Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Mt. Holly, NJ

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000 FXUS61 KPHI 151417 AFDPHI AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 1017 AM EDT WED MAY 15 2013 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE TRACKING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN CANADA TODAY WILL PULL A WARM FRONT ACROSS OUR AREA, THEN A COLD FRONT SLIDES THROUGH OUR REGION TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL STALL TO OUR SOUTH THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. THE BOUNDARY SHOULD THEN LIFT NORTH OF OUR AREA AS A WARM FRONT LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY, AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA TODAY AND GRADUALLY MOVE OFFSHORE. AS IT DOES, LOW PRESSURE OVER SERN CANADA WILL ADVANCE EWD BRINGING A STRONG WARM FRONT THROUGH THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE SOME RAIN WITH THE FRONT, BUT THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DISAGREEMENT WITHIN THE MDLS AS TO HOW MUCH. MDL SOLUTIONS AT THIS CLOSE TIME SCALE VARY FROM VIRTUALLY DRY TO ALMOST 0.10 IN SPOTS. REGARDLESS, IT LOOKS TO BE FAIRLY CLOUDY AS COMPARED TO THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS BUT MUCH WARMER, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES REBOUNDING TO NEAR OR EVEN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NRML. BY AFTN, THE WIND WILL INCREASE FROM THE S AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. THERE COULD BE SOME THUNDER AS WELL THIS AFTN DUE TO THE WARM FRONT, AND MOISTURE WILL BE INCREASING AS DEW POINTS RECOVER INTO THE 50S AND PUSH 60. OF SOME CONCERN ARE THE FORECAST STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES, THE CONSIDERABLE SHEAR AND THE LOW LEVEL JET. REGARDING THE JET, SOUNDINGS FROM DTX TO ILN TO OHX CAME IN WITH H925 WINDS AROUND 45 KT THIS MORNING. THE NAM AND GFS EACH WERE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH ON THESE THAN THE ECMWF, BUT THE NEW NAM IS TEMPERING THOSE WINDS SOME FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND LOOKS MORE LIKE THE ECMWF THAN THE GFS. AS NOTED PREVIOUSLY, THE DEW POINTS WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO RISE, AND WE PRESENTLY DON`T EXPECT THEM TO REACH LEVELS SUFFICIENT TO ELIMINATE THE SURFACE BASED CIN THAT THE AMERICAN MODELS SHOW. WE THEREFORE ARE NOT READY TO START TALKING ABOUT SEVERE CONVECTION.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM THURSDAY/...
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A CDFNT WILL CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND PRECIP SHOULD COME TO AN END. HOWEVER, A WEAK BNDRY WILL REMAIN JUST TO THE S OVERNIGHT. THE WIND WILL TURN MORE WLY OR NWLY BEHIND THE CFP.
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&& .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC SETUP IS COMPRISED OF A TROUGH IN EASTERN CANADA THAT AMPLIFIES SOME ACROSS THE NORTHEAST FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND. THE UPPER-LEVEL FLOW MAY THEN UNDERGO ADDITIONAL AMPLIFICATION LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK, AS A TROUGH EJECTS OUT INTO THE PLAINS WITH TIME ALLOWING DOWNSTREAM RIDGING TO TAKE PLACE. THIS GENERALLY ALLOWS WARMING TO CONTINUE TO OCCUR INTO THE EAST, HOWEVER A POTENTIAL FLY IN THE OINTMENT IS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE THAT BUILDS DOWN INTO NEW ENGLAND OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS COULD ALLOW AN ONSHORE FLOW TO OCCUR ACROSS OUR AREA, RESULTING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES. WE USED A MODEL BLEND APPROACH THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, THEN BLENDED IN NEW WPC GUIDANCE INTO CONTINUITY. FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS EASTERN CANADA AMPLIFIES SOUTHWARD SOME IN THE NORTHEAST THURSDAY. SINCE THIS TROUGH IS NOT FORECAST TO DIG ALL THAT FAR SOUTH, A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE STALLING IN A WEST TO EAST FASHION TO OUR SOUTH. SOME SHORT WAVE ENERGY ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE TROUGH COMBINED WITH A TIGHTENING THERMAL GRADIENT COULD RESULT IN SOME SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE DELMARVA THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THESE SHOULD WANE THURSDAY NIGHT AS THEY MOSTLY THRIVE OFF OF THE DAYTIME HEATING. A SIMILAR SETUP FOR FRIDAY, HOWEVER HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO START BUILDING SOUTHWARD WHICH SHOULD PUSH THE SURFACE FRONT A BIT FURTHER SOUTH. IF THIS IS THE CASE, ANY CONVECTION SHOULD THEN REMAIN TO OUR SOUTH DURING FRIDAY. WE MAINTAINED SOME LOW CHC POPS ACROSS THE DELMARVA ON THURSDAY GIVEN THE PROXIMITY TO THE STALLING FRONT, THEN SLIGHT CHC POPS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE WARM WITH A WESTERLY FLOW OCCURRING. FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED WELL TO OUR NORTH SATURDAY IS FORECAST TO SETTLE SOUTHWARD SUNDAY. