Active gale warnings are in effect Wednesday for coastal waters near New York City, including the entrance to New York Harbor and adjacent ocean waters and south shore bays, as a slow-moving frontal system brings hazardous conditions to the region. The National Weather Service has issued small craft advisories across additional coastal and inland waterways as the system moves through.
The most significant active alerts are concentrated in the Metro New York area, where the National Weather Service in Upton issued a Gale Warning in effect through 11 p.m. Wednesday for the New York Harbor entrance, adjacent ocean waters and south shore bays. Small craft advisories are in effect through early Thursday morning for additional coastal zones. Southerly winds are expected to reach 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 30 to 40 mph across much of the region Wednesday afternoon and early evening, according to forecasters. Isolated gusts up to 45 mph are possible for the New York City and New Jersey metro area and western Long Island, where a strong coastal jet is expected to develop.
In Western New York, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said it is tracking a line of showers and thunderstorms expected to develop along and ahead of a cold front crossing the region Wednesday afternoon. A Marginal Risk for isolated severe storms — level one of five on the severe weather scale — has been issued by the Storm Prediction Center for areas from the interior Southern Tier northeast through the Finger Lakes and southern Tug Hill regions. The primary threats include isolated strong to damaging wind gusts and small hail. The storm line is expected to develop initially near the Chautauqua Ridge and Boston Hills area and progress eastward through the Genesee Valley and Finger Lakes region during the mid to late afternoon hours…