Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Portland, ME

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058 FXUS61 KGYX 270020 AFDGYX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gray ME 820 PM EDT Wed Jun 26 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure will move through the region along a cold front tonight...bringing showers and thunderstorms to the region. Cooler and drier air will begin to filter in on Thursday with a few afternoon showers again possible. A cool night is expected Thursday night with seasonably cool and dry conditions for the day on Friday. Unsettled weather returns to the region for this weekend with additional showers and thunderstorms expected as low pressure moves north of New England. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/...
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8pm Update...Not many changes from the day crew. Despite evening convection across MA setting up north of 12z HREF guidance, believe this activity pushes east before sfc low pushes across NH/ME tonight. RAP soundings in southern NH keep low levels dry through midnight, but upper level saturation should allow showers to reach surface. With low but nonzero MUCAPE overnight for the mountains and then towards the Midcoast, have continued thunder chances here overnight. Previous Discussion... High Impact Weather Potential: Some low probabilities for excessive rainfall across southern areas as well as a severe thunderstorm risk for far SW New Hampshire. Pattern: A potent shortwave trough can be seen moving through the Great Lakes region early this afternoon as a surface cold front drops toward northern New England. This shortwave will help spawn low pressure development along the front as it slows while passing overhead. Thus...forecast concerns will center around shower and thunderstorms associated with this low and more specifically 1) where heavy rainfall may occur and 2) whether there is any severe threat with the thunderstorm activity. Through this evening: Initial batch of showers is passing east of the area with a sprinkle or two in it/s wake. While llevel cloud cover will wane through this evening...high cloudiness will continue to increase as convection develops across NY/PA. 8pm temperatures will remain warm...only falling to the 70s to around 80. Tonight: Overall trend over the past 24 hours has been to lower the QPF in the mesoscale guidance suite...with low pressure riding just south of the forecast area overnight as the cold front makes it to the coast before the surface low arrives. The net result is that any surface-based instability remains south and east of the forecast area overnight. There is a small amount of elevated instability north of the cold front...so a few rumbles can/t be ruled out...but feel that the severe convective threat will be confined to areas south of the CWA. With more significant convection south of the area...the majority of our rainfall overnight will be tied to QG forcing associated with mid level shortwave and the developing surface low. This favors more light-moderate rainfall rates with the heaviest amounts potentially towards the midcoast where some weak deformation will have the chance to develop depending on how quickly the surface low spins up. Temperatures will remain generally mild overnight as more significant cold air advection holds off until daytime Thursday. Therefore...expect lows in the 50s in the mountains and the 60s to the south.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... High Impact Weather Potential: Minimal. Pattern: Shortwave trough over the eastern portion of the forecast area will move east of the region with a secondary shortwave and associated trough dropping through the region. Forecast focus will be on departing morning precipitation...any shower/storm potential with the secondary trough...and then cooler temperatures Thursday night. Thursday: With low pressure pulling northeast of the forecast area and initial surface cold front offshore...could see a few residual showers across the Midcoast to start the day before attention turns towards a secondary trough that will drop through the region during the day with very weak height mid level height falls continuing as a secondary shortwave passes north of New England. While the overall profile will be drying through the day...some modest moisture pooling ahead of the secondary trough should allow for a few hundred J/kg of SBCAPE to develop ahead of the trough. Thus...expect some afternoon showers to develop with a few rumbles of thunder possible though instability appears too weak to support a severe threat. T8s will have fallen a few degrees C since Wednesday...though downslope assistance will allow southern NH/southwestern ME to push into the lower 80s again while highs in the 70s with gradually decreasing dewpoints are expected elsewhere. Thursday Night: Canadian high pressure helps drive a continental polar airmass into the region Thursday night with PWATs falling below 0.25". Thus...a quieter and much cooler night is in store. Northerly 1000 mb geostrophic winds remain in the 20-30kt range overnight which should keep all but the deepest valleys coupled. Some of the statistical guidance drops the northern valleys /BML- HIE/ just below the 40F mark. Given the remaining winds...this may be a bit too low...but do expect lows in the lower 40s in the mountains with lows south of the mountains in the mid 40s to lower 50s...warmest in the urban centers. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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A quiet start to the long term before a little more active weather pattern returns. On Friday high pressure will be centered over New England resulting in mainly clear as seasonable conditions. Friday Night into Saturday the high will drift offshore as low pressure over the upper Great Lakes pushes east. A warm front followed by a cold front that are associated with this low will cross the area later Saturday Afternoon and Night. This will result in increasing clouds during the day on Saturday with rain developing during the afternoon over NH...reaching western Maine by late afternoon or early evening. Rain will continue into the overnight hours of Saturday Night before tapering to showers by daybreak from west to east. With an upper level trough approaching the area on Sunday scattered instability showers and thunder showers will be possible. This upper level trough will cross the area on Monday meaning a few showers may linger on Monday although the bulk of the day should be dry. As the upper level trough reaches the Gulf of Maine there are indications that low pressure forms. Right now the models have this east of the area allowing high pressure over the Ohio Valley to slowly build east for Tuesday into Wednesday. As long as the low just east of the area does not form further west, we will see a return of dry and seasonable conditions for Tuesday into Wednesday.
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&& .AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Short Term... Summary: Low pressure moves through the region tonight along a cold front with showers and a few thunderstorms. Partial clearing is expected on Thursday before a few afternoon showers develop. High pressure builds toward the area Thursday night with clearing skies. Restrictions: VFR ATTM with conditions deteriorating to MVFR/IFR in SHRA and fog after midnight. A few embedded thunderstorms will be possible. Improvement to VFR occurs on Thursday with VFR Thursday night. Winds: West southwest winds 10g15kts through this evening will weaken to 5kts or less overnight before strengthening to 8G14kts from the west Thursday. Winds shift to the northwest 5-10kts Thursday night. LLWS: LLWS is not expected through Thursday night. Lightning: There is a low potential for lightning through 19Z at AUG/RKD. Tonight...an isolated thunderstorm is possible...esp for southern NH and southwestern ME. Thursday afternoon, an isolated thunderstorm is again possible. Long Term... VFR conditions Friday into Saturday morning. IFR conditions in developing rain late Saturday over NH overspreading western Maine Saturday evening and continuing Saturday night. MVFR with areas of IFR in showers on Sunday as a upper level trough crosses the area. MVFR to VFR conditions return on Monday as High pressure builds east from the Ohio Valley. && .MARINE... Short Term...Southerly winds will weaken tonight as a cold front settles over the waters. Light winds become southwesterly on Thursday before shifting northwest and strengthening Thursday night. Long Term...Wind and waves to remain below SCA conditions through Saturday Afternoon. A frontal system crossing the waters Saturday Night and Sunday will result in SCA Winds and Waves with areas of rain. Conditions to fall below SCA levels Sunday Night and Monday. && .GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. NH...None. MARINE...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...Arnott/Cornwell SHORT TERM...Arnott LONG TERM...Lulofs