000
FXUS61 KOKX 151518
AFDOKX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New York NY
1018 AM EST Mon Jan 15 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
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High pressure builds to the south this afternoon, weakening late in the afternoon as low pressure approaches from the southwest tonight, and passes to the south and east on Tuesday. High pressure builds in from the south and west midweek, sliding offshore Thursday. Low pressure then develops off the Carolina coast Thursday night, passing east of the region Friday. High pressure returns this weekend.
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&& .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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For this update the only adjustment worth mentioning is a slight bump up with clouds this afternoon as mid deck is streaking quickly from SW to NE now as the winds aloft have now acquired more of a southerly component. This should allow clouds to streak in a tad faster overall. Also changed slight chance of snow wording to slight chance of light snow late. Any other adjustments in the hourly forecasts database through this afternoon were mainly cosmetic. Previous discussion follows. This afternoon will be quiet as high pressure builds south of the region and moves off shore later in the afternoon and weakens. Weak low pressure approaches from the southwest late in the day. Weak warm advection will be setting up over the ocean waters just south of the region, ahead of the low, and strengthening isentropic lift along with the column becoming saturated, there will be a slight chance for light snow late in the day as a cold airmass remains in place.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Thermal forcing will be increasing further tonight, and pushes northward as the surface low reaches the southeastern coast by 12Z Tuesday. Again there will be enough cold air in place for all light snow pushing into the northern portions of the area by Tuesday morning. There could be as much as 1 to 1 1/2 inches of snow accumulation by the morning. There are some minor tracking differences with the low with the NAM moving the center of the low over the 40/70 benchmark by 21z Tuesday, while the GFS and ECMWF are slightly farther to the north and west, and weaker with the low. Warmer air will be moving toward the coastal plain Tuesday morning into the afternoon as the surface low moves off the Mid Atlantic coast. Also, there will be some mid level drying and the precipitation may become lighter as a transition to a wintry mix and then plain rain occurs. There may be a brief period of freezing rain during the transition as a warm nose develops before surface temperatures also rise above freezing. While total snow accumulations will be borderline for an advisory, have decided to issue one for most of the area, except Suffolk County, New London County, and coastal New Haven and Middlesex Counties where totals may be around an inch. Also issued for impacts with the timing of the precipitation overnight, with accumulations likely for the Tuesday morning commute, and this will be the most significant snowfall in a while. The low tracks rather quickly to the east and then northeast late Tuesday into Tuesday night with the precipitation going back over to snow before ending. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... *Key Points* * Below normal temperatures through the period. The first prolonged stretch of below normal temperatures this winter season. * Quick moving coastal low may bring snow to the region on Friday. No significant changes in long term thinking. With a split in the Polar Vortex and anomalously low heights south of Hudson Bay into Wednesday look for the coldest air of the season to arrive. Some slight temperature moderation then likely takes place Thursday and Thursday night in advance of the next system. There remains a good degree of uncertainty with a system emerging out of the Gulf and SE states as a wave along the southern branch of the jet stream pushes northeast. 00Z guidance continues to highlight potential for a coastal low to develop Friday into Saturday, with varying solutions. Model consensus at this point has the low nudging offshore, but there remain plenty of ensemble members deepening the low close enough for the potential for an accumulating snow to fall across the region. NBM probabilities of at least an inch of snowfall has crept up on the 01Z run, now over 50% for much of the region, and near 30% of at least 3". The uncertainty relates to how much any southern branch features interact with the polar branch of the jet stream late in the week. Based on model sensitivity the outlook for the late week system will oscillate back a forth a few times in all likelihood. Given the lower confidence and that it remains over 4 days out, have capped PoPs at 60% for now. Regardless of the outcome of this system, in its wake the coldest air mass of the season since last February. In fact, much of the region away from the coast may have to wait until early next week to see the temperatures climb above freezing. The coldest day appears to be Saturday, when global ensemble means prog H500 near 519 dm, or nearly 2 STD below normal, as the trough axis swings through. At this time, highs on Saturday top out in the 20s, and perhaps the teens across the interior if colder guidance is realized. With a blustery NW wind, wind chill values could fall into the single digits or below zero at points this weekend. && .AVIATION /15Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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High pressure gradually departs, giving way to an approaching wave of low pressure tonight into early Tuesday. VFR conditions expected through today and then MVFR to IFR tonight with the snow developing and moving in. Snow is expected to be mostly light but brief occasional relatively heavy snow could occur so there is a possibility of LIFR or lower late tonight into early Tuesday. The precipitation is forecast to change to light rain or drizzle along the coast Tuesday during the day with a transition to a wintry mix farther north and west. Farther inland, terminals such as KHPN and KSWF, are forecast to remain as snow with precipitation type for the whole event. Patchy freezing drizzle at coastal terminals cannot be entirely ruled out. W winds near 10 kt shift to SW this afternoon. Winds tonight into early Tuesday remain below 10 kt. The flow goes light and variable this evening, then a light NE flow becomes established early Tue AM. ...NY Metro (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF Uncertainty... Amendments likely tonight for changing categories. Timing of precipitation and any ptype changes may be off by a couple of hours. Brief sub IFR possible late tonight into Tuesday AM. OUTLOOK FOR 12Z TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... Tuesday: MVFR or lower with light rain and snow, tapering off in the afternoon. Some rain could mix in with the snow near the coast. Tuesday Night. Becoming VFR. NW wind gusts 15-20 kt. Wednesday: VFR. W wind gusts near 20-25 kt. Thursday: Mainly VFR. W wind gusts near 20 kt. Friday...IFR with snow possible. NE-N wind gusts near 20 kt in the afternoon. 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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For the waters east of Moriches Inlet the small craft advisory was not extended as conditions have fallen below small craft criteria despite a lingering E swell. Otherwise, with high pressure building to the south this afternoon winds and seas across the forecast waters will remain below advisory levels through tonight. Low pressure approaches from the southwest this evening and deepens and passes south and east during Tuesday. By late in the day Tuesday gusts on the ocean waters, and possibly into New York Harbor will be near SCA levels, then wind gusts will be borderline at SCA levels across all the waters during most of Tuesday night. Ocean seas on the outer ocean waters west of Fire Island Inlet may approach 5 feet Tuesday night. Departing low pressure and a building high on Wednesday allows small craft advisory conditions to develop on all waters by the evening under increasing westerly flow. Gales possible on the ocean and eastern nearshore waters Wed night into Thu. Winds lower Thursday with sub SCA conditions returning to non ocean waters early in the day, and on the ocean by Thu night. Sub SCA conditions redevelop late Friday or Friday night, and may persist on all waters through the weekend under NW flow. Gales on the ocean will be possible once again Sat night into Sunday.
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&& .HYDROLOGY... No hydrologic impacts expected through Sunday. && .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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CT...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Tuesday for CTZ005>007-009. NY...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ067>071. Winter Weather Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 1 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ072>075-176>179. NJ...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Tuesday for NJZ002-004-103-104. Winter Weather Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 1 PM EST Tuesday for NJZ006-105>108. MARINE...None.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...DR/MET NEAR TERM...JE/MET SHORT TERM...MET LONG TERM...DR AVIATION...JM/DR MARINE...DR/MET HYDROLOGY...DR/MET