-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
000
FXUS61 KPHI 262328
AFDPHI

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
628 PM EST THU FEB 26 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND INTO THE
WEEKEND. A WEAK UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE WILL CROSS THE AREA FRIDAY. A
WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ITS FRONTS WILL AFFECT THE AREA SUNDAY
NIGHT INTO MONDAY. MORE HIGH PRESSURE WILL ARRIVE FOR MONDAY NIGHT
AND EARLY TUESDAY. ANOTHER STORM WILL AFFECT THE AREA FOR THE MIDDLE
OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
ONLY CHANGES IN THE NEAR NEAR TERM WAS TO FOLLOW THE ECHOES AND
KEEP A CHANCE OF FLURRIES WHERE OVERHEAD AND UPSTREAM ECHOES
SHOWED SNOW FALLING FROM A MID CLOUD DECK. MOST OF THIS IS
EVAPORATING BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND. WE REMOVED THE LOW POPS
FROM THE SERN PART OF OUR CWA IN THE EVENING BASED ON ABOVE
TRAJECTORY. MOST OTHER FORECAST ELEMENTS REMAIN CLOSE TO
EXPECTATIONS.

THE LOW PRESSURE WHICH BROUGHT SNOW TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE
REGION TODAY HAS MOVED OFFSHORE. SKIES WILL REMAIN PARTLY TO
MOSTLY CLOUDY AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE APPROACHES THE REGION FROM THE
WEST. THE TIME OF THE LOW TEMPERATURE MAY BE VARIABLE, FROM THE
EVENING WEST TILL TOWARD DAYBREAK FURTHER EAST. LOW TEMPERATURES
OVERALL SHOULD RUN COOLER THAN THE MET/MAV GUIDANCE DUE TO
SNOWCOVER ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE REGION BUT NOT A LOT COLDER
DUE TO THE CLOUDS. CLOUDS AND THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE MAY ALSO
LEAD TO SLIGHTLY RISING TEMPERATURES WEST OF PHL OVERNIGHT.
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WITH THE SHORTWAVE SHOULD ENTER THE REGION
AFTER MIDNIGHT, WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCE POPS AROUND PHILADELPHIA
BY SUNRISE. LOWS SHOULD BE IN THE 10`S FOR MOST WITH SOME SINGLE
DIGITS IN THE POCONOS. LAV GUIDANCE USED FOR THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS TO ACCOUNT FOR WARMER INITIAL TEMPERATURES.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/...
ANY CLOUDS AND FLURRIES FROM THE SHORTWAVE SHOULD CLEAR
OUT DURING THE MORNING. TOTAL ACCUMULATION WILL BE UNDER 1/2 INCH IN
THE AREAS THAT DO SEE SNOW PRIMARILY FROM PHILADELPHIA TO THE
NORTHWEST CLOSER TO THE SHORTWAVE. AREAS ACROSS THE DELMARVA AND
JERSEY SHORE MAY NOT SEE ANYTHING AS THE SHORTWAVE WEAKENS DURING
THE MORNING. MODELED TWO METER TEMPERATURES LOOKED A FEW DEGREES TO
CHILLY WHILE THE MET/MAV PERHAPS A DEGREE TO WARM OVERALL. TEMPS
ONLY IN THE 20`S TO LOW 30`S ACROSS THE REGION FOR HIGHS WITH CAA
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING. A DRY PERIOD IS EXPECTED WITH TEMPERATURES MOSTLY
BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. SKIES WILL BE PARTLY TO MOSTLY
CLR THROUGH THE PERIOD. THERE WILL BE INCREASING CLOUDS SUNDAY
MORNING WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHING.

AN APPROACHING UPPER H5 TROUGH AND A WEAK SFC LOW...ALONG WITH ITS
ASSOCIATED FRONTS...WILL ARRIVE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND IT WILL
AFFECT THE WEATHER INTO EARLY MONDAY. P-TYPE WILL BE MOSTLY SNOW
WITH THE SYSTEM...HOWEVER SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT
THIS TIME. A BRIEF MIX WITH SOME SLEET OR PERHAPS SOME FREEZING
RAIN IS POSSIBLE...BUT THESE DETAILS WILL BE LOOKED AT OVER THE
NEXT FEW DAYS AS THE DETAILS BECOME CLEARER. TEMPS STILL MOSTLY
BELOW NORMAL SUN/MON.

MORE HIGH PRESSURE WITH DRY WEATHER LATER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY.
TEMPERATURES RISING BACK TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS.

