Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Eureka, CA
Issued by NWS Eureka, CA
144 FXUS66 KEKA 091053 AFDEKA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Eureka CA 353 AM PDT Thu May 9 2024 .SYNOPSIS...A continually building Pacific ridge of high pressure will continue to bring warm temperatures and gusty N to NE winds through the end of the week. This combination of elements will allow for unseasonably warm and possibly record high temperatures closer to the coast, but also for interior valleys. A cooling trend is expected by the weekend. && .DISCUSSION...High pressure continues to build into the Pacific Northwest as an upper level low slowly retrogrades to the southwest over the Central Rockies. This has created a tight pressure gradient across the area causing gusty north winds for coastal areas and over the higher terrain. These winds remain elevated into mid-morning over the higher terrain areas, especially SE Trinity, NE Mendocino and Lake counties. The wind advisories remain on track to expire by mid morning. Valleys and coastal areas have mostly decoupled causing winds to continue to be light into the morning. Frost is not expected for most areas, although the coldest spots could approach the upper 30s early this morning. Offshore flow is expected to keep all the stratus away from the coast while very few river valleys are likely to see any fog or stratus. Today, the low pressure over the Rockies continues to drop south which will gradually cause the pressure gradient to ease with overall winds decreasing through the day. Temperatures will continue to warm into the end of the work week as high pressure builds. Inland temperatures are anticipated to peak near 90 in the warmer valleys. As the winds diminish and become northeast and offshore, warm temperatures will likely develop along the coast. Temperatures may peak around 70. A few locations could reach the mid or upper 70s briefly early in the afternoon today and/or Friday. By Saturday, the ridge axis is forecast to move east. Thus, stratus will be allowed to move up the coast. Although, Saturday will likely be a transitional day where stratus will most likely not become expansive. This will likely just cause cooler temperatures in coastal and near coastal areas. By the late weekend and early next week, a weak shortwave is forecast to move by the region to the north. This may be enough to spark a shower or two over eastern Trinity County. Also, there is a ten percent chance of thunder, as of now. This shortwave could also bring drizzle to the coast. Into the early to middle of next week, high pressure is expected to build back in with inland temperatures warming back into the 90s and coastal temperatures into the low 60s. /MKK & /JLW && .AVIATION...VFR and clear skies have prevailed overnight as offshore winds continue aloft. These offshores are driving LLWS across the region as the surface has decoupled overnight...apart from coastal Del Norte (primarily KCEC) where northerly winds have continued overnight. Some brief MVFR haze may develop around the Humboldt Bay region early this morning, possibly impacting KACV...otherwise VFR is expected to continue through the TAF period. && .MARINE...Northerly winds and seas rapidly diminish across all zones this morning as the strongest northerlies drift further offshore. Winds remain mostly northerly through the weekend, weakening overnight and restrengthening to around 10 to 15 kts each afternoon. Northerlies are forecast to strengthen once again late this weekend and early next week, with another round of gales possible sometime between Monday and Wednesday. A few small NW and S swells move through the waters over the next week, however seas remain primarily locally generated. && .EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA... Wind Advisory until 9 AM PDT this morning for CAZ108-111- 114-115. NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS... Small Craft Advisory until 9 AM PDT this morning for PZZ450. Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM PDT this afternoon for PZZ470-475. && $$ Visit us at https://www.weather.gov/eureka Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at: https://www.facebook.com/NWSEureka https://www.twitter.com/NWSEureka For forecast zone information see the forecast zone map online: https://www.weather.gov/images/eka/zonemap.png