Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY

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947 FXUS61 KBUF 230224 AFDBUF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Buffalo NY 1024 PM EDT Sat Jun 22 2024 .SYNOPSIS... The end is near. That is...the end of the heat wave. While it will be quite warm and humid through Sunday...a cold front will push through Sunday afternoon with some fairly widespread showers and drenching thunderstorms. Cooler and less humid air will follow to start the new work week...but the relief will be relatively brief as very warm weather can be expected Tuesday and Wednesday. The temperature roller coaster ride this coming week will then head back downhill to end the week with highs mainly in the 70s Thursday and Friday. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM SUNDAY EVENING/...
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A stationary front is stretched west to east tonight...roughly along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. As we push through the night...the instability to the south of this boundary will continue to diminish. Meanwhile...the surface boundary will gradually be pushed north...courtesy of a surface low that is strengthening over the central Great lakes. This will place more of the region within a warm sector. While a shower or thunderstorm cannot be completely ruled out to the south of the boundary (ie. wrn counties)...the majority of any shower and possible thunderstorms will be found across the North country. Otherwise...some patchy fog may occur in areas which received rain during the day. Overnight temperatures will be muggy and generally in the lower to mid 70s, with some upper 60s across the Southern Tier and east of Lake Ontario. A VERY active weather day is then expected on Sunday, especially during the midday and afternoon. A potent upper shortwave and associated deepening surface cyclone tracking from the central Great Lakes along the international border. A pre-frontal trough will work into the region early in the day ahead of the main of the cold front which tracks into the region late in the day. There may be two rounds of convection, first with the pre-frontal trough and then ahead of the cold front later in the afternoon. Surface instability will certainly be present with SBCAPES forecast to be near 2000 J/KG. Shear profiles become increasingly favorable with around 35 knots of flow at 850 mb and near 50 knots at 500 mb, with some turning with height allowing hodographs to lengthen with time. SPC has maintained a Slight Risk for severe storms for much of the area inland from the lakes. Main threat looks to be damaging winds, with a lesser threat of large hail, but with the lengthening hodographs could see an isolated supercell. Heavy rain potential is there with high atmospheric moisture content, but the convection should be progressive making the flash flood threat more limited.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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A fairly fast quasi-zonal flow will be in place for the upcoming work week, as the strong upper level ridge that brought the oppressive heat and humidity to the region this past week is suppressed over the southern half of the CONUS. Overall, there looks to be bouts of comfortable temperatures along with periods of more typical mid summer warmth ahead of a couple cold frontal passages...one mid week and the second toward next weekend. This will also translate to periods of dry time, with storm chances ramping up along and ahead of the aforementioned frontal boundaries. The details... A few strong storms (gusty winds/heavy rain) will remain possible into Sunday evening, mainly east of the Genesee Valley, as the lead shortwave and accompanying surface cold front push into eastern NY. However, a trailing shortwave will strengthen as it digs across the central Great Lakes first half of Sunday night, then crosses the lower Great Lakes later Sunday night and Monday. This will keep the threat for at least scattered showers/isolated non-severe thunderstorms in the forecast through the start of the new work week. Likelihood for showers will be greatest east of Lake Ontario closer to the better dynamics/lift and moisture associated with this feature. Some gusty NW winds will also be possible on Monday as boundary layer flow increases with the passage of the trough. There is still some good news for those looking for a break from the oppressive heat and humidity as a cooler and less humid airmass moves into the region. Lows Sunday night will drop back into the upper 50s to lower 60s for much of the area. Highs Monday will range mainly from the upper 60s to mid 70s, with dew points dropping into a more comfortable range, mainly in the mid to upper 50s. High pressure is then slated to cross the area Monday night and Tuesday bringing a brief period of well deserved quiet weather. A comfortable Monday night with lows generally in the 50s, with some low 60s closer to the lakeshores. Flow will then shift back to the southwest on Tuesday as a return flow sets up on the back side of the surface high as it slides southeast of the area. This will boost high temperatures back into the low to mid 80s for the majority of the region, although humidity levels will remain tolerable.
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&& .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... As mentioned above, the quasi-zonal flow will continue with a similar weather pattern to the Short Term expected through this period. The details... A weak mid level ripple will move across the area Tuesday night, while a low level warm frontal segment moves northeast across the region. PWATs increase to near 1.5 inches, however lack of forcing, not expecting much more then some scattered showers/isolated rumble of thunder overnight. Next round of more significant weather looks to be centered around the Wednesday timeframe as showers and storms accompany the next cold frontal passage. Way to early to get into severe weather probs, but will need to be monitored. Timing/etc still a bit in question as well. Of more certainty is the return of mid summer warmth and humidity. Highs will be upper 70s to mid 80s, with dew points climbing into the mid and upper 60s. High pressure then looks to build in bringing another much more refreshing airmass back into western and northcentral NY for the latter part of the work week. This should result in mainly dry weather Thursday and Friday with highs low to mid 70s Thursday, then tacking on several degrees for Friday as airmass starts to modify with surface high moving east of our area. Dew points in the 50s will mean very tolerable humidity levels for late June. Mid summer warmth and humidity along with shower/storm chances then look to return as we head toward the first half of next weekend as the next frontal system approaches from the west. && .AVIATION /03Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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While VFR conditions will be in place overnight...some areas may develop some fog where the thunderstorms moved through during the evening hours. Sunday will then be QUITE active across western and north central New York...as a cold front will sag through the region with numerous showers and drenching thunderstorms. Along and behind the frontal boundary...CIGs will drop off to between 700 and 1500 ft. This will generally take place after 15z. Outlook... Sunday night...MVFR to IFR conditions early with showers tapering off from west to east...then LIFR to IFR Cigs late. Monday...Mainly VFR. A chance for afternoon and evening thunderstorms inland from the lakes. Tuesday...Mainly VFR conditions. Tuesday night and Wednesday...MVFR/VFR with a chance for showers and thunderstorms. Thursday...Mainly VFR.
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&& .MARINE...
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Light winds and minimal wave action is expected to continue across the lower lakes overnight. A cold front will approach the region Sunday with increasing southwest winds which will likely bring a period of small craft conditions, especially on the east end of Lake Erie. A round or two of thunderstorms Sunday will bring the potential for locally strong winds and waves. Northerly flow behind the cold front will then bring continued choppy conditions to the lakes through Monday. High pressure builds in late Monday with diminishing winds and waves for Tuesday.
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&& .BUF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NY...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...RSH NEAR TERM...RSH/TMA SHORT TERM...JM LONG TERM...JM AVIATION...RSH MARINE...AR/EAJ/Thomas/TMA