595 FXUS61 KALY 172329 AFDALY Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albany NY 729 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... Increased wind/wind gusts for Saturday afternoon through Sunday, and lowered Saturday afternoon dewpoints slightly. && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Gusty winds develop Saturday afternoon and continue into Sunday, along with rain showers Saturday night and Sunday, mixing with/changing to snow across higher terrain Sunday. 2) High confidence for below normal temperatures Sunday through early early next week, with widespread min temps dropping below freezing Monday night. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1... Gusty southeast to south winds develop Saturday afternoon as low level pressure gradient tightens between departing ridge of high pressure and approaching cold front. Wind gusts of 25-35 mph will be possible Saturday afternoon and night, greatest within the Hudson River Valley, SW Adirondacks, and higher terrain areas of the Taconics/southern VT. Winds then shift into the west/northwest with/behind cold front early Sunday morning, with similar wind gusts (25-35 mph) expected, strongest/most persistent within the Mohawk Valley/Capital Region and Berkshires. Rain showers will overspread the region from west to east Saturday evening and will continue through at least Sunday morning. As cold air moves into the region, precipitation will likely change to snow for elevations above 1500 feet, where some minor accumulations will be possible mainly on colder surfaces. Even in valley areas, some snow could mix in at times before showers taper off Sunday afternoon. KEY MESSAGE 2... Unseasonably cold air mass will move into the region Sunday and will persist through Monday, bringing below normal temperatures along with blustery conditions. Daytime highs will only reach the 40s for most valley areas and 30s across higher elevations, with brisk winds making it feel even colder (wind chills mainly in the 30s during the daylight hours and upper teens to mid 20s at night). Overnight lows should drop below freezing in most areas Sunday night, and especially Monday night when widespread 20s are expected with even some teens across portions of the southern Adirondacks. && .AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Through 00z/Sun...Mainly VFR conditions are expected at the TAF sites through the upcoming period. Mainly clear skies into the overnight will lead to some patchy clouds between 2500-4000 ft late tonight into tomorrow morning. Thereafter, fair weather cumulus clouds above 3000 feet and some cirrus are expected through tomorrow afternoon. Dry weather is expected over the next 24 hours. North to northeasterly winds this evening will become light and variable overnight then south to southeasterly around 10 kt on Saturday with gusts to 25 kt developing at KALB during the afternoon. Outlook... Saturday Night: High Operational Impact. Windy With Gusts To 32 kts. Likely SHRA. Sunday: High Operational Impact. Breezy. Definite SHRA. Sunday Night: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. NO SIG WX. Monday: Low Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Monday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Tuesday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Tuesday Night: Low Operational Impact. Slight Chance of SHRA. Wednesday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...None. NY...None. MA...None. VT...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...24/31 AVIATION...33