FXUS61 KGYX 051857 AFDGYX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gray ME 257 PM EDT Sun May 5 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A frontal boundary will continue to bring periods of rain through tonight before ending by early Monday morning. A cold front will then cross later Monday with warming temperatures and drier conditions returning through Tuesday. Unsettled weather and cooler temperatures are then likely for the middle and end of next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... Northeast radar mosaic this afternoon shows an area of rainfall stretching from the Mid-Atlantic to New England and moving to the northeast. This rain is in association with a mid-level shortwave trough axis that is currently located over Upstate NY. Light to moderate stratiform rain will continue to overspread the region through the remainder of the afternoon and evening. Current temperatures are mainly into the 40s where it has already started to rain with 50s elsewhere. Some wet bulbing will occur through the remainder of the day, which will allow temperatures to cool into the 40s in most locations by this evening. The h5 ridge axis will move offshore tonight as a vorticity maximum crosses over and then exits the coast after midnight. Latest hi-res guidance indicates stratiform rain will move offshore after midnight with just some lingering light showers or drizzle in its wake. Total rainfall will mostly be below 1/2", although the higher elevations and spots in western NH could receive slightly higher amounts. The lingering LL moisture combined with light flow will likely result in fog overnight. The latest HREF indicates some of this fog could become locally dense after midnight, especially across the coast and coastal plain. Therefore, went ahead and added this wording to these regions. Low temperatures will primarily be into the 40s && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... A sfc cold front will cross on Monday, bringing a return to drier and warmer conditions. Skies will gradually clear through the morning and early afternoon with partly sunny skies expected for the late afternoon and evening. There remains some uncertainty in the how quickly the immediate coast clears as some guidance keeps low-level clouds near the coast or just offshore. If these clouds were to linger longer then coastal locations would remain on the cooler side. Forecast highs range from the lower to middle 70s across the interior with 60s east of generally I-95 and 50s along the immediate coastline. An isolated shower cannot be ruled out during the afternoon but much of the day should be dry as winds become westerly behind the front. Monday night will feature partly cloudy skies with light westerly winds. Some valley fog may develop overnight but it likely won't be as widespread as tonight. Lows will once again primarily be into the 40s. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... The mostly blocky pattern across the N Hemisphere mid latitudes will continue through the end of the week into next weekend. More locally, by mid week, we move into zonal to weakly amplified flow between two closed lows, as the closed low to our west drifts slowly closer through the week, and acts a wave generator, with with chunks of energy moving into it from the NW and ejecting it toward the E. This general pattern should once again provide persistent onshore flow, and several rounds of showers, similar to what we saw last week. The one bit of good news in this forecast, is that Tuesday will be a sunny and mild day as high pressure moves through. Highs range from the mid to upper 60s in the mtns and along the immediate ME coast /where sea breeze will develop/, to the mid to upper 70s in the srn half of NH and interior SW ME. Tue night should remain dry as well, although clouds will be on the increase, with lows mostly in the 40s. On Wed, it’ll be be mainly cloudy with showers moving in from the W during the morning. The weak sfc low will be passing to our S with ridging to the N and E, so this should help onshore flow develop, which combined with any rain will mean maxes 55-60 across most of the CWA, but 60-65 in SW NH and the CT valley. Showers should shift E of the area during Wed evening, and I think we may see a dry spell, although continued cloudy and cool on Thu, as that ridge to out N shift slightly to the S. This is a fine line forecast, so if we see less of the ridge from the N, may end up with showers again Thu. Looks like showers return on Friday, and it stays cool in onshore flow. The weekend remains uncertain, as the 12Z model runs have flipped to a more progressive closed low at 500 MB, which would mean a better chance for a dry Saturday, but this far out confidence is very low, given the changeable models. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Short Term...Ceilings will lower tonight with IFR to locally LIFR restrictions expected. Periods of -RA will continue through around 06Z before moving offshore with pockets of -DZ possible through 12Z. Fog is likely overnight with some locally dense with visibility of 1/4SM or less. The greatest potential for this will be across coastal TAF sites. Conditions improve after 12Z Monday behind a cold front with winds turning westerly at 5-10 kts, gusts to 20 kts. Some MVFR restrictions could linger through early afternoon, mainly across coastal sites. Mainly VFR is then likely Monday night, although some valley FG could cause restrictions late at KLEB and KHIE. No LLWS is expected. Long Term...VFR prevails Tuesday into Tuesday night, but will likely move to MVFR in SHRA on Wed, with some IFR possible at time Wed night. I think we’ll be stuck with at MVFR Thu into Friday as several waves move through , and with onshore flow may see IFR at times inland, and maybe more persistent IFR at coastal terminals. && .MARINE... Short Term...Periods of light rain and fog will continue through tonight with southeasterly winds prevailing but remaining below 25 kts. Cold front crosses on Monday with winds becoming west- northwesterly with gusts up to 20 kts. Seas will be at 1-3 ft, highest outside of the bays. Long Term...Winds/seas stay below SCA criteria through Thu, but may be needed on Friday as a stronger low passes S of the waters. && .GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. NH...None. MARINE...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...Tubbs SHORT TERM...Tubbs LONG TERM...Cempa