Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Seattle/Tacoma, WA

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909 FXUS66 KSEW 251043 AFDSEW Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Seattle WA 343 AM PDT Sat May 25 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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Upper level trough moving through Western Washington today followed by a weak front for Sunday. Upper level trough offshore with upper level ridge well to the east Memorial Day. System spinning out of the trough moving through Tuesday with the trough moving over the area Wednesday into Thursday. Upper level ridge building into British Columbia Thursday night into Friday.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
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Satellite imagery shows cloudy skies over Western Washington early this morning. Doppler radar shows convergence zone near the East Entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca with isolated showers elsewhere. With the cloud cover temperatures were in a narrow range at 3 am/10z, a couple of degrees either side of 50. Upper level trough moving through the area today keeping showers in the forecast with the higher pops in the morning. Convergence zone will slowly drift south and east with the northwesterly flow aloft over the area. The convergence zone will dissipate this afternoon. Plenty of cloud cover through the day will keep high temperatures mostly in the 50s. Weak upper level ridge moving through Western Washington tonight with shower activity decreasing especially over the lowlands. Low level onshore flow keeping skies mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid to upper 40s. Weak system moving out of the large upper level trough in the Gulf of Alaska moving by mainly to the north Sunday. System close enough to have showers in the forecast for the coast and Northwest Interior and at least a chance of showers elsewhere. Cloud cover over Western Washington combined with the shower activity will result in another cool day for this time of year. Highs in the 50s and lower 60s. Upper level ridge building well east of the area Sunday night into Memorial Day with the large upper level trough offshore slowly digging south. Ridge too far east to completely protect the area from any shower activity with a chance of showers west of a line from about Hoquiam to Mount Baker. Temperatures aloft warming slightly and with a little less cloud cover highs getting into the 60s. .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...Extended models in good agreement with another frontal system moving into Western Washington Tuesday with the trailing upper level trough arriving Wednesday. Trough moving east of the area Thursday but not fast enough to keep showers out of the forecast. Upper level ridge nosing into British Columbia Thursday night into Friday. Some differences in the models start showing up Thursday night with the ECMWF much stronger with the upper level ridge versus the GFS. Both models pretty dry Friday with pops mostly in the slight chance category. Temperatures remaining unseasonable cool Tuesday through Thursday with highs in the mid 50s to lower 60s. A little warmer Friday with highs in the lower to mid 60s. Felton
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&& AVIATION...A weak cold front continues to advance east of the region with lingering PSCZ activity across the northern portions of Puget Sound early this morning. Expect the air mass to remain moist with widespread low MVFR to IFR conditions expected this morning. Little change through midday, but the PSCZ should weaken and ceilings gradually begin to rise through the afternoon for many locations. KSEA...Lower MVFR conditions expected early this morning with occasional light rain. Main PSCZ activity should remain north of KSEA and KBFI to keep southerly surface winds at both terminals this morning. Gusty winds increase this afternoon to 20 kt. Otherwise expect ceilings to trend toward VFR by 22z before setting back into MVFR by 12z Sun. && .MARINE...
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Weak cold front will continue to slide east with breezy northwest winds over the coastal waters and west winds through the Strait of Juan de Fuca this morning. Expect winds to ease over the coastal waters mostly by daybreak or mid-morning, but seas will also remain steep through this time. The advisories for the coastal waters will run through the morning. Meanwhile, west winds through the Strait will again increase with another round of advisory strength westerlies this evening. A stronger front will approach early Sunday, with yet another disturbance early next week. Both of these will increase the potential for advisory strength winds over portions of the waters as well as lead to a return of steep seas over the coastal waters.
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&& && .SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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WA...None. PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca. Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM PDT this morning for Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island Out 10 Nm-Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm- Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater Out 10 Nm. Small Craft Advisory until 11 AM PDT this morning for Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island 10 To 60 Nm- Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm.
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