Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Seattle/Tacoma, WA

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491 FXUS66 KSEW 042137 AFDSEW Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Seattle WA 237 PM PDT Tue Jun 4 2024 .SYNOPSIS...
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Widespread precipitation and breezy conditions will continue to diminish through tonight. A pattern change will result in high pressure building over the region through late this week, allowing temperatures to rise to above normal levels. The warmest temperatures will likely occur Friday and Saturday across western Washington before falling back towards normal by early next week.
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&& .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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Precipitation over the last 12 hours has been on the light side of the probabilistic guidance. Generally less than an inch has fallen across the Cascades and while river levels have bumped up slightly, no flooding is expected. Winds have also peaked across the region and will continue to gradually decrease through the afternoon and evening. We will also continue to monitor a weak signal for thunderstorms, but impacts will likely remain minor. Synoptic ridging will begin to develop across the PNW Wednesday and is likely to peak in amplitude Friday. This will result in a fairly rapid warm up through the end of the workweek with temperatures reaching the upper 70s and low 80s. HeatRisk levels will peak Friday, with widespread minor/yellow HeatRisk and isolated moderate/orange HeatRisk - mainly in favored areas such as the Cascade Foothills and urban heat island areas such as the Auburn/Kent valley. .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...Warm temperatures will continue into Saturday with highs away from the coast near to slightly above levels seen Friday (the coast will be several degrees cooler). However, with cooling expected Saturday night, 24-hour HeatRisk will fall back solidly into the yellow/minor category. This cooling will arrive as the ridge axis moves east of the area allowing onshore flow to increase across western WA. Sunday through early next week ensembles favor a trough over the eastern Pacific with occasional shortwaves ejecting across the PNW. This will likely keep temperatures near to slightly above normal as well as occasional cloud cover and chances for mainly mountain showers. -Wolcott-
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&& .AVIATION...
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Flow aloft still strong and westerly with the jet max coming ashore into Washington/B.C. Canada with an upper level trough/frontal system passing through today. Satellite shows quite a bit of cloud cover yet to clear out (but a few clearing areas are visible near the Kitsap Peninsula). A few showers will continue across all of Puget Sound this afternoon (some of the showers may be convective, although the risk of a thunderstorm is low). MVFR ceilings/visibilities (with pockets of IFR at times with the heaviest showers and at KPAE) will improve to low-end VFR later this evening as the frontal system moves out. Low ceilings are possible Wednesday morning. Winds continue to gust to 25 kt out of the south-southwest, and will decrease overnight and become westerly (will become northwesterly late Wednesday afternoon). KSEA...Few showers continuing, may drip CIGs/VIS down to IFR at times. Otherwise MVFR will improve to VFR late Tuesday evening. Slight chance of low CIGs morning but is expected to be VFR/MVFR at this time (no fog expected). Winds still gusty this afternoon out of the southwest up to 25 kt. Will diminish to around 5 to 10 kt overnight, become westerly and eventually northwesterly late Wednesday afternoon. HPR
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&& .MARINE...
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A frontal system continues to bring showers across the inner waterways this afternoon. A few of these may become convective, potentially reducing visibilities to mariners (as well as producing gusty winds). Gusty winds are expected to diminish from 00Z-06Z across all waterways. Onshore flow will pick up as high pressure builds off the coast (with low pressure inland). Seas will begin to build to hazardous levels for the coastal waters, Grays Harbor Bar, and western Strait of Juan de Fuca through early Thursday morning (waves of 9 to 15 ft - steepest waves in the outer coast). Otherwise light winds out of the northwest for the remainder of the week, and seas will return to 4 to 6 ft Thursday through Saturday, building to 6 to 8 ft Sunday with another system. HPR
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&& .HYDROLOGY...
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Rain rates with the ongoing system have remained below concerning thresholds. The Flood Watch was cancelled this morning. Rivers will continue to run cool and fast this week despite warm and dry conditions late this week into the weekend. -Wolcott-
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&& .SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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WA...None. PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Thursday for Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island Out 10 Nm-Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville 10 To 60 Nm- Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater Out 10 Nm-West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca. Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca. Gale Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for Admiralty Inlet- East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands. Small Craft Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT this evening for East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca. Small Craft Advisory until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
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