Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Mt. Holly, NJ

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000 FXUS61 KPHI 160548 AFDPHI AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 148 AM EDT SUN JUN 16 2013 .SYNOPSIS...
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HIGH PRESSURE WILL BECOME SITUATED TO OUR SOUTH TODAY. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO TRACK ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND SOUTHEASTERN CANADA TODAY AND MONDAY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS SCHEDULED TO MOVE THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE THEN SETTLES INTO OUR AREA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, BEFORE SHIFTING TO OUR EAST FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.
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&& .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/...
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WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE QUIET UNDER A FAIR WEATHER RIDGE. STRATOCU AND WIND GUSTS HAVE DISSIPATED WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. SOME SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDINESS HAS BEEN MOVING THROUGH THE REGION. WE ARE WATCHING THE ADVANCEMENT OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION WHILE WEAK WARM AIR ADVECTION TAKES PLACE TO OUR WEST. THIS SHOULD BEGIN TO INCREASE THE MID- LEVEL MOISTURE AND BRING IN MORE CLOUDS FROM THE WEST. WE EXPECT THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TO BE DRY THOUGH SURFACE DEWPOINTS WILL BE CLIMBING UNDER THE LIGHT SOUTHWEST FLOW. THE CLOUD COVER WILL PLAY MORE OF A FACTOR WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS. CURRENT FORECAST IS ON TRACK AND THOUGH MINOR CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE EVENING TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS, OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WERE LEFT AS IS.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 6 PM TODAY/... ZONAL FLOW ALOFT, AS MID-LEVEL RIDGING SLIDES FURTHER TO OUR SOUTH, WILL ALLOW EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES TO TRAVERSE THE REGION TOMORROW. THE MAJORITY OF THIS ENERGY, NOW ACROSS THE UPPER MID-WEST, STILL HAS A QUITE A LONG WAY TO TRAVEL AND THE FLOW ALOFT IS NOT QUITE AS FAST AS IN DAYS PAST. MODELS ARE SHOWING THE TIMING OF THE STRONGER SHORTWAVE PUSHING THROUGH TO OUR NORTH BY MID-AFTERNOON WHILE A POSSIBLE LEE-SIDE TROUGH SETS UP TO OUR WEST AND TRIES TO PUSH THROUGH. THIS COULD PROVIDE ENOUGH OF A SURFACE FOCUS, COMBINED WITH THE PASSING SHORTWAVE ALOFT TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDER. GIVEN THE ZONAL FLOW ALOFT THE TIMING OF THE SHORTWAVES IS HARD TO PINPOINT THOUGH WE DO HAVE A HIGHER CONFIDENCE ACROSS OUR NORTHWEST ZONES OF SEEING SHOWERS BY MID-AFTERNOON. THE CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS TOMORROW ARE NOT ALL THAT SPECIAL THOUGH THE NAM IS MORE ROBUST WITH ITS LOW-LEVEL LAPSE RATES WHEN COMPARED TO THE GFS. IT HAS A NICE STRIPE OF NEARLY DRY ADIABATIC 1000-850MB LAPSE RATES ACROSS A MAJORITY OF OUR REGION WHEREAS THE GFS CONFINES THE BETTER RATES TO OUR SOUTHWEST. SURFACE BASED CAPE LOOKS TO BE CAPPED AROUND 300-400J/KG, WHICH IS STILL ENOUGH TO GET DECENT CHARGE SEPARATION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHALLOW COLD POOL MOVING THROUGH (TIED TO THE SHORTWAVE). THE SHEAR PROFILE IS BETTER FURTHER NORTH AND WEST OF OUR REGION BUT GIVEN THE INFLUX OF HIGHER DEWPOINTS, STORMS MAY BE ABLE TO ADVECT INTO THE REGION AND MAINTAIN THEIR ORGANIZED STRUCTURES. OTHERWISE IT LOOKS LIKE RUN OF THE MILL CONVECTION. && .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC SETUP IS COMPRISED OF AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS EASTERN CANADA THAT TENDS TO PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THIS TIME FRAME. THERE IS SOME AMPLIFICATION FORECAST AT TIMES, ALTHOUGH THIS WILL DEPEND ON THE SHORT WAVE STRENGTH ROUNDING THE TROUGH BASE AND ALSO THE TIMING. THE UPPER-LEVEL FLOW MAY TURN MORE ZONAL FOR A TIME LATE IN THE WEEK AS THE TROUGH ACROSS CANADA AMPLIFIES AND SHIFTS WESTWARD. MEANWHILE, A RIDGE ELONGATES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN STATES. AS OF NOW THERE APPEARS TO BE TWO FEATURES TO WATCH, THE FIRST A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. THE SECOND ONE IS ENERGY PUSHING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY LATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, WITH PERHAPS SOME SORT OF WEAKNESS TRACKING NEAR THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. WE USED A MODEL BLEND APPROACH SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY, THEN WENT WITH WPC GUIDANCE FROM TUESDAY NIGHT ONWARD. SOME ADJUSTMENTS WERE THEN MADE BASED ON ADDITIONAL COLLABORATION WITH OUR NEIGHBORING OFFICES. