Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS State College, PA
Issued by NWS State College, PA
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170 FXUS61 KCTP 162112 AFDCTP Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 412 PM EST Sun Nov 16 2025 .SYNOPSIS... * Windy and colder with lake effect snow bands lasting into Monday; snowy road conditions/hazardous travel possible in blowing/drifting snow * Light rain/snow possible Tuesday followed by a slightly milder trend through the middle of next week && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... As of 4 PM, 2m temps have just fallen to 32F at BFD, but generally remain in the upper 30s to mid 40s along the I-80 corridor and points south. It is also quite dry across the south with dewpoints in the teens and low 20s. The combined effect of the warm and dry air is little if any snow laying on the ground this afternoon - and more rain than snow falling across the southern tier and Lower Susq Valley. Snow will become the predominant ptype as temps cool several degrees between now and sunset. Some of the heavier snow showers may result in a dusting of snow on the colder parts of I-80 (Clearfield County), the northwest mountains, and the Laurels as early as 5 PM. The character of the snow showers is expected to transition from cellular to more of the typical streamer band lake effect appearance with the loss of daytime heating and increasing boundary layer RH, resulting in a greater likelihood of accumulating snowfall over northwest PA. A stripe of 5 to 8 inches of snow is expected somewhere in the area covered by the Lake Effect Snow Warning (perhaps not county-wide averages, as lake effect bands are typically more narrow), while areas covered by the Winter Weather Advisory should see snowfall in the 2 to 5 inch range. High res guidance continues to show the potential for some of these bands/squalls to reach pretty far inland overnight, potentially even extending into the Lower Susquehanna Valley. These bands may cause rapid changes in visibility and quick accumulations on roadways, leading to hazardous travel conditions. The other concern today is strong winds. Gusts of 40 to 50 mph will be likely through the rest of the afternoon along with a few gusts as high as 55 mph as we continue to tap into 50 knot winds at the top of the mixed layer. These winds could blow around any unsecured objects and may result in scattered power outages. Wind stay strong overnight, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph likely. A Wind Advisory remains in effect for the entire CWA through midnight. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/... Snow showers gradually decrease in coverage through the day on Monday as inversion heights begin to fall, though it likely takes most of the day for snow to come to an end across the northern tier. High temperatures will range from the low 30s to the mid 40s. Winds will remain gusty, though likely not as strong as on Sunday, with gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... Snow showers and gusty winds taper off Monday night as high pressure briefly builds into the region. Models show the next system for early next week ejecting out of the central Plains (NE/IA/KN/MO vicinity) as a flat/compact southern stream shortwave and weak sfc low tracking eastward through the Ohio Valley toward the DelmarVA. The majority of the ensemble guidance continues to show the bulk of the precip with this system remaining to our south, though there is the potential for some mixed precip to move through the southern half of Pennsylvania. High pressure edging southeast from the Great Lakes appears deliver a dry period around midweek/Wednesday before precip odds trend higher into the end of next week. Most guidance shows this system tracking to our west, which would result in an all rain scenario. && .AVIATION /20Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Main issue this afternoon and into Monday will be gusty winds from the northwest. Wind gusts this afternoon to around 50 mph. Winds on Monday will be not quite as strong. Other issue will be bands of lake effect snow showers off the Great Lakes into BFD, and perhaps JST, AOO, and UNV at times. Less likely to the east and south at IPT. Even less likely at MDT and LNS. The snow intensity could increase briefly around sunrise on Monday, as the cold air deepens, and before midday, when bands normally break up some. Much of the rest of week will feature mainly dry conditions, but chances from time for some light precipitation. First such system would be late Tuesday, mainly across the southwest PA. Outlook... Tue-Friday...Chance of a shower, but overall mainly dry much of the time. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until midnight EST tonight for PAZ004>006- 010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066. Lake Effect Snow Warning until 1 PM EST Monday for PAZ004-005- 010. Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM EST Monday for PAZ006-011- 017. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Dangelo NEAR TERM...Colbert/Bauco SHORT TERM...Dangelo/Bauco LONG TERM...Steinbugl/Bauco AVIATION...Martin