ANOTHER LOW...A BIT STRONGER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE...WILL TRACK
FROM THE PLAINS TO THE GREAT LAKES. MOISTURE WILL ARRIVE LATER TUE
AND REMAIN INTO THU. TEMPERATURES WILL BE BACK NEAR NORMAL TUE AND
PROBABLY ABOVE NORMAL WED/THU. LOOKS LIKE MOSTLY RAIN S/E AND SNOW
CHANGING TO RAIN N/W FOR THIS SYSTEM.

&&

.AVIATION /23Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE,
KRDG, KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

00Z TAFS PREDICTING SOME MVFR CONDITIONS TOWARD MORNING MAINLY IN
FOR TERMINALS AND AIRPORTS IN THE NORTHWEST HALF OF OUR FORECAST
AREA.

FOR THIS EVENING...VFR WITH MAINLY A MID LEVEL VFR CIG. AT KACY
AND KMIV, THEY WILL START WITH NO CIG BEFORE THE MID LEVEL CLOUDS
MOVE BACK OVER THE AREA. LIGHT NORTH WINDS.

OVERNIGHT...VFR CIGS LOWERING WITH LIGHT NORTH WINDS. LATE AT KRDG
AND KABE SOME MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE.

FRIDAY MORNING...PRIMARILY VFR STRATOCU BASED CIGS. THE CHANCE
FOR MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW SHOWERS SHIFTS EARLY TO THE KPHL
METRO AREA, I95 CORRIDOR AIRPORTS. WE HAVE LOWER CONFIDENCE OF
THIS OCCURRING THAN AT FARTHER UPSTREAM AIRPORTS IN THE OVERNIGHT.
NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS INCREASE TO 5 TO 10 KNOTS. WINDS AT KACY
AND KMIV ARE AN AVERAGE FOR THE ENTIRE DAYTIME PERIOD.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON...VFR WITH A STRATOCU BASED CIG CONTINUING.
NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS SHOULD AVERAGE CLOSE TO 10 KNOTS. NOT
MUCH GUSTINESS IS ANTICIPATED. LATE WE ARE PREDICTING THE VFR CIG
TO DISSIPATE.

OUTLOOK...
FRI NIGHT THRU SUN...VFR EXPECTED. INCREASING CLOUDS SUN.

SUN NIGHT THRU MON...LOWER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. LIGHT SNOW
EXPECTED AT TIMES. MON NIGHT INTO TUE...MOSTLY VFR.

&&

.MARINE...
WAVEWATCH GUIDANCE LOOKS TO BE RUNNING SEVERAL FEET BELOW CURRENT
LEVELS FOR THE SEA HEIGHT. THIS TREND MAY CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT
AND INTO FRIDAY WITH NORTH AND NORTHEAST FLOW BEHIND THE DEPARTING
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. SEAS WILL REMAIN NEAR OR FIVE FEET LIKELY
THROUGH 20Z FRIDAY WHICH RESULTS IN AN EXTENSION OF THE SCA ON THE
OCEAN WATERS TILL 20Z FRIDAY. NORTHEASTERLY WINDS IN DELAWARE BAY
HAVE FALLEN BELOW 25 KNOTS SO THE SCA WILL BE CANCELLED IN THE BAY.
NORTHERLY WINDS SHOULD BE BELOW 25 KNOTS FRIDAY WITH HIGHER GUSTS
AROUND 25-30 KNOTS TONIGHT.

OUTLOOK...

&&

.CLIMATE...
RECORDS FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.  NOTE RECORDS FOR FRIDAY UNLIKELY
BUT POSTED JUST IN CASE ONE OR 2 ARE APPROACHED AT 1159 PM FRIDAY
EVENING.

THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF RECORDS SATURDAY.

POR / SITE  /  FEB 27     FEB 28

1872 / KPHL /  6 1900     9 1934
1874 / KACY /  7 1934*    2 1934
1894 / KILG /  5 1934    -5 1934
1922 / KABE / -2 1963   -10 1934
1869 / KRDG /  4 1934*    3 1934
1865 / KTTN /  6 1934     1 1934
1948 / KGED / 10 1963     8 1950
1901 / KMPO / -9 1993   -15 1907

KACY RER FOR 3/1 IS 5 IN 1980.

NOTE: * INDICATE AND OTHER YEARS.
NOTE: POR = PERIOD OF RECORD,THE YEAR OFFICIAL CLIMATE OBS BEGAN.

