Small Craft Advisory for Winds 78, NWS Eureka, CA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
640 AM PST SUN DEC 7 2008

.SYNOPSIS...A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BRING MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES TO
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON ALONG WITH
A CHANCE OF DRIZZLE ALONG THE NORTH COAST TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL STRENGTHEN OVER THE AREA ON MONDAY ALLOWING FOR FAIR SKIES
THROUGH MID WEEK...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NIGHT AND MORNING FOG ALONG
THE REDWOOD COAST AND IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS.

&&

.UPDATE...ZONE/GRID PACKAGE UPDATED TO INCREASE MORNING CLOUD COVER
ALONG THE MENDOCINO COAST. OTHERWISE ALL FORECASTED ELEMENTS REMAIN
ON TRACK. MAB

&&

.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC
SITUATION THIS MORNING FEATURES AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY MOVING
ONTO THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST WITH A NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ACROSS
THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.  OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS...AN UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO AMPLIFY NEAR 140W AS IT EDGES
CLOSER TO THE NORTH AMERICAN COAST.  THE DISSIPATING SOUTHERN END OF
A WEAK FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL CLIP
NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA TONIGHT.  THIS COULD BE ENOUGH TO SQUEEZE SOME
DRIZZLE OUT OF THE MARINE LAYER ALONG THE REDWOOD COAST OVERNIGHT...
BUT WILL KEEP POPS LIMITED TO 10 PERCENT AT BEST.  THE RIDGE IS
FORECAST TO CONTINUE MOVING EAST TOWARD THE WEST COAST THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AND WILL PROVIDE FAIR WEATHER AND A GRADUAL WARMING TREND
IN MAX TEMPS.  PATCHY FOG WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE REDWOOD COAST AND
IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS DURING THE NIGHTS AND MORNINGS THROUGH THE
PERIOD. KL

.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...A SIGNIFICANT
PATTERN CHANGE IS ANTICIPATED WHICH WILL BRING MUCH COLDER WEATHER
POTENTIALLY ACCOMPANIED BY SOME INLAND SNOW. IN THE MEANTIME...DRY
WEATHER WITH ABOVE NORMAL AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED
THROUGH THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS ACROSS CALIFORNIA. DEEP
LONGWAVE TROUGHING WILL THEN SHIFT ACROSS THE WEST COAST WHICH
SHOULD RESULT IN INTERMITTENT CHANCES FOR SHOWERS...SO WE HAVE LEFT
POPS BASICALLY UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. TEMPERATURES
HOWEVER WERE ADJUSTED DOWN AS WERE SNOW LEVELS FOR THE WEEKEND.
ALTHOUGH THESE SERIES OF SYSTEMS DO NOT HAVE THE SIGNATURE OF MAJOR
STORMS...THEY COULD PRESENT BY FAR THE LOWEST SNOW LEVELS OF THE
SEASON AND COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT TRAVEL ON THE PASSES. FORECASTER
CONFIDENCE ON TIMING AND EXACT DETAILS THIS FAR OUT REMAINS LOW
GIVEN INTERMODEL AND RUN TO RUN INCONSISTENCY BUT THIS UNFOLDING
PATTERN SHOULD REPRESENT OUR FIRST TASTE OF WINTER WEATHER FOR THE
SEASON. BURGER

&&

.AVIATION...OFFSHORE FLOW DURING THE NIGHT HAS GRADUALLY EATEN AWAY
AT COASTAL STRATUS...ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS AROUND THE HUMBOLDT BAY AT
PRESS TIME. SEVERAL HOURS OF SUNSHINE IS EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST
THIS MORNING BUT THE CESSATION OF THE OFFSHORE FLOW AND DEVELOPMENT
OF ONSHORE FLOW THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD FORCE STRATUS THAT IS
CURRENTLY LURKING OFFSHORE BACK ONTO THE COAST...BRINGING IFR
CEILINGS BACK TO COASTAL AIRSTRIPS N OF THE CAPE. BURGER

&&

.MARINE...LIGHT WINDS AND LOW SEAS WILL PERSIST TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BUILD OVER THE NE PACIFIC YIELDING INCREASING NORTHERLY WINDS
LATE TONIGHT AND INTO MONDAY...WHICH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE A SMALL
CRAFT ADVISORY BY MONDAY. LARGER LONG PERIOD WILL FILTER THROUGH THE
WATERS FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. BY THE END OF THE WEEK...A
SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE IS EXPECTED WHICH WILL BRING STRONGER
NORTH WINDS ACCOMPANIED BY BUILDING SEAS. BURGER

&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

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