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO A TROUGH MOVING INTO THE PLAINS WHICH DRIVES A RIDGE EASTWARD. A TROUGH IN THE ATLANTIC MAY THEN PROVIDE A BLOCK FOR A TIME, ALLOWING SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO MOVE SOUTH FIRST BEFORE SHIFTING EASTWARD. THE TIMING AND POSITIONING OF THIS SURFACE HIGH WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE RETURN FLOW THAT EVENTUALLY WILL SETUP. A WAA PATTERN SHOULD BE ONGOING UP THE OHIO VALLEY DURING THIS TIME, WHICH HELPS TO TURN THE STALLED BOUNDARY INTO A WARM FRONT. SOME GUIDANCE WANTS TO TOSS SOME CONVECTION ACROSS THE DELMARVA AT TIMES, HOWEVER THE SURFACE FRONT BEING FARTHER SOUTH MAY END UP PREVENTING THIS. WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE AN ONSHORE FLOW OCCURRING DURING THE WEEKEND, RESULTING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES /PERHAPS MORE CLOUDS/ ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE COAST. AS OF NOW, THE ONSHORE FLOW DOES NOT LOOK TERRIBLY ROBUST. FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WE GENERALLY FOLLOWED CLOSER TO WPC GUIDANCE WHICH SLOWED THE WARM FRONT A BIT ON ITS NORTHWARD MOTION. THIS IS MOSTLY DUE TO THE SURFACE LOW ACROSS THE MIDWEST SLOWING PERHAPS SOME AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE GRADUALLY EASES OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. THE WARM FRONT SHOULD BE LIFTING NORTH OF OUR AREA LATER MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH WITH THE WARM FRONT, AS WE THEN AWAIT FOR THE COLD FRONT TO ARRIVE LATE TUESDAY. GIVEN LOWER CONFIDENCE WITH THE TIMING AND CONVECTIVE EVOLUTION, WE MAINTAINED LOW CHC POPS ACROSS THE AREA. && .AVIATION /14Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG, KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS. A LOW CONFIDENCE FCST FOR LATER TODAY. CONDS WILL START OUT VFR AND EVEN IF THERE IS SOME LIGHT RAIN, IT SHOULD BE FALLING OUT OF MID LEVEL CLOUDS AND BE OPERATIONALLY INSIGNIFICANT. THEN, HIGH PRESSURE TO THE SE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OFFSHORE. A STRONG WARM FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND SOME MDLS INDICATE THAT BY EVENING THERE COULD BE MVFR AND EVEN LWR CONDS. NOT BUYING THIS COMPLETELY JUST YET BUT THE POTENTIAL IS THERE ANYTIME YOU ARE INVOF A WMFNT. THERE COULD BE SOME TSRA THIS AFTN AND EVENING BUT CHCS ARE TOO LOW AT AN INDIVIDUAL SITE TO MENTION ATTM. THEN LATE TONIGHT A CDFNT WILL CROSS THE REGION AND THINGS SHOULD IMPROVE BEHIND THAT CFP. WE ARE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT 40 KT OR GREATER WINDS OCCURRING AT ABOUT 2000 FT OFF THE SURFACE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WOULD BE ABOUT 40 DEGREES AND 25 KNOTS OF SHEAR IN THE LAYER. THE LATEST MODELS SEEM TO BE CONFINING THAT TO ALONG THE COAST. SURFACE WINDS WERE COMING AROUND TO S AND WERE BEGINNING TO PICK UP THIS MORNING. THEY COULD GUST TO OR A BIT ABOVE 20 KT LATER TODAY. THEY WILL BECOME MORE WLY TONIGHT AND EVENTUALLY NWLY BEHIND THE CFP. OUTLOOK... THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...MOSTLY VFR. A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE SOUTH OF KPHL THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS, HOWEVER POSSIBLY TURNING SOUTHEAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT KMIV AND KACY. SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MOSTLY VFR, ALTHOUGH AN ONSHORE FLOW MAY BRING IN SOME LOWER CLOUDS OFF THE OCEAN /LOWER CONFIDENCE/. A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE MAINLY EACH AFTERNOON WITH PERHAPS LOCAL MVFR. LIGHT WINDS EARLY SATURDAY BECOMING SOUTHEAST NEAR 10 KNOTS.
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&& .MARINE... WILL LEAVE THE SCA IN EFFECT UNCHANGED AS INCREASING SLY FLOW AHEAD OF A WARM FRONT WILL CAUSE AN INCREASE IN SEAS. THE WIND IS ALSO FORECAST TO PICK UP LATER TODAY. A CFP WILL OCCUR LATER TONIGHT AND THE WIND WILL BECOME MORE WLY THEN NWLY BEHIND IT. OUTLOOK... A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SETTLE TO OUR SOUTH THURSDAY AND THEN STALL. MEANWHILE, HIGH PRESSURE OVER EASTERN CANADA WILL GRADUALLY BUILD SOUTHWARD FRIDAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND. THE WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE LIGHTER WITH SEAS SUBSIDING DURING THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THE SEAS ON THE OCEAN COULD BE RIGHT NEAR 5 FEET FOR AWHILE THURSDAY, HOWEVER THEY SHOULD BE LOWERING THEREFORE WE OPTED TO NOT EXTEND THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ATTM BEYOND 12Z. OVER THE WEEKEND, AN EAST OR SOUTHEAST FLOW IS FORECAST TO OCCUR. THIS FLOW DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ALL THAT ROBUST, ALTHOUGH SOME LOCAL ENHANCEMENT COULD OCCUR ESPECIALLY NEARSHORE AND UP DELAWARE BAY. AS OF NOW, WE KEPT THE CONDITIONS BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA. && .PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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PA...NONE. NJ...NONE. DE...NONE. MD...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ450>455. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR ANZ431.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...GORSE NEAR TERM...NIERENBERG/DELISI SHORT TERM...NIERENBERG LONG TERM...GORSE AVIATION...GORSE/NIERENBERG/DELISI MARINE...GORSE/NIERENBERG

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