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  Sunday October 19, 2025

 

NWS Area Forecast Discussion



564
FXUS61 KBTV 191040
AFDBTV

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Burlington VT
640 AM EDT Sun Oct 19 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
A Red Flag Warning has been issues for portions of Vermont and
northern New York for gusty southerly winds and low humidity
values. Temperatures will warm well into the 70s on Sunday with
developing south winds 15 to 30 mph. Northern slopes of the
Adirondacks along Route 11 may experience gusts to 40 mph. A
developing area of low pressure will produce a widespread
wetting rainfall late Sunday night through Monday across the
entire region. Gusty winds will develop over western slopes of
the Greens at 35 to 50 mph, which may result in downed trees
branches and isolated power outages. Cooler and unsettled
weather prevails most of this upcoming work week.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 610 AM EDT Sunday...Combing through the latest
information, some downslope warming is already being noted in
the parts of the St. Lawrence Valley, and the Vermont side of
the Champlain Valley has had poor humidity recoveries. Noting
similar trends to earlier data. Thinking the St. Lawrence Valley
appears to have the greatest likelihood to reach thresholds,
while northern Vermont remains somewhat conditions. The breakup
for the Champlain Valley is that the winds will be present, but
RHs may struggle to fall below 35. In north-central Vermont, RHs
appear more likely to get into the lower 30s, but the wind gusts
may not materialize until later. Tried to fine tune things in
the forecast data to highlight these features.

For today, fire weather concerns remain to primary concern.
Assessing forecast trends, 10th percentile dewpoints have
trended upwards. The potential for relative humidity values
falling below 30 percent seems to have decreased somewhat. Even
taking into account the 90th percentile for temperatures across
parts of northern New York and Vermont into the process, this
did not result in such occurring. Additionally, outside the
Champlain Valley, the core of a strengthening 850mb jet does not
arrive until late in the day, and so parts of south-central and
eastern Vermont will be less likely to observe gusts greater
than 25 mph. However, portions of central Vermont and the
Northeast Kingdom will remain embedded within a relatively drier
air mass, and the Champlain Valley across Vermont has had poor
recoveries tonight with the stronger flow, and it will have
stronger gusts. Across New York, portions of the St. Lawrence
Valley may approach 80, and this still pushes relative humidity
quite close to 30 percent. So these regions have been upgraded
to a Red Flag Warning. Debris burn bans remain across Vermont.
Even outside the RFW, a special weather statement has been
posted given the strength of gusts, ongoing drought, and leaf
litter that will lead to increased fire weather potential.
Additional review of data will likely be done as we monitor
forecast trends.

Overnight, the core of a 55 to 65 knots 850mb jet will lift
across the region. Rain will likely already be arriving in
northern New York, and the core of the strongest winds appears
to focus across Vermont. So for now, a Wind Advisory has been
posted across western slopes of the northern Greens from 2 AM to
11 AM. Farther south, the mixing potential and intensity of
mid-level winds appears less likely. For towns like Bristol,
Underhill, Cambridge/Jeffersonville, and Enosburg, wind gusts up
to 50 mph will be possible. The potential for utility impacts
will be somewhat elevated through any remaining foliage, and so
isolated power outages are possible.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
As of 159 AM EDT Sunday...Beneficial rain will shift east during
the day Monday. High resolution CAPE values upwards of 500-750
J/kg, upper divergence in an increasingly negative tilt trough,
and convergence along a developing surface low will push a
wetting rain of about 0.50-1.50" across the region. There will
likely be some locally higher totals in parts of the Adirondacks
and eastern slopes of the southern Greens, and there will be
locally lower totals in the Northeast Kingdom due to substantial
terrain shadowing. Gusty winds will remain, but precipitation
and decreasing pressure gradients as the surface low approaches
will take the edge off the worst of the winds with 10 to 20 mph
gusts lingering. With rain and clouds, temperatures will likely
settle into the upper 50s to upper 60s as flow generally remains
south.

By Tuesday, the surface low will begin to move north of the
international border. Modest wrap around of moisture and some
lake effect activity will maintain showers overnight into the
day, especially over northern New York. South to southwest winds
will be a more manageable 5 to 10 mph with gusts to 20 mph. A
cooler night in the mid 30s to upper 40s and daytime highs on
Tuesday in the mid 50s to lower 60s is expected.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 159 AM EDT Sunday...A larger upper low will be right on the
heels of the departing low and like the prior system will acquire a
negatively tilted appearance which will aid in increased south-north
moisture advection bit lesser than the previous with PWATS largely
under an inch whereas first system had 1.5 inch PWATS advecting into
the system.

