The time-depednent flow in the New York Bight from March 7 to April 30, 1985, is calculated from approximation to the barotropic vorticity equation subject to forcing by winds observed at the John F. Kennedy airport and by an upstream flow across the Long Island Shelf. Comparisons of major axis velocities to observations throughout the bight show reasonable agreement. There is also considerable model skill in the prediction of alongshore variations in the major axis velocity with relatively low absolute errors. In general, associated with northeastward winds are northeastward shelf flows and upvalley currents in the Hudson Shelf Valley (HSV). Downvalley flows in the HSV occur when the northeastward wind abates and the flow on the shelf turns southwestward. The mechanism resposible for the behavior of the valley flow appears to be topographic steering with moderation due to bottom friction. The time rate of change of relative vorticity does not appear to have large net effect over the duration of an event. Consequently, steady state models represent well the dynamics for an event-averaged flow. Discrepancies between model results and observation suggest that there is indeed a southwestern pressure gradient force operating in the New York Bight, and an adiabatic pressure condition offshore may be over simplification that need be removed.