Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Boston, MA

Current Version |  Previous Version |  Graphics & Text |  Print | Product List |  Glossary Off
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
-- Remove Highlighting --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
351 FXUS61 KBOX 172330 AFDBOX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 730 PM EDT Tue Sep 17 2024 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure continues to support warm and mainly dry weather through Wednesday afternoon. We`ll have our next chance for measurable precipitation late Weds afternoon/evening. Chances should be confined to Cape Cod and the Islands. Otherwise, mainly dry with mostly cloudy conditions and blustery NE winds through this weekend. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... Upper level ridging coupled with offshore surface high pressure will continue to keep weather quiet tonight. Mid to upper level moisture wrapping around the slow moving low pressure across the SE CONUS brings higher clouds into southern New England this afternoon and tonight. Around the Cape and Islands lower clouds are beginning to fill back in and move closer to shore. Light southerly flow is expected tonight with increasing moisture in a shallow surface layer. Under an upper ridge, there is still dry air just above the strong temperature inversion. This will support development of low stratus and patchy fog tonight into early tomorrow morning. There is some uncertainty in the extent of the lower cloud, with higher confidence for low stratus and patchy fog south of the Mass Pike across SE MA and the south coast. Some areas of the south coast and Cape/Island may also see light drizzle early tomorrow morning. Also areas of the CT River Valley may see patchy fog in the early morning hours. Low temperatures will be slightly warmer than previous nights in the low 50s to low 60s. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Wednesday: Similar to Tuesday morning, expect a gradual improvement in fog/low stratus through mid-morning. The Cape/Islands will likely be one of the slower regions to improve, potentially even past mid-morning. Surface high pressure sits offshore bringing easterly flow onshore in the afternoon. Temperatures range in the low 70s to low 80s. Wednesday Night: Shower chances increase into the late afternoon/evening hours. There are still differences in the timing of the showers among model guidance, but overall there is a general consensus on shower chances increasing across the south coast and Cape/Island in this timeframe as moisture increases. Low clouds and scattered showers continue overnight with the higher chances across the south coast, Cape, SE MA. Overall, not looking like a high coverage rain event with a more scattered mode for showers. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Latest guidance suite continued to show at least broad agreement on the overall theme of the forecast, but agreement with the details still remained elusive. Tried to trend the forecast with this update towards the consensus solution, without making large changes just yet. Overall, expecting a mid level trough to be nearby late this week into early this weekend. This will provide our next chance for some showers. It has been some time since we have had measurable rainfall for most of southern New England, so we have capacity to handle quite a bit of rainfall. Have the greatest confidence in rainfall across the Cape and islands, with lower confidence towards the NW. This uncertainty stems from the combination of how strong a ridge of high pressure will be across our region, and how close a low pressure can approach from the south. At this time, thinking it is most likely this low pressure travels just SE of the 40N/70W benchmark. Another aspect which will need to be monitored closely with this low pressure is coastal flooding. Astronomical tides are rather high later this week. A slow-moving low pressure with persistent winds with at least some onshore component for the south coast of New England may result in pockets of coastal flooding issues late this week. High pressure should then build into our region from the N this weekend into early next week, leading to more dry weather. Temperatures anticipated to trend below normal by this weekend, and continue into early next week. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
Forecast Confidence Levels: Low - less than 30 percent. Moderate - 30 to 60 percent. High - greater than 60 percent. Tonight...High Confidence More patchy fog development tonight with localized IFR visibilities. MVFR/IFR ceilings over the south coast, Cape, and Islands. Light and variable winds. Chance for localized patchy fog in the at BAF/BDL overnight. Tomorrow...High Confidence VFR with shower chances increasing over The Cape/Islands by 00Z. Easterly winds 5 to 12 knots. KBOS TAF...High confidence overall, moderate for potential MVFR cigs overnight. VFR this afternoon. SE seabreeze around 5-10 kts, becoming southerly 22-00z. MVFR cigs possible after 06z becoming VFR 12-14z. Winds transition SE by mid-morning and E in the afternoon at 8-12 kts. KBDL TAF...High confidence in TAF. VFR with light winds. IFR fog/stratus could develop around 08-10z Wednesday morning. Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/... Thursday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Breezy. Chance SHRA. Thursday Night: VFR. Breezy. Slight chance SHRA. Friday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Windy with local gusts up to 30 kt. Slight chance SHRA. Friday Night: Mainly VFR, with areas MVFR possible. Breezy. Slight chance SHRA. Saturday: Mainly VFR, with areas MVFR possible. Windy with local gusts up to 30 kt. Saturday Night through Sunday: VFR. Breezy.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .MARINE... Forecaster Confidence Levels: Low - less than 30 percent. Medium - 30 to 60 percent. High - greater than 60 percent. Marine Today and Tonight High pressure just east of the coastal waters continues to support calm/tranquil boating conditions through at least Wednesday morning. Winds remain modest at speeds less than 10 kt knots out of the south/southeast. Seas range from 0 to 1 feet in the near- shore zones and 2 to 3 feet over the outer waters. Wednesday and Wednesday Night Low-pressure approaching from the south will result in rising seas over the south coastal waters. Seas rise to 5 to 6 feet over the coastal waters south of MVY and Block Island Wednesday evening. A Small Craft Advisory has been issued Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/... Thursday: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas up to 5 ft. Chance of rain showers. Thursday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of rough seas. Slight chance of rain showers. Friday: Moderate risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 30 kt. Rough seas up to 8 ft. Slight chance of rain showers. Friday Night: Moderate risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Rough seas up to 8 ft. Slight chance of rain showers. Saturday: Moderate risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with local gusts up to 30 kt. Rough seas up to 9 ft. Slight chance of rain showers. Saturday Night: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 30 kt. Rough seas up to 9 ft. Sunday: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Rough seas up to 9 ft. && .BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...None. MA...None. RI...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 5 PM Wednesday to 8 AM EDT Thursday for ANZ254>256. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BW/Mensch NEAR TERM...Mensch SHORT TERM...Mensch LONG TERM...BW AVIATION...BW/Mensch MARINE...BW/Mensch