


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY
Issued by NWS Buffalo, NY
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660 FXUS61 KBUF 261935 AFDBUF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Buffalo NY 335 PM EDT Thu Jun 26 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A frontal boundary will remain over the eastern Great Lakes region through Saturday, producing several rounds of showers and scattered thunderstorms with localized heavy rainfall possible. The front will finally move east of the area Saturday night, with high pressure building into the eastern Great Lakes Sunday providing a dry second half of the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... A humid airmass persists across western and north-central NY today. A broad ridge remains across the southeast U.S. with zonal flow across the eastern Great Lakes region and Northeast. A wavy stationary front remains across the Great Lakes region, with it extending across western NY. A dichotomy of weather exists across the forecast area where stratus and temperatures in the mid 60s are just north of the front and sunshine, congested cumulus and temperatures in the 80s are south of the front. Mesoanalysis shows SBCAPE of 1000 J/kg and shear of less than 25 knots across the western Southern Tier. Based on satellite imagery, little if any glaciation has occurred in cu development and based on the kinematics, severe threat is low through this evening. Elsewhere, multiple waves will continue to ride the westerly flow today. Areas of rain will ride along the southern shore of Lake Ontario this afternoon, while scattered showers move across the North Country this afternoon. The ridge builds northward while a shortwave trough moves into the Upper Great Lakes region tonight. Widely scattered showers are possible with the humid airmass in place but organized convection is not anticipated for most of the night. A surface low will move into the central Great Lakes Friday morning. A warm front will lift northward across western NY Friday. Surface heating and a very humid airmass will lead to convection initiation across western NY by late Friday morning. A pre-frontal trough will likely be the focus of showers and storms from the western Southern Tier into the Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes region. The Buffalo Metro and Niagara Frontier will be on the western fringe of organized convection and should be spared by the greater rainfall amounts. High PWATS, light 850-300mb wind, high RH% in 1000-500mb layer increases the potential for heavy rain across the region. HREF 3-hr PMM shows medium (50-70%) probability of greater than an inch of rain from Cattaraugus county to Monroe county with probabilities tapering off west and east of that corridor. There is a conditional threat for localized flash flooding in this area. Further north, showers are likely with a few thunderstorms possible Friday afternoon. Fcst shear is higher, but instability is low. The threat for heavy rainfall is low east of Lake Ontario through Friday. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Surface low pressure over the SOO Locks Friday evening will move across Ontario and into Quebec through Saturday night. A warm front will move across the eastern Lake Ontario region Friday night. A warm, humid airmass will maintain the chance for showers and thunderstorms across the region. Heavy rainfall is likely in activity, and forecast soundings show some signals of training storms east of Lake Ontario late Friday night. There is a conditional threat of localized flooding overnight. Coverage of showers and thunderstorms will be less across western NY the first half of the night, however upstream convection will likely move into the region late Friday night. Due to the loss of daytime heating, the severe threat is low late Friday night. The front will move across the forecast area Saturday and the chance from showers and storms will diminish from west to east. Cooler and drier air will persist across the region through Sunday night. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... An approaching cold front and trough will increase the potential for showers late Monday, which will continue through Tuesday evening for at least some portions of the area. Drier weather is expected for Wednesday and Thursday, though some guidance is suggesting the potential for afternoon showers with the daytime heating. Temperatures will remain near to above normal for the period, with the warmest temperatures expected on Monday ahead of the approaching cold front. && .AVIATION /20Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A wavy stationary boundary will remain across western NY through tonight. Northeast flow has led to persistent stratus south of Lake Ontario today. MVFR conditions will likely persist at KROC and kIAG through the afternoon. Stable, billow clouds can be found north of the boundary with a few waves moving in the westerly flow across the region. Convection is occurring south of the boundary. A few thunderstorms are possible but mainly east of KJHW. Tonight, the stalled frontal zone will remain over the eastern Great Lakes. Convergence and moisture along the front will continue to support a few scattered showers overnight, but these should remain rather disorganized. Areas of MVFR CIGS will continue, with some IFR across the higher terrain of the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes. Showers and thunderstorms will likely develop across western NY late Friday morning. These will likely produce heavy rain with flight restrictions possible from KJHW to KROC. At this time, KBUF and KIAG are west of the main axis of rainfall. Showers will be possible at KART through the morning. MVFR flight conditions will slowly improve across the higher terrain. Outlook... Saturday...VFR/MVFR with showers likely. Scattered thunderstorms also possible with local/brief IFR. Improving to VFR with rain ending Saturday night. Sunday...VFR. Monday and Tuesday...Mainly VFR. A chance of showers and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. && .MARINE... High pressure will build from Quebec to northern New England by Friday, while a frontal zone remains stalled over the southern Great Lakes. Northeast winds will increase on Lake Ontario today as the surface high passes by to the north, bringing a round of Small Craft Advisory conditions to the south shore of the lake later today through tonight. Winds will remain lighter on Lake Erie, with some chop developing tonight. Winds will diminish by Friday morning, then becoming southerly later Friday through Friday night as the stalled frontal zone moves back north as a warm front. && .BUF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NY...Beach Hazards Statement through late tonight for NYZ001>004. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM EDT Friday for LOZ042-043. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Hitchcock/HSK NEAR TERM...HSK SHORT TERM...HSK LONG TERM...HSK/SW AVIATION...HSK MARINE...Hitchcock