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT...LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO TRACK TO OUR NORTH WITH A TRAILING SURFACE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH DURING THIS TIME FRAME. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING, WITH PERHAPS SOME ORGANIZATION INTO CLUSTERS OR MULTICELL. THESE SHOULD BE ON A DIMINISHING TREND DURING THE NIGHT AS THE TROUGH OR WEAK FRONT SHIFTS TO OUR EAST. IT APPEARS THAT OUR REGION IS ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE STRONGER FLOW, WHICH TENDS TO REMOVE OUR REGION FROM THE LARGE SCALE LIFT/STRONGER SHEAR. AS A RESULT, WE PLACED THE HIGHEST POPS DURING THE EVENING HOURS. THERE HAS BEEN HINTS IN SOME OF THE GUIDANCE THAT AN MCS FEATURE ORGANIZES TO OUR WEST-NORTHWEST AND THEN MOVES THROUGH DURING SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WOULD BE FAVORABLE GIVEN THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT BUT ESPECIALLY IF A STRONG ENOUGH SHORT WAVE CAN TEAM UP WITH THE RIGHT THERMODYNAMIC CONDITIONS. AS OF NOW, WE ARE NOT HITTING THIS POTENTIAL ALL THAT HARD. FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY...AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH AMPLIFIES ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN CANADA, LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK EASTWARD ACROSS NEW ENGLAND MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. SINCE THE STRONGER FLOW IS FARTHER NORTH FOR AWHILE, THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MAY BE SLOW TO SETTLE ACROSS THE AREA INITIALLY. AS A RESULT, THE BOUNDARY IS NOT FORECAST TO CLEAR OUR ENTIRE AREA UNTIL LATER TUESDAY. A WARM AND MORE MOIST AIRMASS SHOULD BE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THIS FRONT TO PRODUCE SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, ALTHOUGH THE COVERAGE IS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN ATTM. IT MAY END UP BEING MOSTLY DRY MONDAY, BUT SOME CONVECTION CANNOT BE RULED OUT AT THIS POINT. A SHORT WAVE SLIDING SOUTHEASTWARD ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH MAY ALLOW A SURFACE WAVE TO FORM ALONG THIS FRONT. THIS IS FORECAST TO SLIDE ACROSS THE DELMARVA REGION DURING TUESDAY. THE AMOUNT OF FORCING AND PRECIPITATION WITH THIS IS STILL IN QUESTION, AND VIA CHATS WITH WPC INDICATES THE GFS /ESPECIALLY EARLIER RUNS/ IS TO FAR NORTH WITH ITS PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE. WE THEREFORE CONTINUE WITH SLIGHT CHC TO LOW CHC POPS MONDAY THEN INCREASE THE CHC POPS SOME MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...AN NARROW UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE IS FORECAST TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS AND MIDWEST WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF A LARGE TROUGH IN THE WEST. THIS ALLOWS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO SETTLE OVER OUR AREA DURING THIS TIME FRAME, AND PUSH A COLD FRONT WELL TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST. A PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH HOWEVER IS FORECAST TO BE ACROSS EASTERN CANADA, THEREFORE THE SURFACE HIGH WILL TEND TO SETTLE TO OUR SOUTHEAST DURING THURSDAY. A LIGHT NORTHERLY WIND WEDNESDAY WILL GIVE WAY TO A SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPING THURSDAY. THIS FLOW IS FORECAST TO BE LIGHT, AND ENOUGH OF A THERMAL CONTRAST SHOULD DEVELOP BETWEEN LAND AND WATER TO ALLOW A SEA/BAY BREEZE TO DEVELOP ESPECIALLY THURSDAY. THIS WOULD KEEP THE COASTAL AREAS COOLER, HOWEVER SOME MODERATION OF THE AIRMASS IS FORECAST TO TAKE PLACE OVERALL ESPECIALLY THURSDAY. SINCE HIGH PRESSURE IS THE DOMINANT FEATURE, A DRY FORECAST WAS CARRIED. FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...THE RIDGE IN THE MIDWEST AREA SHOULD FLATTEN OUT OR PUSH SOUTHWARD AS ENERGY EJECTS OUT OF THE WEST. AS A RESULT, LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO TRACK ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND MIDWEST DURING THIS TIME FRAME. MEANWHILE, HIGH PRESSURE IS SITUATED TO OUR EAST WITH A RETURN FLOW OCCURRING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. IT APPEARS THAT A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD DURING SATURDAY, ALTHOUGH THE MAIN WAA PUSH MAY END UP STAYING WELL TO OUR WEST. