Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Burlington, VT

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157 FXUS61 KBTV 091927 AFDBTV Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Burlington VT 327 PM EDT Sun Jun 9 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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Showers and thunderstorms will continue this afternoon and evening before tapering off this evening. Additional showers will be possible on Monday but we are trending back toward drier conditions with surface high pressure expected to build into the region on Tuesday.
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&& .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
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Widespread showers with isolated thunderstorms have developed across the region this afternoon in response to modest low level heating coupled with a weak shortwave rotating around an upper low north of the International Border. Our 850 mb and 500 mb heights are close to four standard deviations below normal with respective temperatures around 2 standard deviations below normal. Even with just modest heating, the lower heights/cooler temperatures aloft have allowed for multiple reports of pea sized hail across the region. The thermodynamics will remain modest, at best, with SBCAPE values generally less than 1000 J/kg with mixed layer shear of only 20 knots. These should be limiting factors in updraft strength which should preclude any longer lived cells capable of producing larger hail. We will see these showers and thunderstorms continue into the evening hours but will begin to dwindle in coverage as we lose our heating and see the atmosphere begin to stabilize. Rainfall amounts this afternoon should generally be a quarter of an inch or less but could exceed a half inch in thunderstorms. High res guidance suggests we could see a few showers linger in the mountains overnight but we should be between shortwave energy which should really limit the areal coverage. We will be in store for a cloudy night with a strong nocturnal inversion trapping in a lot of the low level moisture as a result of the showers and storms this afternoon. As of 326 PM EDT Sunday. This inversion will mix out after sunrise on Monday. Additional showers appear possible on Monday but less shortwave energy should limit the coverage and intensity of showers.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
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As of 326 PM EDT Sunday...Mid/upper lvl trof wl cont to linger acrs the region during the short term, with general drying trend toward mid week. Still cool 500mb temps btwn -16C and -18C associated with trof and some weak s/w energy may produce a few isolated to widely scattered showers (15-25%) on Tues. These showers wl have a diurnal cycle with areal coverage with highs pops when instability is the greatest during the mid aftn hours. Soundings indicate limited instability with sfc based CAPE values in the 200-400 J/kg range and very weak flow with trof axis nearby, so have just kept showers for now. Did note a little difference btwn the latest synoptic scale models with regards to thermal profiles with 12z GFS about 2 to 3C warmer than the NAM progged 925mb temps associated with subsidence type profile. Have used compromise of NAM/GFS and NBM and have temps upper 60s to mid 70s. Areal coverage of precip quickly wanes on Tues night with some clearing possible. Temps wl be highly dependent upon clearing, so have stayed close to guidance with values in the lower 40s SLK/NEK to upper 50s CPV.
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&& .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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As of 326 PM EDT Sunday...The long term wl feature warming thermal profiles and generally drier conditions as mid/upper lvl trof is replaced by westerly flow aloft. GFS is now showing some lingering qpf acrs NEK of VT on Weds, for now have not included in the fcst, but something to monitor as we head toward the new week. Next challenge wl be warming temps on Weds thru Friday with some valley locations approaching 90F possible by Friday. Progged 925mb temps are 16-18C on Weds, 18-20C on Thurs and 20-22C by Friday, supporting highs upper 70s to mid 80s Weds, lower to mid 80s Thurs, and mid 80s to near 90F for Friday. As southerly flow develops and dwpts slowly climb, so wl the overnight lows from the 40s to mid 50s into the mid 50s to mid 60s by Friday. Similar to yesterday timing of s/w energy and associated cold frnt along with chances for shower/storms becomes the challenge for late week. Have kept pops in the 20 to 35% range for now with highest probs on Friday. Did note the GFS/ECMWF are more aggressive with potent s/w energy and showing sfc convergence with boundary, but run to run consistency in these scenarios has been limited, resulting in minimal confidence with regards to pop timing and convective potential. As temps warm well into the 80s and dwpts climb back into the 60s, would anticipate some instability wl be kicking around to support convection on Friday aftn/evening. For next weekend sfc high pres rebuilds back into our region with less humidity and temps cooling back closer to normal. As with any fcst out 7 days, timing of building high pres and clearing wl continue to be adjusted and fine tuned this week.
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&& .AVIATION /20Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Through 18Z Monday...Widespread showers have developed with several lightning strikes detected near Massena. We will continue to see shower and thunderstorm increase in coverage over the next few hours with activity beginning to dwindle around sunset. Overall, VFR conditions are expected through this evening but we could see brief MVFR/IFR visibilities should a thunderstorm move over a terminal. A mix of MVFR and IFR stratus is expected overnight with a slow improvement back to VFR Monday morning. Outlook... Monday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. NO SIG WX. Tuesday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Slight chance SHRA. Tuesday Night: VFR. NO SIG WX. Wednesday: VFR. Slight chance SHRA. Wednesday Night: VFR. NO SIG WX. Thursday: VFR. Slight chance SHRA. Thursday Night: VFR. Slight chance SHRA. Friday: Mainly VFR, with areas MVFR possible. Chance SHRA. && .BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VT...None. NY...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Clay NEAR TERM...Clay SHORT TERM...Taber LONG TERM...Taber AVIATION...Clay