Gale Watch 15, NWS Eureka, CA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
332 PM PDT SAT JUN 20 2009

.SYNOPSIS...MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PERSIST ALONG THE NORTH COAST
OVERNIGHT...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE TRINITY
MOUNTAINS DURING THE EVENING HOURS. A GRADUAL WARMING AND DRYING
TREND WILL BEGIN TOMORROW AS HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY BUILDS OVER THE
WEST COAST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A WEAK S/WV PASSING OVER NRN CA WILL BRING A VERY
SLIGHT CHANCE OF CONVECTION TO THE MTNS OF TRINITY COUNTY THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH ANY ACTIVITY THAT DOES DEVELOP MOVING QUICKLY EAST.
ANY AND ALL TS THREAT WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. WEAK TROFFING OVER
THE WEST COAST FAVORS A DEEP MARINE LAYER AND ASSOCIATED LOW CLOUDS
ALONG THE COAST THROUGH AT LEAST TOMORROW. A FEW GLIMPSES OF
SUNSHINE...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS...ARE POSSIBLE. IN
ADDITION...A ROGUE SHOWER OR TWO OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF DEL
NORTE AND NORTHERN HUMBOLDT/TRINITY COUNTIES IS POSSIBLE THROUGH
TOMORROW WHILE THE TROF SLOWLY MEANDERS EAST. GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR
ALONG THE COAST AND OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS THROUGH TOMORROW AS A
TIGHT SFC PRES GRADIENT SETS UP OVER NW CA.

STARTING MONDAY...A WEEK-LONG INCREASE IN HEIGHTS WILL BEGIN AS
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. MIGRATES WEST.
GFS/ECMWF BOTH SHOW H5 HEIGHTS CLIMBING TO NEAR 585DM BY FRIDAY
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL KEEP PRECIP CHANCES LOW THROUGH THE WEEK...AND
ALLOW FOR AT OR ABOVE NORMAL DAYTIME HIGHS. LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS
TEMPS IN INTERIOR VALLEYS APPROACHING THE CENTURY MARK AND HIGHS
ALONG THE COAST APPROACHING THE MID 60S BY SATURDAY.

FEATURE OF NOTE...A WEAK CUTOFF LOW WILL DEVELOP OFF THE COAST OF
SRN CA ON TUESDAY AND SLOWLY DRIFT EAST. NO IMPACTS TO NW CA ARE
EXPECTED. BK

&&

.AVIATION...GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE REDWOOD AND
MENDOCINO COASTS THIS EVENING. EXPECT THAT CLEARING WILL AFFECT MUCH
OF THE INLAND FORECAST AREA TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE MOVES
INLAND OVER THE REGION. ALONG THE COAST...DIMINISHING LOW LEVEL
WINDS LATE THIS EVENING WILL ALLOW SOME STRATUS DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR
AS THE MARINE LAYER REFORMS. CIGS AND VSBY MAY DETERIORATE TO IFR
AFTER 1200 UTC AT THE COASTAL AIRPORTS. VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE
AT UKI. CC

&&

.MARINE...BRISK N WINDS CONTINUE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS THIS
EVENING...WITH GALES EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER THE OUTER WATERS SOUTH
OF THE CAPE THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT. COASTAL AREAS SOUTH OF THE CAPE
WILL EXPERIENCE LOCAL GUSTS TO 35 KT OR HIGHER THROUGH EARLY
EVENING...BUT THE GUSTS APPEAR TO BE SUFFICIENTLY LIMITED IN
TEMPORAL AND AREAL COVERAGE TO PRECLUDE ISSUANCE OF A GALE WARNING.
AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CROSSES THE WEST COAST...THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT WILL EASE SLIGHTLY AND WINDS WILL DROP BELOW GALE FORCE
TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON SUNDAY. AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES
INLAND...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BECOME RE-ESTABLISHED. N
WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AGAIN...MAINLY OFFSHORE SOUTH OF THE
CAPE...AND TO THE LEE OF CAPES AND POINTS AND OTHER PROMONTORIES
ALONG THE COAST. A GALE AND HAZARDOUS SEAS WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
THE SOUTHERN OUTER WATERS FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH MAINLY GALE FORCE GUSTS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON. BY MONDAY EVENING THE GALES MAY INCREASE IN STRENGTH AND
EXPAND NORTHWARD...REQUIRING MENTION OF GALES FOR THE OUTER WATERS
NORTH OF THE CAPE. CC

&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

GALE AND HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING FROM CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA 10
TO 60 NM.

HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING FROM CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA OUT 10 NM.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM PT ST GEORGE TO CAPE MENDOCINO OUT 60 NM.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WIND FROM CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA OUT 10
NM.

&&

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