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FXUS61 KOKX 052059
AFDOKX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New York NY
359 PM EST Sun Jan 5 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
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A quick moving low will pass through the Mid Atlantic region on Monday and offshore Monday night. High pressure then slowly builds in from the west through Friday. An area of low pressure may pass nearby next weekend.
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&& .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/...
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The pressure gradient over the area weakens tonight, while heights rise slightly aloft. Surface winds gradually lower through tonight, becoming light (5 kt or less) for a period. Stratocu should slowly decrease through the evening for much of the area as model soundings show the lower levels drying out. Given the loss of cloud cover and light winds, there could be a brief period where temps drop quick this evening. However, mid to high level cloud cover moves in the second half of the night, so radiational cooling conditions are not ideal for the entire night. Forecast lows are in the low to mid 20s for most. Given the aforementioned brief period of efficient cooling, the usual cold spots could potentially see lows in the mid to upper teens.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
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A surface low currently centered over Arkansas, and the associated upper level low, will lift towards the Mid Atlantic tonight and move offshore sometime late Monday morning into Monday afternoon. The low is still progged to pass well south of the area, about 300 miles offshore. As it passes to the south, it will deepen as the upper level low opens up and become negatively tilted. There were no major trends/changes with the 12z guidance. QPF overall did come down a hair compared to the 00z guidance for most locations, however, forecast SLRs were increased a bit from the previous forecast, so snow amounts have generally stayed the same or increased by a tenth of an inch. The story remains the same. As the low passes to the south we look to get scraped by the far northern edge of the precip shield. With plenty of cold air in place, this will result in an all light snow event. In fact, most places likely do not get above freezing on Monday. All guidance is in agreement with strong 850 frontogenesis staying well offshore and in turn any snow banding will stay well south of the area. Light snow likely enters northeast NJ and NYC around 10am and will be done by 3 to 4pm. There could be a period between noon and 2pm where snow rates reach 0.2 to 0.4 inch/per for one hour based on model consensus timing of strongest lift and hourly QPF fields. As mentioned, totals have largely stayed the same as the previous forecast. Extreme southwestern portions of the area (Union, Staten Island, Brooklyn and southern Queens) look to have the best chance at seeing an inch. On the other hand, much of the Lower Hudson Valley and southern CT likely do not see more than a trace. Not expecting a significant shift as we are within 18-24 hours, but if the system does end up tracking a bit farther north than forecast then reasonable worst case amounts for the southwestern portion of the area are around 1.5 to 2 inches.
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&& .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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Key Points: * Cold, windy, and predominantly dry conditions expected through the upcoming week. Daytime wind chills generally in the teens and as low as the single digits overnight. * Next chance for widespread precipitation could arrive next weekend. Globals models are in good overall agreement this period with the mean upper trough across eastern Canada extending into the NE quarter of the CONUS. This will keep the area dry and unseasonably cold through much of the week. A pattern change toward the end may end with potential impacts from a storm system tracking across the southern states. Blocking over Greenland with positive height anomalies will allow a polar vortex over the Canadian Maritimes to only slowly lift out to the NE through the week. At the same time, ridging remains in place across the E PAC into western Canada. This will allow for a steady stream of polar air reinforcements through Thursday. During this time, expect temperatures about 10 degrees below normal. Temperatures likely don`t get above freezing until Friday. NBM box and whisker plots continue to show the deterministic highs at or above the 75th percentile through the period, but closer to the median (50th) for lows. Stayed with a blend of the NBM with its median for highs to air slightly on the colder side. At the same time, polar high pressure over the Plains and Midwest bleeds south and east, weakening as it does so through the week. This will maintain a tight pressure gradient into Friday, with a strong W/NW flow. Expect gusts of 30 to 40 mph each afternoon, possibly near advisory levels for Tuesday. This will generate wind chills generally in the teens each day and as low as the single digits at night. The upper air pattern briefly looks to get interrupted as a piece of Pac energy breaks through the ridge over western Canada. It is the interaction of this piece of energy along with a cutoff low over the desert SW that brings a storm system across the southern tier of states. The 12Z globals have reverted to a more progressive, weaker system with low pressure passing off the Carolina coast next Saturday. This is quite different from some of the previous runs the last 24h, which rapped up an intense coastal low just south and east of the area. This system will bring the next chance for precipitation to the area. It is much too early though to rely on any one solution and it will need to be watched the next few days.
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&& .AVIATION /21Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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Weak low pres passes S of the region on Mon. VFR thru tngt, then clouds lower Mon mrng. MVFR expected aft 12Z, with pockets of IFR possible in steadier snow roughly 14-19Z. Improvement to VFR by 20-22Z Mon. Runway accums less than an inch expected. Flow generally 280-300 true thru tngt. Decreasing winds aft 22Z, with speeds blw 10kt all arpts by 6Z. Lgt flow blw 10kt on Mon with winds veering slightly to 340-360 true. ...NY Metro (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF Uncertainty... Amendments possible for timing and intensity of -SN on Mon. OUTLOOK FOR 18Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... Rest of Monday: VFR by 20-22Z. Winds increase again aft 00Z Tue with NW gusts up to 30kt. Tuesday through Thursday: VFR and windy. Gusts aoa 35kt at times. Friday: VFR. 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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A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect on all waters until this evening for 20 to 30 knot gusts and 5 to 7 ft seas across the ocean zones. As winds lower, the SCA expires gradually from west to east. Quiet conditions are then expected on Monday before winds ramp back up again Monday night to SCA level. Given 15-25 kt winds and cold air and water temps Monday night, there is also a chance of some light freezing spray. This is mainly for the LI Sound and close to the shore on the ocean waters where water temps will be coldest. If water temps trend colder than forecast, light freezing spray could be more widespread. A Gale Watch has been issued for all Tuesday into Wednesday due a strong pressure gradient and several shots of cold air moving across the relatively warmer waters. Strong low pressure will reside across the Canadian Maritimes during this period with high pressure building in from the west. Gales could linger into Thursday, especially for the ocean waters.
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&& .HYDROLOGY...
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No significant hydrologic issues anticipated through next weekend.
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&& .OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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CT...None. NY...None. NJ...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM EST this evening for ANZ331- 332-335-338-340-345-355. Gale Watch from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon for ANZ331-332-335-338-340-345-350-353-355. Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM EST Monday for ANZ350. Small Craft Advisory until 1 AM EST Monday for ANZ353.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...JT/DW NEAR TERM...JT SHORT TERM...JT LONG TERM...DW AVIATION...JMC MARINE...JT/DW HYDROLOGY...JT/DW