096 FXUS61 KALY 151035 AFDALYAREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Albany NY 635 AM EDT Wed Oct 15 2025
.SYNOPSIS... A moisture starved cold front will move through the area early this morning, ushering in a dry, cool and breezy air mass through Friday. High pressure will follow and keep dry weather in place through the weekend before a strong cold front brings increasing rain chances early next week.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... Key Messages:
- Dry, cool and breezy through Friday
- Frost Advisories or Freeze Warnings may be needed Thursday night into Friday morning as temperatures drop to or below 35 degrees in the Hudson Valley and Litchfield County.
03z surface analysis showed a weak cold front stretching from northern New York into central Pennsylvania, and was well hinted at on GOES16 RGB nighttime satellite imagery with clearing skies across central New York into the Tug Hill. Across eastern New York and western New England, low clouds were in place due to moisture being trapped below a strong surface inversion noted on the 00z ALY sounding, with some drizzle even noted on KENX and surface obs. Temperatures in our CWA as of this writing were in the 50s, but were falling into the 40s across central New York where skies were clear.
Through daytime today, overcast skies early this morning will give way to increasing sunshine later this morning and early afternoon as the front slowly moves through with increasing subsidence and dry air. Fcst soundings hint at mixing up the 850-800 hPa layer by early afternoon, which will tap into to winds around 25-35 kt and result in breezy conditions this afternoon. NBM probabilities continue to hint at north winds gusting around 15-25 MPH, with low probabilities (10-20%) of gusts greater than 30 MPH. Temperatures will be confined mainly to the 50s outside of terrain (highs in the 40s) and the Mid Hudson Valley (highs in the low 60s).
For tonight, dry and cool conditions continue with lows dropping into the 20s (terrain) to mid and upper 30s (valleys). Thankfully, sustained winds around 5-10 MPH overnight due to weak boundary layer decoupling will help mitigate any frost formation.
Thursday will be a near repeat of today with clear skies, cool temperatures (highs in the 40s across terrain to mid 50s in valleys) and breezy afternoon winds with continued strong vertical mixing. Will need to keep an eye on potential for concerns for fire spread as dewpoints will fall into the 20s with RH values in the 30% range. Will coordinate with state fire partners to decide if there will be any fire weather concerns.
Thursday night, high pressure will be centered just to our west, allowing winds to become light with clear skies and optimal radiational cooling. Chilly temperatures are expected with the NBM favoring temperatures below 35 degrees (25-90%) across much of the Hudson Valley, southern Taconics and northwest Connecticut where the growing season is ongoing. Please monitor the forecast as frost advisories or freeze warnings may be needed for this period.
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.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... Key Messages:
- High pressure keeps primarily dry conditions through the weekend with moderating temperatures
- Strong cold front brings our next chance of precipitation Monday
High pressure and strengthening ridging aloft will be the rule to start the long term period as it progresses through the region Saturday and early Sunday. Dry conditions are primarily expected, though clouds will be on the increase with strengthening southerly flow and a warm front moving through the region Saturday. There is a low chance of a rain shower (< 15%) mainly in the Mohawk Valley and western ADKs with the warm front, but dry low levels should preclude more widespread showers from developing. Highs Saturday will be near normal in the upper 50s (terrain) to mid 60s (valleys), but will rise above normal Sunday into the upper 50s (terrain) to near 70 (valleys).
A trough currently across the western CONUS will work its way east, reaching the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley Sunday night and Monday. As it does so it will take on a more negative tilt and undergo strengthening with a closed low forming aloft. A strong surface cold front is progged to accompany the trough, and is currently expected to traverse the region Monday into Tuesday, though there remains quite a bit of uncertainty in deterministic guidance. Regardless, rain will develop along and ahead of the front, and is expected to traverse the region beginning Sunday night. While there remains uncertainty about exact amounts, ensemble guidance suggests potential for another round of beneficial rain with 50-70% probabilities of at least 0.50" for all of eastern New York and western New England through Tuesday.
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.AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Through 12z Thursday...areas of low clouds/fog and associated IFR/LIFR conditions will lift to MVFR, then VFR by late morning/early afternoon as a cold front tracks southward, with VFR conditions then prevailing through tonight. Light/variable winds will become north to northwest in the wake of the front and increase to 8-12 KT with some gusts of 20-25 KT possible, especially mid morning through early afternoon. North to northwest winds will decrease to 5-10 KT around and after sunset.
Outlook...
Thursday Night-Saturday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Sunday: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. Slight Chance of SHRA.
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.ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...None. NY...None. MA...None. VT...None.
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SYNOPSIS...17 SHORT TERM...17 LONG TERM...17 AVIATION...24
NWS ALY Office Area Forecast Discussion