for NYZ075-080- 081-178-179. High Surf Advisory until 8 PM EDT Sunday for NYZ075-080-081- 178-179. Coastal Flood Advisory until 5 PM EDT this afternoon for NYZ178-179. NJ...None. MARINE...Gale Warning until 6 AM EDT Sunday for ANZ331-332-335-338-340- 345-350-353-355.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...JM NEAR TERM...JM/BR SHORT TERM...JM LONG TERM...JM AVIATION...MET MARINE...JM HYDROLOGY...JM TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...