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FXUS61 KOKX 261518
AFDOKX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New York NY
1018 AM EST Tue Dec 26 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
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High pressure over the region will slowly weaken through tonight. Low pressure and its associated frontal system will approach on Wednesday and pass nearby Wednesday night into Thursday. Another low will develop to the north and offshore Friday into Friday night, then head northeast on Saturday.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
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Continued dense fog advy til 11 AM in areas where nearby ASOS obs still showed 1/4SM vsby, across Long Island, interior SE CT, and areas well NW of NYC. Otherwise, visibilities have been improving, but there will likely be plenty of low clouds for the remainder of the morning, potentially into the afternoon. There are conflicting signals with the degree of clouds this afternoon. The fog this morning is shallow and should improve, but there are hints at a low level inversion around 2 kft. This may help keep low clouds in place. If the inversion is weaker and moisture can mix out, some places could see sunny conditions for a time this afternoon. Broken cirrus should begin to move overhead ahead of approaching low pressure. Another day of above normal temperatures are forecast with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s. The surface high weakens tonight as it begins to move offshore. A large closed low over the central states will send low pressure and its associated frontal system towards the region. A general model consensus keeps the region dry tonight with just a chance at some light rain late across the western half of the area. Latest guidance indicates a deep low level inversion tonight, with winds atop it increasing to only around or just over 10 kt overnight, so areas of fog should redevelop tonight. Raw guidance argues for a return of dense fog throughout tonight, but increasing mid level clouds may limit the radiation fog potential, so the fog may not be as dense. Low temps will be mild and generally in the 40s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... The frontal system slowly moves into the area on Wednesday. The system will initially struggle as it moves closer to the area as it encounters lingering ridging aloft just offshore. However, guidance has started to come into more agreement on a wave of low pressure developing along the front over the Middle Atlantic on Wednesday. This should help reinvigorate rainfall as the system moves over the area Wednesday night. The new low does not look particularly strong, but will have some enhanced lift from the left exit region of a subtropical jet over the southeast. Rain will start to enter the area during the late morning and afternoon, but become widespread Wednesday night. The majority of the rain with this system will fall in about a 12 hour period late Wednesday into early Thursday morning. The latest NBM probabilities for greater than 1 inch in 12 hours late Wednesday during this time period are generally 20 to 30 percent. NBM probabilities for seeing greater than 2 inches in 12 hours during the same time period are generally less than 5 percent. These probabilities continue to signal limited rainfall impacts. The rain could become moderate to locally heavy, especially where any enhanced moisture convergence occurs with the low pressure. Ensemble means and global deterministic models signal this potential exists north and west of the NYC metro across NE NJ and the Lower Hudson Valley. Wednesday night falls beyond the timeframe of most of the HREF members, so there is limited higher resolution model data available at this time. Where this axis of briefly heavier rain occurs should begin to come into focus in the next 24 hours. Forecast rain totals from late Wednesday through Wednesday night range from 3/4" to 1 1/4". Due to recent heavy rain and high streamflows, some of the flashier rivers and streams in NE NJ could come close to minor flooding benchmarks if reasonable worst case scenario solutions verify with rainfall 1.5" to 2" Otherwise, just minor urban and poor drainage flooding is possible. The rain will taper off from west to east early Thursday morning. A consensus of the modeling puts the steadiest rain offshore by 12z Thursday. The main closed low will still be well to our west on Thursday. Low pressure will likely linger near or just south and east of the area. The pattern does not change too much Thursday night with low pressure nearby. Not expecting a washout Thursday into Thursday night, but a few showers cannot be ruled out with any organized areas of lift from weak energy rotating around the upper low. Temperatures continue above normal Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... No significant changes made to the long term and stuck close to the NBM for this update. *Key Points* * Rain chances continue Friday with a dry period to follow into New Year`s Day. * A slight cooldown to more seasonable temperatures Friday into Saturday, and to begin 2024. A closed upper low over the Central Plains slowly works to the east to begin the period, as a weak surface low develops and heads northeast of the are during the day on Friday. Have maintained the chance PoPs for much of the day on Friday, and given the Pacific origin of the air mass associated with this system, expect ptype to be all rain. The low and attendant moisture head northeast by Friday evening. Some weak CAA behind the system results in lower thicknesses across the interior, so cannot rule out a few snowflakes mixing in late Friday or early on Saturday as the system pulls away. Highs on Saturday will be in the low 40s; more seasonable than the days prior. Thereafter, weak ridging and mainly dry conditions look to prevail through New Year`s Day. The aforementioned closed upper low finally shears out to our south and heads east on Saturday. A weak surface low associated with this upper feature then develops offshore and to our south on Sunday. At this time, the area remains on the north side of its precip shield as it heads to the northeast on Monday. && .AVIATION /15Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
