Wildfire in California, September 16, 2002

EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
915 AM PDT MON SEP 16 2002

.SYNOPSIS...MARINE LAYER CLOUDS FROM A COASTAL EDDY WILL REACH THE
COASTAL AREAS AND SOME OF THE WESTERN INLAND VALLEYS EACH MORNING
THROUGH MIDWEEK. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE GREAT BASIN
WILL RESULT IN CLEAR SKIES FARTHER INLAND.

.DISCUSSION...CHAOTIC CLOUD PATTERN THIS MORNING WITH CLEAR SKIES IN
MOST AREAS...EXCEPT SAN DIEGO COUNTY. AN EDDY SPUN UP EARLY THIS
MORNING AND DEEPENED THE MARINE LAYER ENOUGH FOR CLOUDS AND FOG TO
REACH ALL THE WAY TO EL CAJON. ONSHORE GRADIENTS TO THE HIGH DESERTS
HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS...AND THE CLOUDS
WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING BEFORE BURNING OFF THIS AFTERNOON.

AN UPPER TROF MOVING ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TODAY WILL KEEP
THE FLOW WEAKLY CYCLONIC THROUGH TOMORROW. ONSHORE GRADIENTS WILL
REMAIN MODERATELY STRONG...AND SFC WINDS AROUND PT CONCEPTION WILL
REMAIN NW SO AN EDDY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY. THE
END RESULT IS A DEEPER MARINE LAYER FOR MORE INLAND PENETRATION OF
THE CLOUDS AND FOG EACH NIGHT.

WILL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NORTHWARD PROGRESS OF THE MOISTURE
FROM THE REMNANTS OF ISELLE ONCE ALL MODEL DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE.
LAST NIGHTS GFS PROGS SHOWED THIS MOISTURE SURGING NORTHWARD TO NEAR
THE MEXICAN BORDER BY THE WEEKEND.

.SAN...NONE.

MOEDE