An initial band of precipitation ahead of the occluded front looks
likely during the Tuesday night-Wednesday morning timeframe but as
previous forecaster mentioned...negative tilting of the trough and
strong vort max rounding the base of the upper low will likely aid
in the development of a triple point low across eastern VT and
points east Wednesday afternoon-night thus keeping or regenerating
precipitation late Wednesday and Wednesday evening.

Thereafter...typical upper-closed low scenario with cyclonic flow
and weak disturbances triggering shower activity, especially
northern upslope regions through Friday...each day being less and
less with perhaps enough ridging for dry conditions on
Saturday.

Cyclonic SW cold flow across eastern Great Lakes will likely
increase precipitation chances (mainly -SHRA)across northern NY from
the Adirondacks westward Thu-Fri.

Again, as previous forecaster mentioned...the 540dam thickness line
behind the upper low should be able to swing southward over northern
New York with the strong occlusion that the system will undergo.
Currently 850 mb temps are slightly AOB 0C with 925mb temperatures
above 0C in the Wed ngt-Fri timeframe so perhaps some -shsn across
the mountain summits.

Temperatures will be fairly close to climatological norms with
mildest being Wed-Thu in the 50s then 40s-L50s Fri-Sat and lows in
the upper 20s to lower 40s throughout the extended.

&&

.AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Through 12Z Monday...Winds are the main culprit with south,
southeast winds increasing to 12-18kts with gusts 20-30 kts
during the forecast period. LLWS at times around or after 00z
Monday.

VFR condiitons through the period with -shra and lowering cigs
beginning in northern NY aft 06z and VT around-aft 09z Mon.


Outlook...

Monday: Mainly VFR, with areas MVFR possible. Windy with gusts to
35 kt. Definite SHRA, Slight chance TSRA.
Monday Night: Mainly VFR, with areas MVFR possible. Likely SHRA.
Tuesday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Chance SHRA.
Tuesday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Likely SHRA.
Wednesday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Definite SHRA.
Wednesday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Chance
SHRA.
Thursday: VFR/MVFR conditions possible. Chance SHRA.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
A Red Flag Warning has been issued for portions of northern New
York and Vermont this afternoon into the evening for gusty
winds and low humidities. Our region continues in a severe to
extreme drought with near surface soil moisture in the 1% to 5%
ranking, as 30 to 60 day precip is 25% to 50% of normal. These
extremely dry conditions have caused fine and cured 1 and 10
hour fuels to become very dry and receptive to carrying fire per
coordination with our fire weather partners. Meanwhile, min
humidities in the 30% to 40% range and developing gusty
southerly winds of 20 to 30 mph, locally 35 to 40 mph near Route
11 are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening. If any fires
were to start the weather and fuel conditions could cause fires
to quickly get out of control and be difficult to contain.

Trends in data suggest that dewpoints may not fall as far as
previously forecasted. The worst case scenario has seen values
increase, and high resolution guidance known for being
aggressive in mixing dry air from aloft to the ground are
notably less so. With the potential for somewhat higher relative
humidities, the Champlain Valley in New York and south-central
Vermont, which has also seen higher rain recently, has been
transitioned to a special weather statement. This area will
still have increased fire weather potential, though, with 15 to
25 mph gusts, locally to 30 and relative humidity values ranging
33 to 48 percent.

For more information about the current fire danger rating, any burn
restrictions, and wildfire prevention and education, please visit
your state forestry or environmental protection website. Remember, a
debris burn ban is in effect for all of Vermont which means no
open burning of debris is allowed.

&&

.MARINE...
A lake wind advisory will be remain in effect tonight for
developing south winds 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots
possible. Wave will be building 2 to 4 feet with higher swells
possible in the open waters.

&&

.EQUIPMENT...
The TYX radar is down until further notice after a hardware
failure occurred. Replacement parts have been ordered and will
be installed.

&&

.BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VT...Red Flag Warning from noon today to 10 PM EDT this evening for
     VTZ030>032.
     Wind Advisory from 2 AM to 11 AM EDT Monday for VTZ016>018.
NY...Red Flag Warning from noon today to 8 PM EDT this evening for
     NYZ202.

&&

$$
SYNOPSIS...Haynes
NEAR TERM...Haynes
SHORT TERM...Haynes
LONG TERM...SLW
AVIATION...SLW
FIRE WEATHER...BTV
MARINE...BTV
EQUIPMENT...BTV



 
 
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