Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY

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693 FXUS61 KBUF 061735 AFDBUF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Buffalo NY 135 PM EDT Thu Jun 6 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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The second of two cold fronts will cross our region this evening... and this will usher in a cooler and less humid airmass that will stay in place through early next week. Unfortunately...the cooler conditions will be accompanied by unsettled conditions with fairly frequent showers. Warmer weather wil then finally return later next week.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
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The airmass east of Lake Ontario is certainly sub tropical in nature with PWAT values arnd 1.8" and Td`s in the upper 60s...so there is no doubt that convection in that area this afternoon will generate some heavy rain. While the threat for severe weather has diminished somewhat in that area because of the dense cloud cover and extent of shower activity...there will still be the risk for isolated thunderstorms that contain wind gusts in excess of 40 mph. Otherwise...partial clearing will continue to take place over the western counties. The second of two cold fronts will push through the area tonight. THIS...front will lead the charge of a cooler and less humid airmass. While the vast majority of the region will experience fair dry weather tonight...deeper moisture circulating around a deep longwave trough over eastern Canada will nose across the far western counties after midnight. This will support the chance for some nuisance showers over the far western areas...and with H85 temps forecast to drop to arnd 6c...there could actually be some lake enhancement east of both lakes. Otherwise...it will be a night to open those windows to allow the fresh new airmass indoors. Mins will range from the mid and upper 50s across the lake plains to the lower 50s across the bulk of the Srn Tier and across the Tug Hill. A very unsettled pattern will continue Friday through the weekend as a mid level closed low moves very slowly from near Georgian Bay Friday morning eastward across southern Quebec over the weekend. A multitude of shortwaves will round the base of the closed low and bring periods of enhanced ascent and deeper moisture to our region, producing frequent rain chances. These smaller scale shortwaves become more difficult to place in time and space beyond a few days, with the finer details of the forecast becoming more uncertain beyond Saturday. Friday, the base of the mid level low will move across the eastern Great Lakes, bringing with it a period of deep moisture and ascent. Cool temperatures aloft will support steepening lapse rates with modest diurnal heating. The coverage of showers should still be rather sparse early in the morning, but expect a quick expansion of shower coverage and intensity by late morning into the afternoon as the deeper moisture and forcing arrive and interact with steepening lapse rates. Instability will be weak, but still may support some isolated thunder in the afternoon and evening. Stable lake shadows will keep shower coverage lower east and northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, but the synoptic forcing may be strong enough to overcome the lake shadows to some extent. Friday night, showers will continue as the trough moves slowly east. Temperatures aloft become cool enough to support lake enhanced showers east of the lakes, especially east of Lake Ontario overnight as 850MB temps fall to around +5C or so. This is a rarity in June, but the cool temperatures aloft combined with well above normal lake temperatures will bring our first lake effect rain showers of the 2024-2025 season.
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&& .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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Saturday through Sunday, the closed low and trough axis will continue to move slowly east. Cyclonic westerly flow will continue across the Great Lakes, along with a series of difficult to time mid level shortwaves. The 00Z model guidance suggests the most notable of these waves will move across the eastern Great Lakes Saturday night, bringing a greater chance of more organized rainfall. Otherwise, weak diurnal instability, lake breeze boundaries, and general weak large scale forcing will continue to support scattered to numerous showers and possibly a few isolated thunderstorms Saturday through Sunday. Temperatures will run below average through the period with the persistent trough and cool air aloft in place. Highs Friday through Sunday will generally be in the 60s.
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&& .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... The same general longwave pattern will remain in place across North America through early next week, with an expansive ridge in the west and a trough in the east. The trough and associated forcing, deeper moisture, and cool air aloft will continue to support showers and cool temperatures through at least Monday. By Tuesday, forecast model guidance continues to show the trough axis making some eastward progress to along or just off the east coast. There may still be a few spotty showers, especially in the afternoon across higher terrain inland from the lakes, but the coverage of showers should be much lower than previous days. Tuesday night and Wednesday height rises will spread across the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes ahead of another trough digging into the upper Great Lakes. This will bring a brief interlude of dry weather, but shower chances may start to increase again as early as Wednesday afternoon with the approach of the upstream trough. Temperatures will warm through midweek as the pool of cool air aloft exits. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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VFR conditions will be in place across the western counties for the remainder of the afternoon...while numerous showers and thunderstorms east of Lake Ontario will promote MVFR conditions for sites like KART and KGTB. Mainly VFR weather will then be in place for tonight...despite the passage of a second front. Deepening moisture rotating around the base of a large trough will encourage Cigs to drop to MVFR levels on Friday. The lowering cigs will be accompanied by some showers and possibly a thunderstorm or two. Outlook... Saturday through Monday...VFR/MVFR with mainly daytime showers likely with possible thunderstorms. Tuesday...VFR conditions.
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&& .MARINE... A cold front will cross the Lower Great Lakes this morning. Showers will continue with the threat for thunderstorms increasing across the eastern half of Lake Ontario this afternoon. SW to WSW winds will freshen on both Lakes today through Friday in the wake of the cold frontal passage with choppy waters developing. Conditions may possibly near Small Craft Advisory criteria for a couple of brief periods, especially across eastern Lake Erie. && .BUF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NY...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RSH NEAR TERM...Hitchcock/RSH SHORT TERM...Hitchcock LONG TERM...Hitchcock AVIATION...RSH MARINE...Apffel/HSK/JM/TMA