


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Portland, ME
Issued by NWS Portland, ME
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566 FXUS61 KGYX 301750 AFDGYX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gray ME 150 PM EDT Mon Jun 30 2025 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure moves east of New England today, bringing mostly dry conditions and a warming trend, as well as increased humidity. Low pressure tracking through Quebec will drag a cold front across the area Tuesday bringing chances for thunderstorms, a few of which may be strong to severe. Outside of some mountain showers and a chance of showers and storms on Thursday, generally dry conditions are expected from Wednesday through Saturday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Impacts and Key Messages: * No significant impacts expected At this hour some high clouds are just starting to a enter into southwestern New Hampshire. Current temperatures are in the upper 70s to around 80 across the area and we still have a few more hours of good warming before things begin to level off. Cloud cover thickening from southwest to northeast will be the trend through tonight which will keep low temperatures in the mid to upper 60s in southwestern New Hampshire (the first to see thicker clouds move in) and lower 60s in northern New Hampshire and western Maine where it will stay clearer longer. Showers move in after midnight and may even contain some rumbles of thunder as the warm front advances into the region toward sunrise. Even some of these early showers/storms may be capable of producing downpours and gusty winds. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Impacts and Key Messages: * Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Tuesday. The stronger storms may produce damaging wind gusts. * These storms will also be capable of producing heavy rain. Isolated flash flooding is possible in locations that see repeated rounds of storms. Tuesday`s severe weather threat looks very conditional as ongoing showers and storms during the morning hours will contribute to cloud debris that could inhibit the development of much instability ahead of the front. Latest Hi-Res Ensemble Forecast guidance shows the best forcing from the front crossing in the late afternoon early evening. This only leaves a small window for instability to build if any areas can break out into some clearer skies. With a moist airmass in place (dewpoints in the upper 60s to low 70s) and shear around 30 kts, the environment will be primed provided we can get the CAPE. Ensemble guidance continues to suggest that even with a shortened window, around 1500 J/kg of CAPE could develop which would be plenty to achieve some robust convection. It wouldn`t be a GYX severe weather discussion if I didn`t mention our poor lapse rates, only around 5.5 C/km, this may also work to limit coverage and keep storms sub-severe. The other threat we will have to watch is the possibility of some isolated flash flooding as PWATs climb to around 2 inches over the Northeast. It is hard to say if I have any more confidence in this threat as I feel like it would also take some more robust convection (it won`t have to be severe) to actually cause issues, and with progressive storm motions it would take repeated rounds over a location as well, which with limited coverage of storms would be harder to materialize. I don`t want to sound like I am downplaying any threats, as any severe storms would be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and the environment is primed for very efficient rainfall rates, but it should be noted there is quite a bit of bust potential as well. Any severe threat looks to pass not long after sunset as storms will quickly lose their fuel. Despite clear skies and light winds, elevated dewpoints will keep low temperatures from dropping much past the low to mid 60s, with southern New Hampshire maybe even staying pretty close to 70. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Wednesday will be a warm and drier day as Tuesday`s frontal system will be east of the area, taking the deep moisture along with it. There still may be enough moisture in the mountains for a few showers early in the day with a weak wave aloft and upslope flow, but otherwise, partly sunny skies are expected with temperatures mostly in the 80s. An upper low then drops southward into Quebec on Thursday, which will send another cold front through and bring another chance of showers and storms. Depending on the time of day, some of the storms could be strong away from the coast as deep layer shear is modeled to be around 35 to 40 kt. Temperature will again be warm and mostly in the 80s. Those that receive rain during the day Thursday may see fog develop overnight as flow will be light. The upper low will slowly move eastward across or just north of the area on Friday, and even though Thursday`s front will be east of us by then, enough lift/moisture from the upper low will bring a chance of showers and maybe a couple of storms, mainly across northern and eastern areas. Instability and shear parameters do not look favorable for strong storms at this time. Western and southern areas are expected to remain dry as heights begin to rise and subsidence increases. Temperatures come down slightly with mid 70s to low 80s. Dry conditions are expected on Saturday with increasing subsidence and further heights rises as a 500mb ridge works into New England. There is then a general consensus in the global models in a low pressure passing well to the north Sunday into Monday and dragging a frontal boundary toward or into New England. The GFS breaks the ridge down much faster and increases rain chances as early as Saturday night while the ECMWF holds the ridge and dry weather through Sunday. However, the ensembles favor the unsettled pattern/higher rain chances from Sunday into early next week, which is supported in the increasing PoPs from the NBM Sunday into next Monday. && .AVIATION /17Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Short Term...Increasing moisture will aid in the development of areas of fog at valley and coastal terminals tonight. This likely brings about IFR/LIFR conditions until it mixes out. It may not be too quick to mix out as passing showers and a few thunderstorms early on Tuesday morning would help to lock in lower ceilings until mid morning or so with western terminals clearing first and coastal terminals clearing last. A renewed chance of thunderstorms and therefore brief restrictions, comes about late Tuesday afternoon for western terminals and closer to 00Z for coastal terminals. A brief period of fog and/or low stratus is possible in the immediate wake of showers and storms late on Tuesday, but a frontal boundary will sweep through improving conditions to VFR overnight. Long Term...Mainly VFR Wednesday through Saturday. Afternoon showers and storms Thursday may produce localized TEMPO IFR TO MVFR restrictions with the highest chances away from the coast. Fog then may develop Thursday night in areas that receive rain. Chances for showers/storms are lower on Friday but still could see a few near LEB-HIE and AUG-RKD. && .MARINE... Short Term...SCA conditions are not expected through Tuesday morning as high pressure moves over the waters. A frontal boundary then crosses the waters Tuesday night which may create a brief period of wind gusts up to 25ft and seas up to 5ft in the outer waters. These elevated wind gusts and seas will quickly subside overnight behind the front. Long Term...Weak low pressure/front crosses the waters Wednesday into Thursday, but SCA conditions are not expected. Conditions remain below SCA levels Friday into Saturday with broad high pressure in control. A low pressure passes well to the north Sunday into Monday of next week, and winds/seas may increase to SCA levels during this time as a frontal boundary approaches New England. && .GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. NH...None. MARINE...None. && $$ NEAR/SHORT TERM...Baron LONG TERM...Combs