Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Los Angeles, CA

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170 FXUS66 KLOX 212353 AFDLOX Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA 453 PM PDT Fri Jun 21 2024 updated aviation discussion .SYNOPSIS...21/247 PM. Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories are in effect for much of interior Southern California this weekend, with very hot conditions persisting over interior areas into next week. While temperatures will not be as hot closer to the coast, very warm temperatures are expected this weekend into early next week for some of the coastal valleys and nearby foothills. While mostly dry conditions are expected, there is the possibility for a few thunderstorms to form over the region late Saturday into Saturday night and Sunday, as moisture from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Alberto affects Southern California. && .SHORT TERM (TDY-MON)...
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21/247 PM. A large and strong midlevel anticyclone will expand westward across the southern United States this weekend, as diffuse vorticity from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Alberto circulate around the southern and then western peripheries of the anticyclone. By Monday, 500-mb heights are forecast to rise to 593 dam over AZ and NM, with the accompanying ridge axis overspreading the forecast area this weekend. As the midlevel heights rise this weekend, temperatures will increase to dangerously hot levels from the Antelope Valley and nearby foothills and westward to the Santa Barbara County interior mountains. Excessive Heat Warnings have been posted in these areas, where high temperatures are expected to reach 95-105 degrees (locally to around 108 in the Antelope Valley) producing Major to Extreme Heat Risk. For the Antelope Valley and eastern Antelope Valley Foothills, these conditions are expected to be prolonged into next week, and the Excessive Heat Warning extends through next Thursday. Heat Risk will be more moderated in a surrounding area from the eastern San Gabriels and the San Gabriel Valley through the San Fernando Valley and the Santa Clarita Valley, and across the Cuyama Valley and the San Luis Obispo County mountains and interior valleys. In these areas, a Heat Advisory is in effect as heat impacts are still anticipated, though impacts are not expected to be as significant as in the Warning area. High temperatures in the Heat Advisory area should reach the 90-100 degree range this weekend. Overall day-to-day variability in temperatures should be limited through Monday, though the increase in midlevel moisture from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Alberto could be accompanied by a couple degrees of cooling from Saturday into Sunday and Monday. As a result, outside of the Antelope Valley and eastern Antelope Valley Foothills, Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories are set to expire Sunday evening, though extensions cannot be ruled out in later forecasts (20-40% chance). However, with the increase in moisture tempering nocturnal radiational cooling, overnight low temperatures will remain elevated this weekend -- lower to middle 70s in many areas -- potentially worsening the magnitude of heat impacts this weekend. Also of note, temperatures closer to the coast, away from the ongoing heat headlines, will be relatively cooler given the influence of the marine layer. However, the marine layer will be shallow given the rising heights aloft, and will efficiently mix out of the coastal valleys and retreat toward the immediate coast each day. While uncertain, this could potentially bring hazardous heat impacts closer to the coast, and there is a chance for areal expansion of the Heat Advisories this weekend (30% probability). And within the shallow marine layer, areas of nighttime and morning dense fog will be possible near the immediate coast and nearby coastal valleys tonight through this weekend and early next week. Gusty south to southwest winds are expected over the Interstate 5 corridor, and the western Antelope Valley and nearby foothills each afternoon and evening. However, Wind Advisories are not currently anticipated. Present indications are that the aforementioned increase in midlevel moisture accompanying the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Alberto will still have the potential to bring a few thunderstorms to the local area. Most locations will remain dry, and chances for thunderstorms are currently very low, less than 20 percent. There is a good chance that no storms form anywhere across the region. However, if enough moisture is able to move into the area this weekend, isolated thunderstorms will have the potential to form. Right now, the most-likely timing of this activity will be Saturday night, though a couple storms cannot be ruled out as early as Saturday afternoon or as late as Sunday afternoon. If thunderstorms were to form, cloud-to-ground lightning would be the main concern, though locally small hail, gusty winds, and brief heavy downpours cannot be ruled out -- highly conditional at this time. Areas south of Point Conception will have the greatest