Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Portland, ME

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896 FXUS61 KGYX 111342 AFDGYX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gray ME 942 AM EDT Tue Jun 11 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Somewhat unsettled daytime weather is expected to continue today into Wednesday as upper level low pressure lingers overhead. Warmer and drier weather is expected Thursday with a cold frontal passage possible Friday with more showers and thunderstorms. High pressure moves in for the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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930am Update...Earlier stratus deck is deteriorating (slower over the northern CT Valley), with cu beginning to develop amid daytime heating. ConvT values only in the upper 60s to around 70, so won`t take much heating to spur this activity given the moisture in low and mid levels. RAP soundings have a warm layer slowly rising through late morning and early afternoon, and this will act as a little cap for what instability is generated today. Think given morning hodographs verifying very weak shear, any showers or storms today will quickly rain themselves out before outflow triggers another nearby shower. Initialization should be focused in the higher terrain, but this chain reaction for forcing may trigger showers into the foothills or interior as well. Overnight HRRR runs depict a seabreeze moving inland early this afternoon, this will likely be accompanied by wind shift and some breeze, and perhaps aid in lifting for additional showers. 630am Update... Latest satellite imagery continues to show varying amounts of clouds across the region with the least along the coast as well as southern New Hampshire and the most across the northern and western portions of the forecast area. This may significant impact the forecast high temperatures from town to town today. Minor changes to the temperatures and dew points for the near term portion of the forecast. The latest HREF solution continues to have maritime fog reaching the Midcoast region tonight. Some stratus is beginning to form well off the Downeast coast of Maine. Prev Disc... Plenty of moisture in the form of low clouds remain over northern and western portions of the forecast area per most recent satellite imagery and surface observations. The latest HREF solution suggests this moisture will be stubborn to move out of the region today with an upper level low remaining overhead. A few scattered showers will be present in the mountains this morning, and with daytime heating, they will gradually expand to the coast in the afternoon. There may be a thunderstorm or two over northern areas later this afternoon into this evening. However, dynamics and instability remain limited. Temperatures will climb into the 70s for afternoon highs in most areas.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY/... Any leftover showers will diminish after sunset this evening under varying amounts of clouds. The HREF continues to indicate the possibility of maritime fog coming in off the Gulf of Maine and into the Midcoast region later tonight. Temperatures drop into the upper 40s to lower 50s once again. With a slow to depart upper level low pressure system remaining over the region on Wednesday, expect similar conditions over the region. Scattered showers will gradually expand from the mountains to other areas during the afternoon hours. Patchy fog may remain along and near the Midcoast region. Afternoon high temperatures will be slightly warmer, mainly in the 70s. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... Overview: Mid to late week will feature a pattern change, mainly noticeable by warmer temperatures and increasing chances of showers and thunderstorms Friday. A more seasonable weekend sets up with drier conditions before another likely warmup into early next week. Details: On Wednesday, there is still some uncertainty on how any showers and isolated thunderstorms plays out due to weak instability and shear, but guidance QPF providing a good footprint of showers. Believe the solution will be seeing how CAMs entertain this environment. Current thinking is a lot of this lift will be from convergence over the higher terrain or a pop up shower or two outside of this region. These would be short lived and rain themselves out, but outflow could set off neighboring showers as well. Either way, kept the best chances again over the higher terrain, with lesser chances across the interior and coast. The chance of these locations seeing a washout are low, and would expect cells to remain isolated amid the cloudy sky. Thursday, temperatures increase with warm front approaching along the Quebec border. Timing and potency of this front is in question, and could influence some precip during the day. More interesting day of weather may be on Friday as low pressure tracks just to the west. Warm temps will be ahead of this, with NBM bringing some southern NH cities into the upper 80s to around 90. Cold front should push across the warm sector in New England with the chance for thunderstorms. Ensemble profiles, as coarse as they are, do show decent deep shear. Still plenty of variation in instability parameters, likely dependent on frontal passage or perhaps upstream convection moving east into the region. Closer to the axis of the low, some training showers or storms will be possible, with a WPC Marginal Risk of excessive rainfall noted towards the NH/ME border with Quebec. High pressure and more seasonable temps follow up for the weekend. It looks pleasant as drier air moves down for a break before another possible warm up to well above normal temps in the extended next week. && .AVIATION /14Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Short Term...VFR conditions are expected today with the exception of MVFR conditions in the mountains. There will be widely scattered afternoon showers allowing for brief periods of IFR conditions mostly in the mountains, but stray showers will attempt to make the trip to the rest of the region. A thunderstorm is possible in the north. Patchy fog tonight with the marine layer and coastal fog possibly reaching the Midcoast. This fog may continue into Wednesday morning. Otherwise, a few scattered showers remain possible once again, mainly across the north and mostly during the afternoon hours. Long Term...SHRA possible across the interior Wednesday evening, and potentially Thursday as well. Locations may see overnight valley fog development. Warm, moist air over the coastal waters may create patches of low stratus or fog near coastal terminals like RKD and PWM. && .MARINE... Short Term...Relatively light west winds becoming south today followed by southeast on Wednesday. Seas remain 2 to 3 feet. Long Term...Seas should remain 2 to 3 ft through the period with mainly southerly winds. A warm front may cross the waters Thursday into Friday, with a cold front then passing the waters Friday. && .GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. NH...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...Cannon/Cornwell SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION... MARINE...