Heavy Snow in Maine, December 3, 2004

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
1001 AM EST FRI DEC 3 2004

.SHORT TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...
AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW HAS BROKEN OUT OVER SW AND MIDCOAST
MAINE.  THIS SEEMS TO BE IN RESPONSE TO TIGHTENING PRESSURE
GRADIENT OFFSHORE BRINGING MORE MOISTURE IN FROM THE OCEAN
ALOFT. WINDS IN THE COASTAL WATERS HAVE INCREASED TO 15 TO
20 KTS THIS MORNING...SO UPDATED COASTAL WATERS FORECAST EARLIER.
FOR PUBLIC ZONES...PLAN TO ISSUE UPDATE THIS MORNING TO INCREASE SNOW
AMOUNTS OVER ALL OF MAINE ZONE EXCEPT THE MTNS.  WILL INCREASE
AMOUNTS TO 1 TO 3 INCHES DURING THE DAY TODAY...WITH UP TO AN
ADDITIONAL INCH POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN PART OF FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT.  WILL ALSO MENTION SOME MIXING POSSIBLE ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
COAST.

IN NH...PRECIP HAS BEEN FAIRLY LIGHT AND CURRENT FCST SEEMS TO
HAVE GOOD HANDLE ON SITUATION.

MARINE: NOT MUCH CHANGE EXPECTED IN UPDATED FORECAST FROM EARLIER
THIS MORNING.

&&

.PREVIOUS SHORT TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...
A WEAK WAVE OF LOW PRES WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ESE TODAY AND PASS TO
THE S OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE.  ALONG AND TO THE N OF THIS
TRACK AN AREA OF LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS NEW
HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE THIS MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON BEFORE
COMING TO AN END BY EARLY THIS EVENING AS THE WEAK WAVE OF LOW
PRES EXITS OFF TO OUR E.  SYSTEM TO BE STARVED FOR MOISTURE SO
EXPECTING ONLY LIGHT AMOUNTS OF SNOW WHICH SHOULD NOT EXCEED AN
INCH OVER MOST IF NOT ALL AREAS.  LOWERED MAX TEMPERATURES FOR
TODAY KEEPING MOST READINGS IN THE 20S OVER THE N TO AROUND 30
OVER SOUTHERN AREAS.  PRETTY MUCH STICKING WITH MAV MAX TEMPS FOR
TODAY.  TONIGHT ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE ENDING ALL PCPN
BY MID EVENING FROM W-E OVER MAINE WHILE PCPN SHOULD COME TO AN
END BY LATE TODAY OVER NH.
&&

.LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...
CLOUDS WILL INCREASE ON SAT AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THE
REGION FROM THE W.  WILL ONLY BE GOING WITH A CHC OF SNW SHOWERS
WHICH WILL BE CONFINED MAINLY TO THE MTNS LATE SAT INTO SUN.

ANY CLEARING WILL BE SHORTLIVED SUN AS CLOUDS FROM A LARGE SYSTEM
IN THE MIDWEST START MOVING IN FOR MON.  THIS SYSTEM APPEARS TO
WANT TO STAY TO OUR WEST WHICH MEANS WARMER WITH MORE RAIN.
PRECIP COULD MIX WITH SNOW FOR A WHILE MON NIGHT. HIGH PRES BUILDS
IN LATE TUE AND CLEARING SHOULD LAST INTO THU.
&&

.AVIATION...
VFR CONDS TO GRADUALLY LOWER TO MVFR CONDS THIS MORNING AND
OCNLY BECOME IFR IN DEVELOPING LIGHT SNOW.  CONDS TO RAPIDLY
IMPROVE AFTER 00Z FROM W-E AS SYSTEM MOVES RAPIDLY E.
&&

.PREVIOUS MARINE...
WINDS TO REMAIN LIGHT FROM A NELY DIRECTION TODAY AS A WEAK WAVE
OF LOW PRES MOVES TO OUR S TODAY AND THIS EVENING.  VERY LITTLE
PRES GRADIENT ASSOC WITH THIS SYSTEM SO NOT MUCH EXPECTED IN WAY
OF WINDS AND SEAS TODAY INTO TONIGHT.  WINDS BECOME LIGHT NWLY
LATER TONIGHT AS SYSTEMS EXITS TO THE E.  VSBYS WILL BE SOMEWHAT
RESTRICTED TODAY INTO THE EARLY EVENING IN DEVELOPING LIGHT SNOW.

