Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Albany, NY
Issued by NWS Albany, NY
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259 FXUS61 KALY 191808 AFDALY Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albany NY 208 PM EDT Wed Aug 19 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... Added patchy fog for Friday morning across eastern New York and western New England. Otherwise no significant changes from the current forecast. && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Scattered rain showers north of Albany through this evening, then isolated rain showers tomorrow afternoon for locations south of Albany. 2) Unsettled weather conditions return over the weekend across eastern New York and western New England. Confidence is low in the rainfall amounts and exact track. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1... Afternoon Update: Latest radar scans continue to show light scattered rain showers across the southern Adirondacks this afternoon. Visible satellite imagery continues to show increasing clouds from west to east across eastern New York and western New England this afternoon. This on track with the forecast from this morning and no changes were made to current forecast. Read below for more details from the previous discussion. Previous Discussion: After a dry start to the day with some patchy fog, scattered showers and isolated T-storms are expected to develop this afternoon, as a cold front approaches from the Great Lakes and SE Canada. Guidance continues to show this front weakening as it enters our area, so will only mention shower chances mainly for areas north/west of Albany. A few showers may get close to the Capital District towards evening as the front moves in, so will mention 20% PoPs. Guidance still showing limited instability with SBCAPE < 700 J/Kg from HREF, so will continue to only mention slight chance of thunder. The decaying front shifts south of the area tonight into Thu, although much of the latest guidance has the remnants of the boundary only reaching SE PA/NJ before stalling with a wave of low pressure developing along the old boundary and tracking east along it on Thu. CAMs are especially aggressive indicating showers from this wave making it far enough north into at least southern parts of our area (E. Catskills, mid Hudson Valley, Taconics, Litchfield CT). Global guidance is not as aggressive though, but AI models do have showers south of Albany. NBM PoPs/QPF look too low, so have increased PoPs to likely for these areas by Thu P.M. and used WPC QPF, which shows around 0.25-0.50" across the far southern part of the area. The threat for any severe storms remains very low, as any appreciable instability should be displaced well south of our region. As a result of more clouds/showers around, temperatures look cooler (mainly 70s) and may need to be lowered further if trends hold. The showers should taper off from west to east Thu evening as the wave tracks into SE New England. KEY MESSAGE 2... Afternoon Update: No significant changes for this weekend from the previous discussion, read below for more details. Previous Discussion: The pattern looks to become more active by the later half of the weekend into early next week, as a deep upper level trough settles in across the Great Lakes and Northeast. The weekend is coming into somewhat better focus now. Sat looks like the drier day compared to Sun, although will mention chance PoPs south/east of Albany due to potential for some showers along the northern periphery of a coastal wave expected to track from the mid Atlantic coast to SE New England. The more widespread showers should be south of our area based on the current guidance. Sun is expected to be the wetter day, as forcing increases downstream of the upper trough axis with diffluence aloft. With the main surface cyclone expected to track north into Canada, the system`s occluded front should provide low level focus for likely rounds of showers (and perhaps some T-storms) to move across our area. The threat of heavy rain has decreased, as most deterministic, AI and ensemble guidance have loosely consolidated indicating a closed low tracking north/west of our area. There is still spread in the exact track, but latest trends at least indicate lowering potential for heavy rainfall. Latest NBM showing a 15-35% prob of > 1.0" rain ending Monday morning. Temperatures look to be below normal through early next week associated with the trough. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Through 18Z/Thu, mainly VFR conditions are expected through the next 24-hours with mainly patchy mid level clouds at times. However, there is a low chance (30-40%) of patchy ground fog developing at KGFL late tonight, mainly 07Z-10Z/Thu which could produce at least intermittent IFR Vsbys. Isolated showers could occur late this afternoon/early evening at KGFL/KALB but flight conditions should remain VFR. Some light rain may then develop after 14Z/Thu at KALB, KPOU and KPSF which could produce MVFR Cigs/Vsbys at KPOU. Winds will be mainly west to southwest at 5-10 KT this afternoon, becoming light/variable tonight into Thursday morning. Winds will then become west to northwest at 4-8 KT by late Thursday morning. Outlook... Thursday Night: Low Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Friday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Friday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Saturday: Moderate Operational Impact. Chance of SHRA. Saturday Night: Moderate Operational Impact. Chance of SHRA. Sunday: High Operational Impact. Definite SHRA...TSRA. Sunday Night: Low Operational Impact. Slight Chance of SHRA. Monday: Low Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...None. NY...None. MA...None. VT...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...07/05 AVIATION...24