Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY

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320 FXUS61 KBUF 260027 AFDBUF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Buffalo NY 827 PM EDT Tue Jun 25 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Warm and humid conditions tonight will last into Wednesday, along with increasing chances of showers and some thunderstorms, especially by Wednesday afternoon. Cooler and less humid conditions expected Thursday and Friday. Active weather returns Saturday as a cold front crosses the region. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
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Remnant moisture and weak ascent associated with a decaying MCS over southern Ontario Province and will move east of our region this evening. Regional radar and sfc obs showing an area of showers tied to this system moving east of Lake Ontario in tandem. Meanwhile, additional shower development is being observed back over Lake Erie and in the western Southern Tier out ahead of an elevated warm front to the west. Elevated instability on the order of 500J/kg MUCAPE along this feature could support a few rumbles of thunder in the area this evening. Otherwise, despite winds increasing aloft, the patchy cloud cover and setting sun have inhibited BL mixing to allow the breezy winds across far western NY to begin subsiding. A cold front will slide southeast into the region tonight behind the warm front with additional chances for showers or an isolated thunderstorm. The best chances should again be across the North Country closer to the support from the upper-level jet, though will need to monitor trends as latest hi-res guidance also shows more showers and a few thunderstorms developing back across WNY after midnight as a reinforcing wave of low pressure rides along the frontal boundary. Otherwise, overnight low temperatures will be warm, only falling back into the mid and upper 60s. Wednesday should start off relatively quiet as the frontal boundary working south overnight stalls out over the region. This boundary will waver back northward during the day as a frontal wave moves north along it from the Ohio Valley. The Southern Tier will have the best chance to emerge into the warm sector, with some potential that the warm sector lifts as far north as the I-90 corridor by afternoon. The coverage of thunderstorms and the potential for severe weather will depend greatly on the position of the frontal boundary with the degree of instability highly dependent upon where the warm sector is located. Latest HREF/NBM guidance only indicates 300-400J/kg CAPE building by the afternoon, possibly a result of patchy cloud cover expected to be over the area. While CAPE values remain in question, sufficient shear looks to be present especially along the Southern Tier, which lines up with the Marginal Risk for severe storms maintained by the latest SPC Day 2 Convective Outlook. PWATs surging to near 1.5 inches bringing at least some threat for heavy rainfall. The greatest risk of this will be across the western Southern Tier which will lie closer to the track of the passing frontal wave. Outside of the shower and thunderstorm chances, expect another day of temps in the upper 70s to low 80s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Steadier showers and storms will continue into Wednesday evening from the western Southern Tier into the Finger Lakes region as a wave of low pressure moves northeastward along the slow-moving wavy frontal boundary draped across this region. Scattered lighter showers will also be possible for areas north of the boundary before the frontal wave responsible for all of this activity exits east of the area by the early overnight hours, allowing this initial wavy cold front to finally press southward out of our area. Another shortwave trough will then dive southeastward out of the upper Great Lakes, crossing the eastern Great Lakes region late Wednesday night and Thursday. This feature will also help force a secondary cold front southeastward through western and northcentral NY late Wednesday night through the midday/early afternoon hours on Thursday. With deeper moisture associated with the initial wave having departed to our east, not expecting more than some scattered lighter showers/isolated rumble of thunder as the boundary passes through the area, mainly from the Genesee Valley eastward. Depending on the speed of the front, a few showers may linger across eastern areas through late morning/early afternoon Thursday, with areas toward the North Country/SL Valley continuing with at least the slight chance for a few diurnally driven light showers through late in the day as the southern periphery of the passing shortwave aloft grazes northern NY. Otherwise, a much more refreshing airmass will advect in across the region in the wake of the frontal passage as a dome of high pressure builds in from the west bringing dry weather through Friday with comfortable temperatures and humidity levels. In fact, below normal temperatures are expected Thursday with highs ranging from the upper 60s to low 70s. Similar to the first part of the work week, high pressure then slides east of the area Friday with a warming southerly return flow boosting temperatures back near normal with highs mainly in the mid 70s to low 80s. A weak mid level ripple and associated low level warm frontal segment will cross the area Friday night, with increasing chances for showers and a few thunderstorms from west to east as the night wears on. Of note will be the very humid airmass that advects into the area behind the frontal passage. Dew points mainly in the comfortable low to mid 50s range late Friday will surge into the mid 60s to near 70 Saturday morning. This will keep lows Friday night on the warm side, especially across areas south of Lake Ontario with low temperatures only falling back into the mid and upper 60s, a tad cooler across the North Country. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A well defined shortwave trough will cross the Great Lakes Saturday, deepening an area of surface low pressure that will advance from the northern Great Lakes through southern Quebec Saturday. A deep southerly flow ahead of this trough will advance moisture northward, increasing PWATs to nearly 2 inches across the eastern Great Lakes region. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to form Saturday and continue through the evening hours of Saturday before a cold front crosses the region from west to east late. The timing of the cold front, cloud cover holding instability back to around 750 J/KG or less and poor mid level lapse rates under 6 C/KM are not favorable for strong to severe storms. However, 0-6 km bulk wind shear values 35 to 45 kts could aid in strength to the storm if any taller storms can develop. Behind the cold front a much drier airmass will settle upon the eastern Great Lakes. We`ll still have to contend with a few showers Sunday with the passage of the upper level trough, but drier air and eventually cooler airmass (mid single digit Celsius 850 hPa temperatures) will bring a cool night Sunday night with lows in the mid 40s to mid 50s. Fair weather Monday, with comfortable dewpoints in the 40s and 50s with high pressure nearby. Tuesday a return southerly flow along with the approach of a shortwave from the west may trigger a few showers or thunderstorms. && .AVIATION /01Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
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A weak low pressure system over southern Ontario Province will slide east of the region this evening. While a broad area of showers will move through the North Country (KART/KGTB) until about 02-03z, flight conditions in the region are expected to remain mainly VFR. A mix of VFR and MVFR conditions expected overnight as an elevated warm lifts in from the west, before a weak cold front stalls over the region. This will maintain a chance for showers and an isolated thunderstorm at the terminals, though chances look to be greatest across the North Country (KART) and across WNY (KJHW/KBUF). Periods of MVFR cigs will be possible in these areas, as well as a low chance of IFR between 08z-12z at KJHW. Elsewhere, VFR is expected to prevail Wednesday, a wave of low pressure will ride along the stalled boundary and cause showers and thunderstorms to develop across the region. Chances will be greatest in the Southern Tier and impacts to flight conditions (MVFR to IFR) at KJHW are likely, though confidence remains lower in shower/thunderstorm coverage from KBUF northward. Outside of showers and thunderstorms, VFR is expected to prevail through the day. Outlook... Thursday and Friday...Mainly VFR. Saturday...Localized restrictions with shower likely and a chance of thunderstorms. Sunday...Mainly VFR.
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&& .MARINE...
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Elevated south to southwest winds remain across Lake Erie and the western end of Lake Ontario through tonight, producing a light to moderate chop on both lakes. Greatest wave action will be mainly offshore, but a period of Small Craft conditions will persist into the evening. SCAs remain in effect for Lake Erie though 03Z this evening. Lighter winds and wave action is expected Wednesday but there will be a better coverage of thunderstorms over Lake Erie.
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&& .BUF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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NY...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM EDT this evening for LEZ040- 041.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...AR/PP/TMA NEAR TERM...PP/TMA SHORT TERM...JM LONG TERM...Thomas AVIATION...PP MARINE...AR/PP/TMA