| .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... DANGEROUS HURRICANE IRENE TO IMPACT THE TRI-STATE FROM LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT... A GRADUAL INCREASE IN POPS FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AS FRONT WORKS ITS WAY BACK TO THE NORTH. SUBSIDENCE AHEAD OF HURRICANE IRENE WILL HELP TO SERVE AS A LIMITING FACTOR ON HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WE ACTUALLY SEE INTO SATURDAY...BUT DO SEE THE CASE FOR LIKELY POPS FAR SE ZONES AND CHANCE POPS ELSEWHERE BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. OUTER-BANDS FROM IRENE SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPACT THE AREAS BY SATURDAY NIGHT. WEATHER DETERIORATES FURTHER SUNDAY AS A IRENE APPROACHES. EXPECT WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...THEN PRECIPITATION TAPERS OFF FROM S TO N AS IRENE PULLS AWAY SUNDAY NIGHT...BASED ON LATEST NHC FORECAST TRACK. GIVEN THE SIZE OF IRENE...DO NOT FOCUS JUST ON THE FORECAST TRACK...AS ITS DANGEROUSLY STRONG WIND FIELD LIKELY WILL ENVELOP MOST OF THE REGION...EVEN ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STORM. ALL PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE IRENE SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...AS WINDS/RAINS BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT...AND DEFINITELY SUNDAY WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT...IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE ANY ACTION THEN. MUCH QUIETER WX IN THE WAKE OF IRENE MONDAY-WEDNESDAY. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKS TO OUR NORTH MONDAY-TUESDAY...MOST LIKELY FAR ENOUGH SO...THAT THE REGION SHOULD REMAIN DRY. RIDGING THEN BUILDS IN TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FOR TEMPERATURES FOLLOWED A MAV/MET BLEND FOR LOWS FRIDAY NIGHT...AND MAX TEMPS SATURDAY. FROM SATURDAY NIGHT-WEDNESDAY...BLENDED OFFICIAL FORECAST WITH GRIDDED MOS. PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FORECASTS FOR THE LATEST DETAILS ON IRENE. |