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Visibilities and cigs are slow to improve today. Mainly IFR, with a few remnant pockets of LIFR through 17z. Overall, slow improvement is forecasted into this afternoon. KISP and KJFK may experience the slowest and least improvement among the terminals. By 18z current thinking has most terminals going to VFR visibilities, and a fight between MVFR and VFR with respect to ceilings. Conditions will then lower again tonight. The timing of the lowering is very low confidence, with perhaps the timing of the lowering moved up in future updates / amendments. Essentially looking at MVFR and IFR overnight. The greatest chance for LIFR would be for the coastal terminals. Confidence in precise visibility forecast is low through tonight with fog possibly coming back. Winds will be light and variable through today and tonight, with some terminals going light out of the east late tonight. ...NY Metro (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF Uncertainty... Amendments highly likely for changing flight categories. Lowering flight cats and fog development for early tonight to be updated in subsequent TAF updates. OUTLOOK FOR 12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Wednesday: Rain with MVFR conditions, mainly in the afternoon and evening. Wednesday night: Rain with IFR cond. SE winds G20-25kt and marginal LLWS possible at terminals closer to the coast (KGON/KBDR/KISP/KLGA/KJFK). Thursday: MVFR possible with chance of showers. Friday: MVFR possible with chance of showers. N winds 10-15G20kt. Saturday: Mainly VFR. NW winds 10-15G20kt. Detailed information, including hourly TAF wind component forecasts, can be found at: https:/www.weather.gov/zny/n90
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&& .MARINE...
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Marine Dense Fog Advisory cancelled on the wrn Sound and NY Harbor, and extended elsewhere til 12 PM, for vsby less than 1 nm. The fog is likely to return tonight, if not sooner on the ocean waters and bays of Long Island. Conditions are forecast to remain below SCA thresholds through Wednesday with a relatively weak pressure gradient in place, but with a persistent 2-3 ft SE swell. A frontal system and low pressure system pass over the waters Wednesday night into Thursday night. Winds will increase a bit, but should remain below 25 kt. Ocean seas will likely build close to 5 ft Wednesday night through Thursday night. Sub SCA conditions are expected on all waters on Friday. By late Friday and into Saturday, SCA conditions are possible over the eastern ocean zones with developing low pressure to the south.
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&& .HYDROLOGY...
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Storm total rainfall 0.75 to 1.25 inches is likely late Wednesday through Wednesday night, with the higher amounts more likely to occur W-NW of NYC. Due to recent heavy rainfall and continued high streamflows, there is a concern for minor flooding along a few quick responding rivers in NE NJ and potentially the Lower Hudson Valley. Per collab with MARFC, we think rainfall of this magnitude would not even bring rivers in NE NJ and the lower Hudson Valley to action stage. However, the reasonable worst case scenario of 1.5-2.0 inches as depicted by the 00Z ECMWF (and supported by the 12Z HRRR forecast of 2.0-2.5 inches across NE NJ and NYC metro) would bring the Saddle River at Lodi and the Ramapo River at Mahwah above minor flood stage. Otherwise, minor urban and poor drainage flooding should be the main hydrologic impact.
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&& .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... The potential remains for minor coastal flood impacts for vulnerable coastal communities Thu with a passing low pressure system. The threat exists for mainly the morning high tide, particularly along the south shore of Nassau and Queens, and possibly along the SW CT coastline on the Western Sound. Tidal departures of 1.25-1.50 ft are needed for minor flooding, and 2.25-2.50 for moderate flooding during the morning high tides. About 1 ft additional surge is needed for the evening high tides. The threat for dune erosion appears to be low and isolated with this event. && .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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CT...Dense Fog Advisory until 11 AM EST this morning for CTZ007-008. NY...Dense Fog Advisory until 11 AM EST this morning for NYZ067-068- 078>081-177-179. NJ...Dense Fog Advisory until 11 AM EST this morning for NJZ002. MARINE...Dense Fog Advisory until noon EST today for ANZ331-332-340-345- 350-353-355.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...BG/DBR/DS NEAR TERM...BG/DS SHORT TERM...DS LONG TERM...DBR AVIATION...DBR MARINE...BG/DBR/DS HYDROLOGY...DBR/DS TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...