799 FXUS66 KEKA 271206 AFDEKA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Eureka CA 506 AM PDT Sun Apr 27 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Rain and cloud cover are receding as the exiting low proceeds southeast. Winds will build through the day along the coast and exposed ridges this afternoon. A dry, warming trend is expected through mid week. Chances of precipitation return late in the week. && .DISCUSSION...With the procession of low pressure exiting the area, remnants of moisture with stratiform effects continues this morning as precipitation wanes. HREF has most of the rain out of our CWA before noon, Global deterministic models are mostly in agreement with legacy SREF also showing a southeasterly retreat towards the four corners. Upstream ridging, with an asymmetric amplitude to the passing trough, will help clear skies out as subsidence sets in. HIRESW soundings at the Arcata/Eureka airport, do show low level saturation and shallow inverted V tonight which hints at mixing near the surface. Meridional flow will slightly enhance geostrophic winds parallel to the pressure gradient as the ridge approaches the area, further developing with mixing down to the ABL resulting in northerly gusts near the coast today around 25 - 35mph. Temperature wise, inland areas are expected to see highs from mid 50`s to mid 60s. Areas with valley fog are expected to develop Sunday night into Monday. Monday, expect mostly sunny with dry and warmer temperatures. Inland high temperatures in the mid 60`s to mid 70`s. Coastal areas may see high temperatures up to low 60`s, before sea breezes develops by the afternoon. .LONG-TERM...Tuesday-Saturday...24-hour cluster means continue to indicate above normal 500mb heights with ridging over the Pac NW Tuesday through Thursday. Greater variance and departures from the grand ensemble mean start to arise as early Thu with subtle differences in the eastward progression of the 500mb height anomaly. About 30% of ensemble members indicate a slighlty wetter outcome on Thu, with showers mostly over the mountains and perhaps a push of marine moisture and low clouds. Otherwise, dry weather with above normal high temperatures in the interior is the most likely outcome Tuesday-Thursday. By day 6, Friday May 2, all cluster means depict another 500 trough digging offshore or over the forecast area. There are considerable differences with the depth and progression of the splitting trough. Potential for more wet and unsettled weather increases Friday-Saturday with NBM probabilities for over 0.25in of rain in 24 hours increasing to 30 to 50% for Del Norte, Humbodlt and Trinty counties. Chances are only 10-25% for Mendo and Lake. Thunder chances are more elusive and uncertain, but NBM has a 13% chance in Trinity Fri-Sat. Only about 18-26% of members were decisively wetter than the grand ensemble mean by Saturday May 3. Also, our mid week warm up will come to a halt late next week (Fri) into next weekend. Trough evolution becomes much more uncertain by Sunday. The trough may end up closing off into a cut- off low over the Desert SW and SRN Great Basin by day 8 (Sunday May 4). A faster progression with stronger ridging offshore suggests a gusty northerly wind scenario for our forecast area by end of day 8 (Sunday May 4). A slower progression with wrap around moisture suggests a wetter scenario into day 8. Stay tuned for updates. /ZVS /DB /EYS && .AVIATION...Conditions are transitioning from the exiting low which brought multi-layered cloud cover, moist air and rain. Mostly VFR/MVFR conditions have been occurring overnight with only brief rain at KUKI. Cloud cover is forecasts to thin out as upstream ridging sets in over the next few days. Northerlies will continue to strengthen as the low tracks into the Great Basin and high pressure offshore builds eastward. Probability for low level wind shear or low level turbulence increases to 40-50% just outside the vicinity of KACV and may persists through the early morning. Greater probability for shear and shallow mountain wave turbulence increases to 80% over the coastal mountains, particularly the King Range, as low level northerlies ramp up. Trend is for shallow moist layers to diminish through the day today, however gusty northerly winds are forecast to quickly pick up again with diurnal heating. DB && .MARINE...Steep large seas continue early this morning. Near gale northerly winds will continue through today and Monday with localized areas of gale force winds south of Cape Mendocino and Point St. George in the afternoons. A high pressure center over the eastern Pacific will migrate towards the California coast causing upper level ridging through Monday. This ridging will sustain a tight land-sea surface pressure gradient leading to the continued northerly winds. A long period NW swell will mix with the locally generated large, steep, short period wind waves creating a hazardous sea state through the morning. HREF guidance shows a high probability( 70-90%) for gale force gusts returning to the outer waters on Monday, this time south of Cape Mendocino. A Gale Watch has been issued for the southern outer waters (Z475) for Monday afternoon. && .EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA... None. NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS... Hazardous Seas Warning until 3 PM PDT this afternoon for PZZ450-470. Small Craft Advisory until 9 AM PDT Monday for PZZ455. Hazardous Seas Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for PZZ475. Gale Watch from Monday afternoon through Monday evening for PZZ475. && $$ Visit us at https://www.weather.gov/eureka Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at: https://www.facebook.com/NWSEureka https://www.twitter.com/NWSEureka For forecast zone information see the forecast zone map online: https://www.weather.gov/images/eka/zonemap.png