497
FXUS61 KOKX 180546
AFDOKX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New York NY
1246 AM EST Thu Dec 18 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
A weak cold front or trough moves through this evening with
brief high pressure following through early Thursday. A strong
cold front gradually approaches thereafter and moves through on
Friday. High pressure then briefly builds in for the start of
the weekend. A warm front passes on Saturday followed by a cold
front Saturday night into Sunday. A secondary cold front passes
Sunday night. High pressure returns Monday. Another frontal
system looks to impact the region Tuesday into Wednesday.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/...
A weak cold front/surface trough and associated shortwave aloft
move through this evening, with high pressure building in behind
it. Although the shortwave looks decent, not expecting any
precipitation with the passage. There will also be some high
clouds the first half of the night due to a passing jet streak.

As previously mentioned, high pressure builds in tonight. It
looks like the return flow won`t really kick in until later
Thursday morning. However, the potential for fog/freezing fog
will have to be monitored if a stronger/earlier return flow
kicks in.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
Key Messages:

* A strong cold front will move through the area on Friday
  bringing strong to locally damaging winds and moderate to
  heavy rain

* Temperatures drop back down to the 20s Friday night. Any
  leftover snowmelt and moisture laden grounds may freeze if
  winds are unable to dry out the area.

The main story in the Short Term period is the strong cold front
that will move through the area. An upper level low dives from
the Northern Plains towards the Great Lakes on Thursday while
opening up and becoming negatively tilted. An associated surface
low will track well north of our area, but will drag a strong
cold front through. As the low approaches, the pressure gradient
over the area gets tight as high pressure is slow to depart.
This brings a strengthening southerly flow to the area. An
impressive LLJ develops off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Latest
guidance has the jet peaking ~65 to 70kt at 950mb and ~70 to
75kt at 925mb. Though wind gust forecast given this LLJ and a
moderate low level inversion. Given the chance for heavy showers
and potentially embedded thunderstorms, decided to go Wind
Advisory everywhere since a decent percentage of these strong
winds just above the surface may be able to get mixed down.

Not thinking thunder will be widespread or organized given the
lack of any CAPE. If anything more organized did develop, in
this low CAPE/high shear situation it would likely be a damaging
wind threat. While there will be a decent period of moderate
rain, any heavier rain/thunder will likely be confined to a
shorter period sometime early Friday morning.

The cold front moves through on Friday and then winds become
W/NW. Gusts pick up again at this time with decent cold
advection. If we aren`t able to mix down strong winds Thursday
night/Friday morning, then Friday evening and night may end up
having the stronger winds. Kept the Advisory up through Friday
evening to cover this.

Temperatures drop quick Friday night. There is some concern of
leftover snowmelt and rainfall being able to freeze. This will
be dependent on how much those winds can dry out the area.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Key Messages:

* A few brief rain/snow showers are possible late Sat night into
  early Sun morning with a cold front.

* Temperatures moderated Sat-Sun, but frigid temps return on Mon.

High pressure builds briefly from the south early on Saturday. Low
pressure over Ontario brings a warm front through late Saturday
followed by a cold front late Saturday night into early SUnday
morning as the low moves into Quebec.

Atmospheric moisture looks quite low, so no precip expected with the
warm frontal passage. However, forcing may be strong enough with the
cold front along with a slight increase in moisture to lead to a few
`brief` light rain/snow showers early on Sunday.

We`ll dry out following the cold front under westerly winds, with a
secondary cold front bringing in even drier northwesterly flow
Sunday night.

Prior to the secondary front, temperatures should remain moderated
with highs on Saturday and Sunday in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Lows
on Saturday night will be in the 30s with most above freezing.
However, due to the secondary cold front bringing in cooler
continental air under northwesterly flow, lows on Sunday night look
to return to the low to mid 20s.

Saturday through Sunday night will also be under a stronger pressure
gradient with high pressure south and low pressure north, so expect
a period of stronger winds through the weekend.

High pressure builds into the area from the Great Lakes on Monday
with cold air settled. Highs on Monday will be in the low to mid 30s
and lows return to the 20s Monday night as high pressure centers
itself over the region.

High pressure backs to the south as Tuesday as another frontal
system from Canada looks to impact the region Tuesday into
Wednesday. Details on this system are still a little murky with some
variability among the available model guidance, but POPs do return
for the middle of next week with this system.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
High pressure builds in from the west overnight. The high moves
offshore Thursday morning ahead of an approaching frontal
system, which will impact the area Thursday night into Friday
morning.