THE FOLLOWING IS A TABLE OF THE ***PROJECTED*** TOP 5 COLDEST
FEBRUARY`S ON RECORD, BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST, AND THUS
SUBJECT TO CHANGE. EACH RANKING DENOTES THE MEAN FEBRUARY
TEMPERATURE /F/ AND YEAR OF OCCURRENCE.

WE REREVIEWED THESE PROJECTIONS LISTED BELOW USING THIS THURSDAY
MORNINGS (26TH) MINS AND THE PHI FCST AS SEEN ON NDFD AND SFT`S. WE
SEE PHL/ABE/ILG ALL VERY CLOSE TO YESTERDAYS PROJECTIONS. KACY
CHANGED TO A WARMER PROJECTION HOWEVER THAT COULD YET REVERT BACK TO
A COLDER MONTHLY AVERAGE DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR RADIATIONAL
COOLING ON ONE OR 2 OF THE MORNINGS.

POR  / SITE  / 1ST RANK / 2ND RANK / 3RD RANK / 4TH RANK / 5TH RANK

1872 / KPHL / 22.2(1934) 23.0(1979) 24.3(1885) 24.6(1978) 25.5(2015)
1874 / KACY / 21.6(1979) 23.8(1978/1934) 24.5(2015) 25.5(1875) 25.7
(1905)

1894 / KILG / 20.2(1934) 22.1(1979) 22.7(1978) 24.5(2015) 24.9(1936)
1922 / KABE / 16.6(1934) 18.9(2015) 20.4(1979) 21.6(1936) 22.0(1963)

PER THE ABOVE TABLE, ABE IS EASILY ON TRACK FOR THE SECOND COLDEST
FEBRUARY, ATLANTIC CITY 3RD COLDEST FOLLOWED BY THE FOURTH COLDEST
AT ILG, AND THE FIFTH COLDEST AT PHL.

THE FOLLOWING IS A TABLE OF THE ***PROJECTED*** MEAN FEBRUARY 2015
TEMPERATURES /F/ AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL. THIS IS ALSO BASED ON
THE CURRENT FORECAST, AND THUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. JANUARY 2015 MEAN
TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO INCLUDED FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES.

POR  / SITE / FEB MEAN(F) / FEB NORMAL(F) / DEPARTURE / JAN MEAN(F)

1872 / KPHL / 25.5        / 35.7          / -10.2     / 30.9
1874 / KACY / 24.5        / 35.3          / -10.8     / 30.2
1894 / KILG / 24.5        / 35.1          / -10.6     / 30.3
1922 / KABE / 18.9        / 30.7          / -11.8     / 25.9

IN GENERAL, MEAN TEMPERATURES AT OUR FOUR MAJOR CLIMATE SITES ARE ON
TRACK TO BE AROUND 10 TO 12 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR FEBRUARY 2015.
IT`S ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE PROJECTED FEBRUARY 2015 MEAN
TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW THE JANUARY 2015 MEAN TEMPERATURES.
TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, NORMAL MEAN FEBRUARY TEMPERATURES AT OUR
FOUR MAJOR CLIMATE SITES ARE ABOUT 2 TO 3 DEGREES WARMER THAN JANUARY.
THE OPPOSITE IS SHAPING UP FOR FEBRUARY 2015.

ALSO...OF INTEREST...THIS WOULD ALSO BE THE SECOND COLDEST MONTHLY
MEAN TEMPERATURE ON RECORD AT ALLENTOWN SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN
1922; FEBRUARY 1934 BEING THE COLDEST!

PHL PROJECTS AROUND 12TH COLDEST MONTHLY MEAN SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN
1873.

ATLANTIC CITY 7TH COLDEST MONTHLY MEAN SINCE RECORDS BEGAN THERE
IN 1874.

WILMINGTON HAS MISSING DATA IN ITS DATABASE (1897-1916) AND SO WE
DON`T FOCUS AS MUCH ATTENTION ON THAT RECORD.

&&

.PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PA...NONE.
NJ...NONE.
DE...NONE.
MD...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST FRIDAY FOR ANZ450>455.

&&

$$
SYNOPSIS...O`HARA
NEAR TERM...DRAG/GAINES/GIGI
SHORT TERM...DRAG/GAINES
LONG TERM...O`HARA
AVIATION...GIGI/O`HARA
MARINE...GAINES/O`HARA
CLIMATE...DRAG