textproduct: Eureka

SYNOPSIS

Gusty north winds continue along shore through Wednesday. Seasonably warm to below average temperatures through Thursday before temperatures warm up Friday and through the holiday Weekend.

DISCUSSION

A normal summer pattern will persist for the next week as ridging builds over the inter-mountain West and a trough settles over British Columbia. This will leave Northwest California settled in between resulting in modest fluctuations in high temperatures through early next week. The ridge will push toward the coast over the weekend allowing temperatures to warm from the 80s into the 90s in the interior valleys. At the coast northerly winds will be gusty each afternoon, strongest today and again Wednesday, but generally be on a down-trend from the very gusty conditions that occurred the last few days. Temperatures along the coast are expected to be seasonal with highs in the lower 60s for most areas throughout the week. As we head into next week, the trough is forecast to begin shifting east, nudging the warmest air back out of our region for at least a brief period.

Temperatures this Saturday on July 4th are forecast to be around 60 at the coast and in the lower to mid 90s inland. Cloud cover may be more extensive along the coastline with moisture increasing in the boundary layer as the marine layer inversion strengthens due to the building ridge. Low stratus and fog may be a concern during the evening hours for coastal areas depending on the strength of the coastal winds and the mixing those winds can provide. /RPA

AVIATION

Northerly winds subsided overnight. Mostly clear skies and VFR conditions remain in place. Moisture pooling and terrain enhancement has led to persistent stratus over the King Range through parts of interior humboldt, including Kneeland. The ceiling has mainly verified around 1500 ft AGL, and coverage will continue expanding around Humboldt Bay and ACV. Lowering to IFR levels is possible early Wednesday morning before increasing northerly winds quickly mix everything out and regain full VFR CIGs and VIS. Northerly winds will turn strong again from the late morning to late Wednesday afternoon. Gusts of 20 to 30 kts can once again be expected at the coastal terminals, with higher gusts around Point St George and CEC, before winds ease into the evening hours.

MARINE

Northerly gales are now occurring in the outer waters with steep short period seas reported to as high as 14 feet at the Cape Mendocino buoy. The steep seas are also propagating into the inner waters zones. Thus gale warnings remain in place over the outer water and will remain in place through Wednesday night, while hazardous seas warnings have been issued for the inner zones with the steepest seas outside of 5 nm. Winds will diminish some Thursday and into Friday as a trough pushes surface high pressure over the eastern Pacific farther southwest of the area. This will result in a weakening of the pressure gradient and thus lighter winds and lower seas, but still very likely remaining within small craft criteria into the holiday weekend. /RPA

EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

CA... None. NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS... Hazardous Seas Warning until 6 AM PDT Thursday for PZZ450- 455.

Gale Warning until 6 AM PDT Thursday for PZZ470-475.