FXUS61 KALY 121206 AAA AFDALY AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 705 AM EST FRI MAR 12 2004 DISC...UPDATE TO ADD SNOW ACCUM FOR EASTERN ALB GROUP. ATMOSPERE STILL FAIRLY BUT MOISTENING UP. TWEAKED NEAR TERM FORECAST FOR THIS MORNING TO ADJUST CLOUD COVER...TEMPS AND POPS. **********PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FROM 2:10 PM*********************** .DISCUSSION...RADAR DETECTING PRECIPITATION BUT IT IS NOT REACHING THE GROUND. ATMOSPHERE VERY DRY...AS NOTED BY ALB AND OKX'S 00Z SOUNDINGS. CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHEAST UNITED STATES THIS MORNING. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS IT OVER THE GREAT LAKES AT THIS TIME WHICH IS DEPICTED WELL BY MODELS. THE SURFACE SYSTEM NOT AS STRONG AS LAST NIGHT'S MODELS WERE INDICATING. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT. BEST SHOT OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS FORECAST AREA WILL BE THIS MORNING BETWEEN 12Z TO 18Z WITH HIGHEST POPS ACROSS NORTH...THEN WILL HAVE LESSER POPS DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH POPS RESTRICTED TO THE NORTH AND WEST PORTIONS TONIGHT DUE TO SOME LAKE INFLUENCE WITH WNW-NW FLOW. WINDS PICK UP WITH PASSAGE OF FRONT THIS MORNING AND WITH COLD AIR ADVECTION. WINDS GUSTS INTO THE 30S EXPECTED TODAY ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. COLDER AIR WILL REALLY BEGIN TO POUR IN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...THE MERCURY WILL DROP INTO THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S. WEEKEND LOOKING GOOD AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN AND MOVES ACROSS SHIFTING OFFSHORE SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE BUT REMAIN A BIT BELOW SEASONABLE LEVELS ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES WARMER SUNDAY. MODELS HAVE COME INTO GENERAL AGREEMENT FOR STORM MONDAY...NORTHERN BRANCH SYSTEM. SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE ALONG UNITED STATES/CANADIAN BORDER PASSING WELL TO OUR NORTH AND WEST. COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH REGION IN THE MORNING PRODUCING RAIN. COLDER AIR FILTERS IN DURING THE AFTERNOON AND AND AT NIGHT RESULTING IN SNOW SHOWERS IN POST STORM FLOW. MINOR CHANGES TO EXTENDED GRIDS...OVERALL LOOKS REASONABLE. .AVIATION...EXPECT CONDITIONS WILL BE MVFR TO IFR MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY DUE TO RAIN AND SNOW AS WELL AS LOW CLOUDS ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. FROM ALBANY NORTH MVFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST INTO THE LATE EVENING WITH COOL AND MOIST FLOW AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW RESULTING IN A BROKEN TO OVERCAST DECK AROUND 3000-3500 MSL. FARTHER SOUTH THE CLOUDS WILL LOWER OVERNIGHT BUT SHOULD RECOVER TO VFR BELOW A BROKEN LAYER AT 5000 FT BY EARLY AFTERNOON FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY EAST. WOULD EXPECT MVFR/OCNL IFR CONDITIONS OVR THE WRN PORTIONS OF ADIRONDACKS AND CATSKILLS. BY MID MORNING SATURDAY MOST OF THE REGION SHOULD BE VFR EXCEPT THE MOHAWK VALLEY WHICH WILL PROBABLY STILL HAVE SOME LOW CLOUDS FROM OFF THE LAKE. .HYDROLOGY...THE SCHROON RIVER LEVELED OFF SOMEWHAT THIS MORNING BUT WILL AGAIN SLOWLY CREEP UPWARD THRU THIS AFTERNOON AS A RESULT OF MORE MELTING THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A FEW OTHER RIVERS SUCH AS THE HEADWATERS OF THE SCHOHARIE AND ESOPUS ARE ALSO UP VERY SLIGHTLY FROM MELTING SNOW IN MOUNTAIN AREAS. NO PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE REGION UNTIL MONDAY...AND THE LATEST RUN OF THE GFS DROPPED THE EXPECTED PRECIP AMOUNTS TO ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH. THIS MIGHT CAUSE SOME MINOR PROBLEMS WITH MELTING SNOW AND ICE NORTH OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY...BUT ELSEWHERE THINGS SHOULD BE OK. THERE IS ALSO POTENTIAL FOR MORE RAIN FRIDAY. AT THIS TIME WON'T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT IT. RIVERS OF MOST CONCERN AT THIS TIME ARE THE HUDSON BETWEEN NORTH CREEK AND HADLEY...THE MOOSE RIVER...AND THE EAST CANADA CREEK. ******************************************************************* .ALY...NONE. $$