VFR. Chance IFR/MVFR developing in rain 00Z-06Z Friday.

Winds becoming light and variable overnight as high pressure
builds across the area. Winds become SE late morning into the
early afternoon at less than 10 kt. Winds gradually ramp up
Thursday evening with a chance of SSW LLWS developing toward
06Z. S winds steadily increase to 20-35kt G35-40kt by 12Z
Friday.

 ...NY Metro (KEWR/KLGA/KJFK/KTEB) TAF Uncertainty...

Chance of MVFR or lower as early as 00Z Fri, especially at KEWR
and KTEB. Timing of wind/wind gusts and rain could vary by 1-3
hours.

.OUTLOOK FOR 06Z FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

Late Thursday night: MVFR to IFR with rain. S wind gusts
increasing to 25-40 kt. SSW LLWS 50-60kt at 1500-2000kft.

Friday: Rain in the morning with MVFR/IFR, then rain ending with
VFR. S to SW winds G35-45 kt in the morning, shifting W G25-35 kt in
the afternoon. LLWS early.

Saturday: VFR.

Sunday: Mainly VFR. Chance of MVFR with light rain/snow early in
the morning. W winds G20-25 kt.

Monday: VFR. NW winds G20-25 kt.

Detailed information, including hourly TAF wind component forecasts,
can be found at: https:/www.weather.gov/zny/n90

&&

.MARINE...
A SCA remains in effect for all the eastern ocean through early
morning. High pressure builds in from the west overnight.

Sub-SCA conditions then expected until Thursday night when a
southerly flow picks up. A Gale Warning is in effect for all
waters starting Thursday night and going until 1 AM Saturday. 40
to 45 kt wind gusts are possible during late Thursday night into
Friday morning and then again Friday evening and night. During
the morning period, isolated gusts up to 50 kt are possible for
the eastern two ocean zones, Peconic and Gardiner`s Bays and the
eastern LI Sound.

A SCA will likely be needed on the non ocean waters Sat night as
well as strong westerly winds continue behind a cold front. SCA
conditions likely remain on the ocean waters into Mon. A period of
gale gusts are possible on the ocean Sat night.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Brief heavy rain will be possible late Thursday night into early
Friday with showers moving across as well as any embedded
thunderstorms. These will be quick moving and as such, are not
expected to result in significant accumulations of rainfall.
Around 1 inch to 1.25 inches of rain is forecast Thursday night
through Friday but there could be some localized higher
amounts. While hourly rainfall rates will mainly be around
0.25in/hr or lower, heavier showers and thunderstorms may be
able to put out rate closer to 0.50-0.75in/hr.

Outside of minor flooding in low- lying and poor drainage areas
in localized areas where multiple rounds of heavy downpours are
received, no other hydrologic impacts are expected.

No hydrologic impacts are expected Saturday through Wednesday.

&&

.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
Astronomical tides will be increasing with a new moon occurring
Friday evening. This will result in as little as 2 ft or surge
causing minor coastal flooding impacts. A gale south-southeast
flow ahead of a strong frontal system will bring potential for
widespread minor coastal flooding during the Friday morning high
tide cycle.

The timing of frontal passage (windshift) relative to the Fri AM
high tide will determine how widespread minor coastal flood
impacts will be. Windshift after time of high tide will increase
potential for more widespread minor coastal flooding across
vulnerable coastal locales along NY/NJ harbor, Jamaica Bay,
western great South Bay (isolated moderate), and coastal
Westchester/CT. A windshift before high tide will likely keep
impacts more localized and moreso confined to NYC/NJ metro,
Jamaica Bay and Western Great South Bay.

Offshore winds behind the cold front will end the coastal flood
threat with subsequent high tides.

&&

.OKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to midnight EST Friday
     night for CTZ005>012.
NY...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to midnight EST Friday
     night for NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179.
NJ...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to midnight EST Friday
     night for NJZ002-004-006-103>108.
MARINE...Gale Warning from 6 PM this evening to midnight EST Friday
     night for ANZ331-332-335-338-340-345-350-353-355.
     Small Craft Advisory until 3 AM EST early this morning for
     ANZ350-353.

&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...BR/JT
NEAR TERM...JT
SHORT TERM...JT
LONG TERM...BR
AVIATION...DW
MARINE...BR/JT/DW
HYDROLOGY...BR/JT
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...