804 FXUS61 KALY 120717 AFDALYAREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Albany NY 317 AM EDT Sun Oct 12 2025
.SYNOPSIS... Clouds increase along with the chances for widespread rain as a coastal storm tracks northward along the East Coast today. Rain begins this afternoon and continues through Monday with breezy to locally gusty winds. Dry conditions return Tuesday and remain largely in place through the end of the week and into at least the first half of the weekend.
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Key Message:
- A coastal storm system will bring breezy to locally gusty winds and widespread rainfall to eastern New York and western New England beginning this afternoon through Monday.
- Widespread rainfall amounts of 0.5" to 1.25" are anticipated across much of the region with locally higher amounts of 1.5" to 2.0" in the Eastern Catskills and portions of western New England.
- Maximum wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph in the Eastern Catskills, Mid- Hudson Valley, and western New England could lead to isolated power outages.
Discussion: Infrared satellite imagery shows clouds spreading into the region from south to north as moisture surges northward ahead of a deepening, surface coastal low currently situated just off the coast of South Carolina. Aloft, a weakening cutoff low remains stationary just to our west, generating a localized patch of showers over portions of Central New York and the Southern Tier while we remain dry courtesy of high pressure to the northeast. However, our hours of persistent dryness are numbered as chances for rain will increase throughout the day courtesy of the impending coastal system. Confidence in the evolution of this storm has continued to increase as high resolution, deterministic model solutions and ensemble scenarios have shown consistent alignment over their last several iterations.
Throughout the day today, the upper-level cutoff low to our west will become enveloped into a large-scale trough encompassing the East Coast as the upper-low associated with the surface coastal system weakens into an open wave in the deep Southeast. Meanwhile, a mid-level shortwave and vorticity maximum embedded within the mean flow of this trough, about the northeast periphery of the weakening low, will trigger a surface response in the development of a secondary coastal low to the northeast of the primary which will remain relatively close to the coast of the Carolinas. This secondary low will be the cause of our anticipated wet, windy conditions from this afternoon through Monday.
Winds will become breezy beginning late this morning/early this afternoon resulting from the increasing pressure gradient and strengthening LLJ ahead of the advancing low. Moisture- rich air will be advected into the region by way of northeasterly flow within the inverted trough that will precede the core of the coastal low as isentropic lift increases from south to north this afternoon. Initially, rainfall rates within the stratiform rain shield look to be on the lighter side due to the northeast orientation of the low`s warm conveyer belt and our westward position relative to its deformation zone. However, as the low is steered closer to the Mid-Atlantic and Long Island Coasts tonight by a building high in the southwest Atlantic; northeast- extending ridge in the Midwest; and westward-expanding high over the Canadian Maritimes, consistent moisture advection will intersect an axis of strengthening isentropic lift and frontogenesis in the divergent zone of an anticyclonically curved LLJ to enhance vertical ascent and increase rainfall rates. This will be especially true in the Eastern Catskills, Mid-Hudson Valley, and southwest New England where this axis of best forcing will reside and where orographic enhancement will translate already moderate rates into locally embedded heavy downpours.
Rain continues into Monday, remaining locally moderate to heavy especially in the higher terrain regions of the Eastern Catskills, Litchfield Hills, and Berkshires throughout the morning with winds remaining elevated to locally gusty. However, as the coastal low begins to weaken and drift back south Monday afternoon, rain will begin to taper off and become more showery in nature. These showers look to linger into Monday night, decreasing in spatial spread from west to east through Tuesday morning as the coastal low departs farther to the southeast. When all is said and done, rainfall totals across eastern New York and western New England will range largely from 0.5" to 1.25". However, localized enhancement of vertical ascent and subsequent heavier downpours will lead to isolated higher amounts ranging from 1.5" to 2.5" in the Eastern Catskills and portions of western New England. Now, it is certainly possible that localized higher amounts be recorded elsewhere should the axis of best forcing shift in the event that the coastal low reaches farther north than currently projected. However, confidence is fairly high in the locations of the higher totals at this time given the favored flow direction for upslope enhancement and localized downsloping in some of the lower-lying areas of the Hudson Valley. Regardless, the areas where we anticipate the highest rainfall amounts are those that have not received as much rain as other areas in our last two widespread rainfall events. That said, all of the rain that we will receive in this event will be beneficial and should not post any flooding concerns. We could see some tidal flooding on the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, but that is yet to be seen. See the Hydro section of this discussion for additional details on this.
