Ski Roundtop Snow Report

527 FXUS61 KCTP 180534 AFDCTP Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 134 AM EDT Fri Sep 18 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... * Added higher fog probabilities in for early Friday morning * Adjusted pops for scattered afternoon rain && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Very humid with locally heavy rainfall possible this afternoon 2) Cooler this weekend with rain returning by Sunday && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1: Very humid with locally heavy rainfall possible this afternoon Morning rounds of rain have slid off to the southeast with only isolated showers in the northern tier of counties across our CWA. Afternoon coverage of showers and thunderstorms remains uncertain, but with additional convection beginning to develop to our west over Pittsburg`s area we can expect at least a few heavy downpours later this afternoon before the stratiform rain shield over Ohio arrives later tonight. By midnight the cold front should be south of the PA/MD border, and with some scattering of clouds anticipated and light winds leading into Friday morning fog development seems probable over areas that saw rain today. Previous Discussion... Highly anomalous moisture for this time of year (NAEFS mean pwat values near climatological maximum percentiles) pooling around the periphery of subtropical high over the southern Plains and lower MS Valley will interact with a surface cold front moving slowly south/southeastward from the lower Great Lakes to produce periods of showers and a few locally heavy thunderstorms across Pennsylvania later today. 17/00Z HREF indicates the potential for spot rain amounts of 2-3 inches. It`s very likely that most of central PA picks up some rainfall by tonight. However, we do not anticipate an all-day rain/washout. Cloud trends remain a tough call with early morning convection over north central PA, but fcst instability this afternoon across south central PA will be more than supportive for thunderstorm development. SPC continues to maintain a general (non-severe) convective outlook for today which is likely due to the lack of deep layer shear (displaced farther to the north) and poor mid level lapse rates (very moist, tall/skinny soundings with warm cloud depths greater than 10kft). KEY MESSAGE 2: Cooler this weekend with rain returning by Sunday Another taste of Fall is on the way for the end of the week with noticeably cooler and much drier/less humid air poised to return behind the front (Td crashing into the 40s/50s). Expect a crisp and cool overnight Friday into Saturday morning with some upper 30s possible across the northern tier. Dry/fair wx conditions are forecast to start the weekend and last through the day on Saturday followed by periods of potentially heavy rainfall Saturday night through early next week. Both NAEFS and ECMWF SATs show at least 90th percentile PWs returning the the region which is supportive for at least a marginal excessive rain signal. A surface low expected to track over the Great Lakes will usher in this moisture and more than enough forcing for widespread precipitation. NBM temps have also cooled/moderated quite a bit Mon- Wed with most locations struggling to exceed 70F for daytime highs. && .AVIATION /06Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Abundant moisture (PWATs of 1.5-2", in the 90-95th percentile for this time of year) ahead of a cold front approaching from the north will result in periods of mainly MVFR-IFR ceilings across the region overnight. Higher confidence in periods of IFR is for the higher-terrain terminals (primarily KBFD/KJST, though perhaps KIPT as well between the ridges, with lower confidence in IFR with southeastern extent). Flow will trend northerly during the day on Friday with winds of around 10 kts as the front moves southward across the Commonwealth, with low clouds dispersing through the morning/afternoon as drier air filters in from the north. Spotty showers may accompany this frontal passage, primarily over KBFD/KJST/KAOO where subtle convergence along the ridgeline could support shower development. Lightning seems unlikely with these showers as mid-level subsidence above the low-level moist layer will put a cap on the vertical development of showers, with MUCAPE equilibrium levels (MUEL) looking to stay shy of the freezing level (around 5 C, suggesting that showers will be too shallow for lightning potential). Behind the front, a high pressure will slide in across the Northeastern US and New England region Friday night, helping to keep drier air settled in at the low levels across central Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, moisture will rebound aloft as a low pressure system approaches from the Ohio Valley, with mid/high- level clouds streaming overhead during the night. Outlook... Sat...AM valley fog and some MVFR ceilings S. Then VFR. Sat night-Tuesday...Periods of rain/storms with MVFR likely (70%) and IFR possible (30%) for short periods. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ WHAT HAS CHANGED...Bowen KEY MESSAGES...Steinbugl/Bowen DISCUSSION...Steinbugl/Bowen AVIATION...Teare