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FXUS61 KOKX 122136
AFDOKX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New York NY
436 PM EST Mon Feb 12 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
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Low pressure west of the Appalachians will redevelop off the Delmarva coast Tuesday morning, intensify and pass south of Long Island Tuesday morning, then head well out to sea Tuesday afternoon and night. High pressure will then return from Wednesday into Thursday before an Alberta Clipper low passes through Thursday night into Friday. A series of weak lows may pass across during the weekend before high pressure returns next Monday.
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&& .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING/...
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Overcast high clouds over the area attm will give way to lower clouds poised just SW of NYC across Philly metro and southern NJ this evening, with a few areas of light rain/drizzle to the SW over the DC metro area into Virginia. This precip will advance NE this evening, reaching the area around or just after midnight. P-type will likely start off rain at the coast with temps falling thru the 40s and 30s and a weak elevated warm nose, then mix with snow/sleet toward daybreak as heavier precip starts to arrive and cools the column. Inland precip should be primarily snow.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
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* Winter storm to impact the area on Tuesday. * Winter storm warnings issued for NYC metro and Long Island, where there is higher confidence in at least 6 inches of snowfall. * Guidance continues to trend south. Forecast was originally based on the 12Z GFS/NAM but made some last-minute changes based on the 12Z ECMWF/NAM. This could put the metro area and Long Island more under the axis of higher QPF, with lesser amts north/west of NYC than originally anticipated. Model guidance has continued to trend south, with the 18Z ECMWF/NAM showing a tad less phasing with a northern stream shortwave trough moving through the Great Lakes. This shift should lead to lower snowfall amts quite a bit across the interior, and put the axis of highest QPF either right over the NYC metro area/Long Island or just south. At the last minute blended the 12Z ECMWF with the 12Z GFS/NAM which were farther north. Did not change headlines inland but lowered snowfall amts to the 6-9 inches range across the interior, and if the southward trend continues it is possible that northern areas may less less than 6 inches of snowfall. Meanwhile confidence has increased enough in higher snowfall totals for the NYC metro and Long Island to upgrade watches to warnings for those areas. Amts will be in the 4-7 inch range around the NYC metro area were blyr temps will remain a little warmer than areas to the NW and also across Long Island. Per earlier forecasts of favorable deformation/frontogenetic forcing near the coast and negative EPV* atop the frontogenetic layer, there could be some slantwise instability and perhaps some isolated thunder as the heaviest precip moves across in the morning. QPF of 1.00-1.25 inches expected only across the NYC metro area and Long Island, with lesser amts of 3/4 to 1 inch to the north. Snow ratios at the coast will likely be low at the onset, but then increase as the snow becomes heavy (with rates at least 1-2 inches/hour) and low level winds become more northerly. In addition, NE-N winds at the height of the storm will gust to 30-40 mph, strongest along the coast. This could further restrict visibilities. However, with the wet nature of the snow, blowing snow should be at a minimum and any blizzard-like conditions should be short-lived. NW winds on the back side of the low gradually subside Tuesday night with clearing skies. Lows will be close to normal, in the 20s.
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&& .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
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No major changes have been made to the long term Wednesday through early next week. Key Points: * Temperatures look to be below normal through the weekend before a slight warming trend early next week. * A fast moving clipper system passes across the northeast Thursday night followed by another potential fast moving system early in the weekend. High pressure builds towards the eastern seaboard on Wednesday. The ridge axis will be over the area Wednesday night before shifting offshore on Thursday. The deterministic and ensemble means are in good agreement on this scenario. A fast moving Alberta Clipper low continues to be signaled on the guidance for Thursday night. The latest consensus takes the surface low north of our area, which introduces slightly warmer air. Moisture is still limited, but there is a brief window Thursday night for enough lift to raise PoPs to high chance. NBM precip probabilities continue support predominately snow showers inland, but mainly rain with some wet snow mixed in towards the coast. If the low were to trend further south, colder air and higher chances of a period of snow showers could occur across the entire area. This is a fast moving system which limits the amount of precip that could fall. High pressure briefly returns Friday before modeling diverges Friday night into the weekend. Another fast moving northern stream shortwave approaches and could bring another clipper type low. It is beginning to look like the northern stream will be more suppressive and force any southern energy well south of the area. It is still about 6 days out so the evolution could still change. PoPs on the model consensus remain low with just a chance of snow showers Friday night into Saturday. Uncertainty increases further on Sunday as there could be another piece of northern stream energy passing through, but moisture right now looks very limited. High pressure may return early next week.
