Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
Issued by NWS Tiyan, Guam
176 FXPQ50 PGUM 120807 AFDGUM Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tiyan GU 607 PM ChST Wed Aug 12 2026 .Marianas Synopsis... Partly cloudy skies with spotty showers prevail across the Marianas this afternoon. Moderate to fresh winds with strong gusts continue, with strongest winds over Tinian and Saipan. Seas remain around 10 feet over western Tinian and Saipan waters. && .Discussion... A fairly dry pattern is now in place across the Marianas, with only a few showers seen across the region. This dry pattern looks to continue through the end of the week. By Friday night, inflow into Invest 91W looks to remain mostly outside of the area, however, it is expected to bring an increased potential for thunderstorms to the Marianas. Then, during the last half of the weekend, convection associated with Invest 90W looks to move into the region, increasing POPs (Probability of Precipitation) into the 30 percent range across the Marianas. A drier pattern is expected to return by the middle of next week. && .Marine... Moderate to fresh winds will prevail across the Marianas for the next couple of days, with strong gusts over Tinian and Saipan waters. Winds are expected subside further, becoming gentle to moderate for the weekend. Large west swell will gradually subside through Thursday, with the highest combined seas found over Tinian and Saipan waters. The west swell will combine with wind waves and a small southeast swell to maintain 10 foot seas across western waters of both Tinian and Saipan through Thursday afternoon. For Guam and Rota, seas will hover at around 9 feet through Thursday. && .Tropical Systems... A weak disturbance, Invest 90W, is centered northwest of Kwajalein near 12.1N 164.8E, moving slowly west-northwest. The Low-Level Circulation Center (LLCC) remains relatively cloud free, with the associated convection seen to the west of the center, along a band of convergence south of a col region. Invest 90W is expected to continue to move slowly west-northwest over the coming days with little change in intensity. Convection, however, may increase closer to the center of 90W. A more organized disturbance, Invest 91W, is centered west-northwest of Maug Island near 21.8N 141.9E. Invest 91W has been upgraded to high and is now the subject of a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), which means that tropical cyclone development is expected within the next 24 hours. Latest satellite data and surface analysis show a more organized cloud covered LLCC. Other factors remain favorable for TC development as well, with low vertical wind shear, good upper-level outflow and warm sea surface temperatures. The latest ASCAT analysis shows 25 to 30 knot winds to the south of 91W. Although Invest 91W is not expected to have a direct impact on the Marianas, increasing convection south of the monsoon trough and 91W could move into the Marianas, especially Tinian and Saipan northward, over the weekend. Invest 91W will continue to be monitored closely, and advisories will be issued as needed. For more information on Invest 91W, please see bulletins issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) under WMO header ABPW10 PGTW and WTPN21 PGTW. && .Eastern Micronesia... A fairly dry pattern continues for Majuro with only isolated showers in the area. Precipitable water remains high enough for showers to become scattered tomorrow through Friday before a surge of moisture from the south moves north from the Equator. This will likely stall south of Majuro and keep showers scattered, though the more unstable airmass will allow for isolated thunderstorms. Winds look to remain very light the entire forecast period. For Pohnpei and Kosrae, a wetter pattern is moving in due to the proximity of Invest 90W with high end scattered showers already visible over Kosrae. Showers are forecasted to become numerous by the weekend for both islands as 90W becomes more organized and the surge of moisture from the Equator looks to move right over the islands. This will also cause the light to moderate winds to shift from the northwest to the southwest by Friday night. Strong southeast trades and a circulation south of the equator continue to generate south to southeast swell into eastern Micronesia. As the circulation meanders towards the Solomon Islands, swell turns more southwest late week and over the weekend. For now, hazardous surf up to 8 feet is expected along south facing reefs of Kosrae through early Thursday morning, with another boost in surf heights likely to begin Saturday or Saturday night. A High Surf Advisory remains in effect along south facing reefs of Kosrae through at least early Thursday morning. && .Western Micronesia... The pattern remains fairly quiet across western Micronesia, well south of the monsoon trough and associated disturbances. Mostly cloudy skies developed over Yap and Palau this afternoon as swaths of upper-level clouds swept overhead, debris from deep convection far to the north. Meanwhile, mostly cloudy skies prevail across Chuuk, associated with patchy showers in the area, which models are trending downward for tonight. Isolated showers are expected to then continue through Thursday night before a wetter pattern arrives Friday. A broad disturbance, the eventual merger between Invest 90W and the area of vorticity just east of Majuro, will gradually shuffle westward over the next few days and promote heavier showers and thunderstorms across eastern and central Micronesia. Showers look to increase for Chuuk especially late Friday night as the center of 90W shifts past Pohnpei, becoming numerous and locally heavy at times through the weekend. Latest guidance shows 90W stalling near Chuuk to the northeast of Weno until around Tuesday night, before it eventually shifts northwest in the general direction of the Marianas. 90W remains very weak and disorganized which yields higher uncertainty in the forecast, especially this far out. For now, a generally wet pattern is expected for Chuuk from around Friday through the middle of next week. Depending on how this pattern evolves, wetter conditions will then spread westward to Yap and Palau during the early half of the week. Latest altimetry and Yap buoy data show combined seas between 3 and 5 feet for Yap and Palau, and between 4 and 6 feet for Chuuk. Benign sea conditions are expected to continue through the forecast period. Seas will increase by a foot or so for Yap late this weekend as the west swell and wind waves build slightly. && .GUM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GU...High Rip Current Risk through late Thursday night for GUZ001. High Surf Advisory until 4 AM ChST Friday for GUZ001. MP...High Rip Current Risk through late Thursday night for MPZ001>003. High Surf Advisory until 4 AM ChST Friday for MPZ001>003. Marianas Waters...Small Craft Advisory until 5 PM ChST Thursday for PMZ153-154. && $$ Marianas/Tropical: Kleeschulte East Micronesia: Ogle West Micronesia: DeCou