By Tuesday afternoon, dry conditions will largely be in place regionwide once again as high pressure slides into the region in the wake of the departing coastal system. Largely dry conditions will remain in place through Tuesday night, though an isolated shower or two could reach the Southwest Adirondacks as a cold front makes its passage through the region. However, with little in the way of moisture associated with this front, additional rainfall amounts will be very minimal.
Today`s highs will primarily span the mid 50s to mid 60s with isolated low 50s at the highest peaks of our higher terrain regions. Tomorrow will be cooler with highs in the upper 40s to upper 50s before we rebound back into the mid/upper 50s to mid 60s Tuesday. Lows throughout the short term period will be fairly similar with tonight and Monday night`s values primarily in the 40s with pockets of upper 30s at higher elevations and near 50 in the Mid-Hudson Valley. We will cool off just a bit Tuesday night, however, as lows dip down into the mid/upper 30s to upper 40s.
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.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... The remainder of the week will remain dry as high pressure dominates the region. Behind Tuesday night`s cold front, temperatures will fall a bit below normal with highs Wednesday and Tuesday largely in the 40s and 50s and lows in the upper 20s to 30s. However, Friday will begin a slight warming trend back towards normal with highs largely in the upper 40s to upper 50s and lows widely in the 30s.
Saturday could hold our next chance for precipitation as a shortwave trough looks to rotate through the region ahead of an approaching frontal system, but there is a considerable amount of uncertainty in this element of the forecast due to an overall lack of consensus in the medium to long-range guidance. For now, maintained the output of the NBM that gave slight chance to chance PoPs across much of the region. Highs Saturday will be in the mid 50s to mid 60s with lows in the upper 30s to low 40s.
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.AVIATION /05Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A coastal low will be impacting the region through the TAF period. IR satellite imagery already shows widespread low and mid level clouds associated with the storm system across southern areas, with bkn-ovc cigs at KPOU and KPSF. Some MVFR cigs have already been occurring at KPSF and this should continue through the rest of the overnight hours. KPOU may stay VFR for most of the night, but some MVFR cigs are possible towards daybreak or shortly after sunrise.
Further north, KALB is on the border of this cloud cover, with more clear skies towards KGFL. With the clearing, KGFL has been seeing some radiational fog and the potential for this will continue through the rest of the overnight, with occasional IFR visibility at times within fog. Meanwhile, some passing cloud cover, along with a light breeze, should prevent any fog at KALB and will keep flying conditions VFR with sct-bkn cigs around 4-6 kft.
On Sunday morning, flying conditions will be mainly MVFR at KPOU and KPSF and VFR for KALB/KGFL. While it should be dry to start the day, steady light rainfall will be moving in from south to north for late in the day and into Sunday night, especially for KPSF and KPOU. MVFR visibility within light rain is expected at KPOU and KPSF after 20z and some IFR (mainly for ceilings) can`t be ruled out at KPSF on Sunday night as the rain become steadier and heavier. Some MVFR ceilings may eventually spread towards KALB by Sunday evening into Sunday night, although KGFL may be far enough north to stay VFR. All sites will be seeing rainfall on Sunday night.
North to northeast winds will be 5-10 kts through the rest of the overnight hours. They will increase to around 10-12 kts through the day on Sunday with some higher gusts to around 20 kts, mainly for KPSF and KPOU. These winds winds will continue into Sunday night as well. 2 kft will be around 40 kts from a southeasterly direction, although surface winds should be strong enough to help prevent LLWS.
Outlook...
Monday Night: Moderate Operational Impact. Likely SHRA...RA. Tuesday: Low Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Tuesday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Wednesday: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. NO SIG WX. Wednesday Night: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. NO SIG WX. Thursday: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. NO SIG WX. Thursday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Friday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX.
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.FIRE WEATHER... A Special Weather Statement for Bennington and Windham counties Sunday 8 AM to 2 PM. Relative humidity values are as low as 60 percent. Wind gusts range between 20 and 30 mph. High temperatures range in the 50s. Rain shower activity increases after noon.
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.HYDROLOGY... A coastal low will track close to the the NJ and Long Island Coast Sunday through Monday. Minor tidal flooding may occur in the Mid-Hudson Valley from Kingston south to Poughkeepsie late Sunday through Monday. The latest NERFC forecast for the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie is projecting minor tidal flooding Sunday afternoon and early evening and again on Monday afternoon and early evening.
Monitor the latest river forecasts on the NWPS page at https:/water.noaa.gov/area/ALY.
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.ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...None. NY...None. MA...None. VT...None.
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SYNOPSIS...37 SHORT TERM...37 LONG TERM...37 AVIATION...27 FIRE WEATHER...05 HYDROLOGY...05
NWS ALY Office Area Forecast Discussion