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT SOME SORT OF WEAKNESS OR COASTAL TROUGH DEVELOPS NEAR THE CAROLINAS WITH CONVECTION OCCURRING. SOME OF THIS MOISTURE MAY EVENTUALLY GET DRAWN NORTHWARD AS LOW-LEVEL WAA AND MOISTURE ADVECTION INCREASES WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, A WEAK BOUNDARY MAY APPROACH OUR NORTHERN ZONES AS A SYSTEM ZIPS BY WELL NORTH OF THE CANADIAN/U.S. BORDER. BASED ON THIS AND MORE UNCERTAINTY WITH THE DETAILS, WE CARRIED SLIGHT CHC POPS IN THE DATABASE ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN ZONES FRIDAY THEN SOME EXPANSION SOUTH AND EAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. && .AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG, KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. INCREASING MID-LEVEL CLOUDS FROM THE WEST WITH AN INCREASE IN LOW- LEVEL MOISTURE EXPECTED. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WILL NEAR LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND MAY TOUCH OFF A FEW SHOWERS WITH POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM. ADDED SOME VFR SHOWERS TO THE TAFS FOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. TIMING STILL REMAINS AN ISSUE SO NO THUNDER WAS INCLUDED AT THIS TIME. DEEPER MIXING, UNDER SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW, SURFACE AND ALOFT, WILL ALLOW FOR GUSTINESS TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE DAY. GUSTS UP TO 25 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. WINDS WILL SUBSIDE SUNDAY NIGHT. OUTLOOK... MONDAY...MOSTLY VFR. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THIS MAY RESULT IN TIMES OF LOCAL MVFR. SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS. TUESDAY...OVERALL VFR, HOWEVER MVFR OR LOWER AT TIMES WITH SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10-15 KNOTS, BECOMING WEST, THEN NORTH LATE. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...VFR WITH NORTHERLY WINDS AROUND 5 KNOTS WEDNESDAY, BECOMING SOUTHERLY THURSDAY. A BAY/SEA BREEZE COULD DEVELOP EACH AFTERNOON.
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&& .MARINE... NO CHANGES TO PREVIOUS FORECAST. SUB-SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON OUR WATERS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. THE SURFACE FLOW WILL TURN MORE SOUTHWESTERLY LATER TONIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO SETTLE TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST. NOT EXPECTING A GREAT SURGE IN SEAS TOMORROW THOUGH THEY SHOULD TOP OUT AROUND 4 FEET ON THE OCEAN FRONT. WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TO 15-20 KTS AND GIVEN WARMER AIR FLOWING IN ALOFT, WE LOSE THE BETTER VERTICAL MIXING. THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR MINIMAL GUSTINESS. OUTLOOK... A SURFACE TROUGH LOOKS TO PUSH THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT, THEN THE MAIN COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THE FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT MAY BE ENOUGH TO BUILD THE SEAS TO 5 FEET ON THE OCEAN FOR A TIME SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. THE FLOW WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT LATER TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WITH SOME INCREASE, HOWEVER AS OF NOW THE WINDS LOOK TO REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. THE WINDS SHOULD THEN TURN SOUTHERLY THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE STARTS TO SHIFT TO OUR SOUTHEAST. && .PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NJ...NONE. DE...NONE. MD...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && $$ SYNOPSIS...GORSE NEAR TERM...SZATKOWSKI/HEAVENER SHORT TERM...HEAVENER LONG TERM...GORSE AVIATION...GORSE/SZATKOWSKI/HEAVENER/MEOLA MARINE...GORSE/SZATKOWSKI/HEAVENER

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