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&& .AVIATION /21Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
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*Significant winter storm to impact the terminals on Tuesday High pressure remains in control through this evening. Low pressure approaches the region from the southwest tonight, passing south of the area on Tuesday. VFR with light winds for the rest of today into early this evening. Precip arrives generally 04-06z for most terminals with MVFR following within an hour or two. Precip begins as rain or a rain/snow mix at the coast, but changes to snow with IFR conditions for all terminals by 11-13z. A low end chance remains that some ice pellets mix in during the transition from rain to snow, but this should be brief and confidence is not high enough to include in the TAF. Snow then continues through early Tues afternoon, and will be heavy at times during the morning. Dry with VFR arriving late afternoon. Winds under 10kt through around midnight. NE winds then increase late tonight and will probably be strongest during the morning push with sustained winds around 20kt and gusts around 30kt. Winds back toward NW Tues aftn with gust still around 25kt. Forecast Airport Snowfall Totals: KJFK/KLGA/KEWR/KTEB/KSWF: 5-8 inches KISP/KHPN/KBDR/KGON: 6-10 inches ...NY Metro (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF Uncertainty... No unscheduled amendments expected through 03Z Tuesday. Amendments will probably be needed for flight category changes and timing of precip changes. There is a chance that the onset of precip and lowering flight categories are forecast to be a few hours too soon, and there`s a chance that precip begins as a rain/snow mix or all snow. OUTLOOK FOR 18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Tuesday afternoon...Snow ending and improving to VFR by late. NW winds G25kt. Tuesday night through Wednesday night...VFR. NW winds G20-25kt during the nighttime and around 30kt daytime Wed. Thursday: VFR. Thursday night: Chance of MVFR and snow showers or mixed rain/snow showers. NW winds G25kt late. Friday: VFR. NW winds G25-30kt. Saturday: Chance of MVFR/IFR with snow showers. 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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NE winds increase tonight ahead of an approaching deepening low pressure system from the southwest. The low then passes just south and east of the ocean waters on Tuesday. This will allow winds to reach gale force on the ocean on Tuesday, with a gale warning remaining in effect. SCA in effect elsewhere with gusts mostly 25-30 kt, though a few gusts to 35 kt may be possible on the eastern Sound and the bays of Long Island. Winds on the waters will weaken somewhat Tuesday night as the storm departs, with SCA cond continuing mainly on the ocean and ern waters. A steepening pressure gradient Wednesday will lead to SCA conditions on all waters with potential for gale force gusts on the ocean. Winds begin to weaken on the waters Wednesday night, falling below SCA levels Thursday before potentially reach SCA levels Thursday night into Friday. Ocean seas will be elevated through Wednesday night before briefly subsiding below 5 ft Thursday. Elevated seas are briefly possible Friday but should be below SCA levels next Saturday.
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&& .HYDROLOGY... There are no hydrologic issues expected at this time. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... * Minor coastal flooding is likely during times of high tide through tonight. * Widespread minor and some moderate coastal flooding becoming more likely with the Tuesday morning/midday high tides. Forecast continues to be heavily based on Stevens NYHOPS guidance, which has been performing reasonably well over the past 24 hours. Have decided to leave the coastal flood statement for coastal Fairfield/Westchester running through early this afternoon with the expectation of minor thresholds just being reached at the Stamford and Bridgeport gauges. A better chance of more widespread coastal flooding will be possible tonight, so have gone ahead and issued a coastal flood advisory for tonight`s high tide cycle. A coastal flood advisory remains in effect for the south shore of Nassau County for the high tide cycles today and tonight. Further west, most of the guidance has the high tides falling just short of reaching minor thresholds. Depending on how some of the tides behave with todays high tide cycles, a statement or advisory may be needed tonight. Areas that might eventually need an advisory include southwestern Suffolk, southern Queens, southern Brooklyn, Lower NY Harbor and parts of western Long Island Sound. Nassau County already has an advisory up. Have not changed any headlines for Tuesday, there`s enough confidence in moderate flooding to put up a coastal flood watch for Southern Nassau County. Localized moderate coastal flooding is possible for Southwestern Suffolk County. Otherwise, widespread minor coastal flooding is looking more probable for all but along the eastern Sound and along Peconic/Gardiners Bays. Just like Monday night, there`s still time to gain more confidence in the extent of minor flooding before issuing headlines. Timing of a wind shift from NE to N on Tuesday brings some uncertainty on how quickly some drainage help could occur as well as the amount of time the north shore of Long Island is exposed to a more direct onshore flow. && .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for CTZ005>012. Coastal Flood Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 2 AM EST Tuesday for CTZ009. Coastal Flood Advisory from noon to 4 PM EST Tuesday for CTZ009-010. Coastal Flood Advisory from 11 AM to 4 PM EST Tuesday for CTZ011-012. NY...Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ067>071. Coastal Flood Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 2 AM EST Tuesday for NYZ071. Coastal Flood Advisory from noon to 4 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ071-073-078-176-177. Winter Storm Warning from 4 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ072>075-078>081-176>179. Coastal Flood Advisory from 8 AM to noon EST Tuesday for NYZ072-074-075-178. Coastal Flood Advisory from 8 AM to 5 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ079>081. Coastal Flood Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 2 AM EST Tuesday for NYZ179. Coastal Flood Warning from 8 AM to 3 PM EST Tuesday for NYZ179. NJ...Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for NJZ002- 004-103>105. Winter Storm Warning from 4 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for NJZ006- 106>108. Coastal Flood Advisory from 8 AM to noon EST Tuesday for NJZ006-106-108. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 5 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for ANZ331- 332-335-338-340-345. Gale Warning from 6 AM to 6 PM EST Tuesday for ANZ350-353-355. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BG/DS NEAR TERM...BG SHORT TERM...BG LONG TERM...DS AVIATION...JC MARINE...BG/DS HYDROLOGY...BG/DS TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...NV