chance of experiencing this activity. By Sunday night into Monday, the thunderstorm risk will be decreasing, as weak, positive theta-e advection aloft decreases behind the leading edge of the elevated moisture surge. .LONG TERM (TUE-FRI)...21/247 PM. There is high confidence that the persistent midlevel anticyclone over the southwest states will prolong Major to Extreme Heat Risk across the Antelope Valley and eastern Antelope Valley Foothills through the middle of next week. The Excessive Heat Warning is currently in effect for these areas through next Thursday. This will occur as 500-mb heights build to around 596 dam over the southern Rockies by the middle of next week. Meanwhile, strong heating across the intermountain west, combined with an approaching midlevel trough over the Pacific Northwest, will drive strengthening onshore flow and perhaps an increase in marine stratus near the coast. In addition to bringing gusty southwest winds over interior sections, this will cool off the coast and coastal valleys by a few degrees into the middle of next week, with highs in the 70s and 80s, limiting the spatial extent of significant heat to interior sections. However, additional heat headlines will be possible across other interior areas next week. By the end of next week, medium-range model guidance indicates lowering 500-mb heights corresponding to a cooling trend for interior areas, as well. Present indications are for dry conditions to prevail through middle and latter parts of next week. However, the strong heating across the Intermountain West ahead of the aforementioned trough will foster an additional northward influx of monsoonal moisture across the Desert Southwest. Richer tropospheric moisture is expected to reside east of the forecast area next week. However, given anticipated daily increases in convection over the higher terrain of Arizona, there is a remote potential for residual convective debris to be advected over the local area for the middle of next week. Very low-predictability vorticity and moisture enhancements have a non-zero risk of bringing about a potential for showers and thunderstorms to the forecast area, as they circulate around the larger-scale anticyclone. However, confidence in such activity is too limited for mention in the forecast at this time.
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&& .AVIATION...
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21/2351Z. At 23Z at KLAX, the marine layer was 1000 feet deep. The top of the inversion was at 2500 ft with a temperature of 25 deg C. Very good confidence in valley and desert 00Z TAFS. Moderate confidence in coastal 00Z TAFS due to uncertainty in arrival and category of cigs. There is a 30 percent chance of no cigs at KSBA, KOXR, KCMA, KLAX, KSMO, and KLGB. Otherwise, cig arrivals/departures could be off by +/- 2 hours and cig heights could be off by 300 feet. KLAX...Moderate confidence in 00Z TAF. There is a 30 percent chance of no cigs at KLAX through period. If cigs do arrive, they could be +/- 2 hours of TAF time, with a 20% chance that it will be in MVFR category. Any east wind component will be less than 6 kt. KBUR...High confidence in TAF.
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&& .MARINE...21/247 PM. For the Outer Waters, high confidence in current forecast. Small Craft Advisory (SCA) winds will continue through this evening. Thereafter, SCA conditions are not expected through at least early next week, though there is a 40% chance for SCA winds to return by next Wednesday. For the Inner Waters north of Point Sal, moderate to high confidence in current forecast. SCA winds are likely this afternoon and evening. Thereafter, SCA conditions are not expected into next week. For the inner waters south of Point Conception, moderate to high confidence in current forecast. SCA winds are not expected over most of the area, though the western third of the Santa Barbara Channel will have local gusts to 25 kts this afternoon and evening. Otherwise, SCA conditions are not expected into next week. In addition, there will be some possibility for a few thunderstorms to impact the local waters this weekend, as remnant moisture aloft from Tropical Cyclone Alberto advances into the region. Please reference the Marine Weather Statement (LAXMWSLOX) for additional information regarding the thunderstorm potential, as well as the potential for night and morning dense fog. && .LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...Heat Advisory remains in effect from 10 AM Saturday to 8 PM PDT Sunday for zones 38-88-343>345-372-373-548. (See LAXNPWLOX). Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect from 10 AM Saturday to 8 PM PDT Sunday for zones 353-376>379-381. (See LAXNPWLOX). Heat Advisory now in effect from 10 AM Saturday to 8 PM PDT Sunday for zone 380. (See LAXNPWLOX). Excessive Heat Warning now in effect from 10 AM Saturday to 8 PM PDT Thursday for zones 382-383. (See LAXNPWLOX). PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until 3 AM PDT Saturday for zones 645-670-673-676. (See LAXMWWLOX). && $$ PUBLIC...Cohen AVIATION...Sirard MARINE...Cohen SYNOPSIS...Cohen weather.gov/losangeles Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=lox