LONG TERM...
WINDS COULD APPROACH SCA FOR A WHILE SUN WITH LOW PASSING E ACROSS
CANADA AND HIGH PRES TO OUR S.  A SIMILAR SCENARIO FOR TUE NIGHT
INTO WED.

&&

.GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ME...NONE.
NH...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.
&&

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
344 AM EST FRI DEC 3 2004

MEZ007>009-012>014-018>028-NHZ001>010-013-014-040844-
ANDROSCOGGIN ME-BELKNAP NH-CENTRAL SOMERSET ME-COASTAL CUMBERLAND ME-
COASTAL ROCKINGHAM NH-COASTAL WALDO ME-COASTAL YORK ME-
INTERIOR CUMBERLAND ME-INTERIOR ROCKINGHAM NH-INTERIOR WALDO ME-
INTERIOR YORK ME-KENNEBEC ME-KNOX ME-LINCOLN ME-MERRIMACK NH-
NORTHERN CARROLL NH-NORTHERN COOS NH-NORTHERN FRANKLIN ME-
NORTHERN GRAFTON NH-NORTHERN OXFORD ME-SAGADAHOC ME-
SOUTHERN CARROLL NH-SOUTHERN COOS NH-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN ME-
SOUTHERN GRAFTON NH-SOUTHERN OXFORD ME-SOUTHERN SOMERSET ME-
STRAFFORD NH-SULLIVAN NH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALFRED...AUBURN...AUGUSTA...BATH...
BELFAST...BERLIN...BETHEL...BETHLEHEM...BIDDEFORD...
BOOTHBAY HARBOR...BRIDGTON...BRUNSWICK...CAMDEN...CLAREMONT...
COBURN GORE...COLEBROOK...CONCORD...CONWAY...DAMARISCOTTA...DERRY...
DOVER...DURHAM...EUSTIS...EXETER...FAIRFIELD...FARMINGTON...
FRANKLIN...FRYEBURG...GARDINER...HAMPTON...HENNIKER...JACKMAN...
KITTERY...LACONIA...LANCASTER...LEBANON...LEWISTON...LINCOLN...
LINCOLNVILLE...LITTLETON...MECHANIC FALLS...MEREDITH...
MOULTONBOROUGH...NAPLES...NEW LONDON...NORTH WINDHAM...NORTHWOOD...
OAKLAND...OSSIPEE...PITTSFIELD...PLYMOUTH...PORTLAND...PORTSMOUTH...
RANGELEY...ROCHESTER...ROCKLAND...RUMFORD...SALEM...SANFORD...
SEARSPORT...SKOWHEGAN...SOUTH PARIS...SOUTH PORTLAND...THORNDIKE...
TOPSHAM...TURNER...WATERVILLE...WESTBROOK...WISCASSET AND WOODSVILLE
344 AM EST FRI DEC 3 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MAINE
AND NORTHERN...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEW HAMPSHIRE

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

LIGHT SNOW TODAY WITH AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW EXPECTED FOR THE
MOUNTAINS AND AN INCH OR LESS ELSEWHERE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.  SKYWARN APRECIATION
DAY RUNS DURING SATURDAY...MAINLY FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH 4 PM.  WE
WILL BE LOOKING TO MAKE HAM RADIO CONTACTS ON 2 METERS VIA LOCAL
REPEATERS ON OUR NEW CLUB STATION WX1GYX.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SNOW REPORTS TODAY AND FOR
SKYWARN APPRECIATION DAY CHECK-INS ON SATURDAY.

TEB/N1KTA