831
FXUS66 KEKA 152320
AFDEKA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Eureka CA
320 PM PST Wed Jan 15 2025

.SYNOPSIS...Dry weather is expected to continue for the next 7 days.
Chilly mornings are also expected to continue under mostly clear
skies. Gusty northerly and northeasterly breezes are expected to
return for the coastal headlands and exposed ridges this weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...GOES-West visible imagery showed a swath of stratus
offshore over the coastal waters with a few patches of low clouds
lurking along the immediate coastline. Small scale eddies spinning
up in the southerly flow have also been occurring. Zonal offshore
wind component, albeit very light, has been keeping the bulk of
low clouds offshore, even pushing it farther offshore this
afternoon. A few slivers of stratus may still form tonight into
Thu morning, but the onshore push will most likely occur Thu
evening into early Friday as a decaying frontal boundary
approaches from the NW and northerlies increase offshore.

Otherwise, mostly clear skies continued to prevail across
Northwest California again today except for patches of river
valley fog and low clouds and fog early in the morning. Passage
of a shortwave trough into the Pac Nw Thu night into early Friday
will likely yield a northerly wind surge with greatest impacts
over the coastal waters, high elevation ridges (venturi-effect)
and coastal headlands where gusts to 35 mph are highly probable.
Northerly surge will also result in a shallow moist air push for
North Coast rivers and the potential for greater coverage of fog
and low clouds will increase by Friday morning.

A dry offshore flow regime will resume this weekend, bringing a
chance for near or below freezing minimum temperatures to coastal
areas and adjacent valleys. Granted places where winds stay up
all night, temperatures probably will not even fall below 50F.
Lower dewpoints, clear skies and light winds at night will allow
for ideal long wave cooling again. Freezing or near-freezing
temperatures are probable this weekend into early next week, both
along the coast and in the wind-sheltered coastal valleys.
Sub-freezing temperatures are a sure thing in interior valleys,
especially Trinity and northern Mendocino. Omega blocking flow
pattern is forecast to persist into the following week, keeping NW
Cal anomalously dry with below normal precipitation. DB/ZVS

&&

.AVIATION...An unseasonal slug of stratus cloud tracked with a
southerly surge this morning, briefly bringing KCEC to IFR/LIFR
flight categories as it crowded into Point St. George this morning.
KCEC has since cleared but the same can not be said for KACV, which
has been under LIFR/IFR categories since 10am this morning.
Satellite imagery does show stratus eroding away from the area but
possibly moving upstream to KCEC. Flight categories will improve at
the coast as the conditions normalize. Light winds and prevailing
VFR conditions are expected at KUKI. /EYS

&&

.MARINE...The persistent westerly swell will begin to diminish,
easing period duration to < 14 seconds by the late afternoon/early
evening. This will reduce the sneaker wave threat until the arrival
of the next long period NW swell, Saturday evening. Conditions will
be somewhat benign until northerly winds pick up Friday morning,
bringing wind waves at 8 - 10ft at 6 - 8 seconds, resulting in Small
Craft advisory conditions for both the northern and southern outer
waters 10 - 60nm offshore. Winds will pick up to Gale force (35 -
40kts) in the northern outer waters Friday afternoon, north of the
40.5N latitude. /EYS

&&

.BEACH HAZARDS...Sneaker wave threat continues through this
afternoon, with much calmer seas although a risk of unexpected waves
exists. A Beach Hazards Statement is still in effect through this
afternoon as the swell period eases to around 14 seconds or less.
Remember to remain attentive while at the beach -especially steep
beaches- and to never turn your back to ocean.

&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...
     Beach Hazards Statement until 3 PM PST this afternoon for
     CAZ101-103-104-109.

NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS...
     Small Craft Advisory from 10 PM Thursday to noon PST Friday
     for PZZ470.

     Gale Watch from Friday afternoon through late Friday night
     for PZZ470.

     Small Craft Advisory from midnight Thursday night to 3 AM
     PST Saturday for PZZ475.

&&

$$

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