Area forecast discussion National Weather Service Mount Holly New Jersey 346 PM EDT Tuesday Jun 18 2013 Synopsis... a cold front will move off the coast tonight as weak low pressure moves along it. High pressure from the Great Lakes region will then build into the northeast and middle-Atlantic tomorrow. The center of this high will shift offshore on Thursday. A reinforcing shot of Canadian high pressure moves toward the region on Friday...then off the coast on Saturday. A return flow around this high will bring an increase in heat and humidity and a threat of scattered showers and thunderstorms this weekend and into early next week. && Near term /until 6 am Wednesday morning/... very tropical-ish airmass in place this evening and tonight as a weak frontal boundary sags across the Middle-Atlantic States. There is ample elevated instability around the region to maintain the current shower/thunderstorm activity east across our region. With the weakened flow aloft any more storms that initiate will move very slowly and inundate the areas they pass over. We had several flash flood warnings issued this afternoon and saw hourly rainfall rates exceed 1.5+ inches from eastern Pennsylvania into southern New Jersey. Everything will be sliding offshore over the next couple of hours though the cold front to our north may touch off even more widely scattered showers. Could not remove all chances through the evening hours as some of the hi-res models show these showers traversing the region. Not expecting the torrential downpours and convection to be an issue as heating to our north and west has been weakened with the extensive middle and higher level clouds. The cumulus field well to our northwest is really flat looking as dewpoints behind the front are in the middle to upper-50s. The front could however pose an issue in terms of fog/stratus formation late tonight. Depending on how fast it slides through and we get the drier dewpoints might allow a widespread fog to form under a building inversion (near the front) and with the added moisture from todays rain. Do not think it will dense enough to have to worry about headlines, but it could become thick in some spots. Overnight lows were a straight blend of the met/mav. && Short term /6 am Wednesday morning through 6 PM Wednesday/... the cold front will continue to push further south and east and the drying northerly flow behind the front increases. Middle-level and surface ridging start to re-enter the region from the west-northwest which helps to keep our region dry for the most part. Continue with some slight chance probability of precipitation across the extreme southern Delaware-Maryland-Virginia where some low-level convergence along the front may still exist and where dewpoints will continue to pool in the upper-60s. Temperatures will be a couple degrees cooler tomorrow behind the front and a basic blend of the met/mav was used for highs. && Long term /Wednesday night through Tuesday/... surface high pressure is expected to build over the region Wednesday night...with the center of the high moving off the coast on Thursday. A reinforcing shot of Canadian high pressure moves toward the region on Friday...then off the coast on Saturday. This high should then influence weather over the area into next week as a southwest flow on its western side brings in warm and humid air. A chance of showers or thunderstorms are possible just about everyday from Sunday into early next week...but most of the time should be rain free. This looks more like a typical Summer time pattern in the middle portions of the atmosphere as a ridge tries to build east from the High Plains. Temperatures will start off in the normal range....then climb above normal late in the weekend and early next week. && Aviation /20z Tuesday through Sunday/... the following discussion is for kphl, kpne, kttn, kabe, krdg, kilg, kmiv, kacy and surrounding areas. This evening...very complex forecast with mostly VFR expected. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will continue to plague our terminals over the next couple of hours as a wave of low pressure moves through. The heavier showers and thunderstorms will cause local IFR conditions winds will predominantly be out of the east-southeast and remain light for this afternoon. Multiple outflow boundaries and heavier showers will cause temporary gusts with variable directions. Tonight...weak cold front to the northwest will slowly drag itself towards the region tonight and tries to push through. Winds should back towards the southwest and then north behind the front. If the front slows even further or stalls just to the north we could have issues with stratus and fog through the morning hours....IFR/MVFR possible. Wednesday...VFR with scattered ceilings. Will maintain a northerly wind behind the front around 10kts. Outlook... Wednesday night through Sunday...VFR except in morning fog/haze or mainly afternoon and evening showers/thunderstorms. && Marine... sub-advisory conditions look to persist across our waters tonight and tomorrow. A weak cold front will move through late tonight into Wednesday morning as high pressure sinks towards the south. Winds will start off easterly and then turn northerly behind the front tomorrow. The pressure gradient may become tight for a period tomorrow afternoon and could produce some marginal small craft gusts but did not have the confidence or longevity of the event to put up a flag. Seas will climb upwards of 4 feet through tomorrow as conditions become more tranquil later in the day. Outlook... no headlines are expected through Sunday. && Phi watches/warnings/advisories... PA...none. New Jersey...none. Delaware...none. Maryland...none. Marine...none. && $$ Synopsis...miketta near term...Heavener short term...Heavener long term...miketta aviation...Heavener marine...Heavener