844 FXUS66 KEKA 022018 AFDEKA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Eureka CA 118 PM PDT Mon Jun 2 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Warm conditions continue, albeit a few degrees cooler than the previous few days. Relatively gusty winds will continue today, diminishing by midweek. Warm and dry conditions for the first few weeks of June are to be expected. KEY MESSAGES: -Strong gusty winds near shore today, and diminishing throughout the week. -Slight Fire Concerns this afternoon for portions of the interior (interior Del Norte, eastern Trinity, NE Mendocino, and eastern Lake), with relatively dry conditions for the interior all week && .DISCUSSION...A strong pressure gradient continues to gradually diminish along the North Coast. High pressure out in the eastern Pacific continues to push against a low pressure system ejecting off shore to the south of Northwest California. Northerly winds over the region have a chance to remain elevated this afternoon into the evening and will continue to diminish along the North Coast through mid week. The highest gusts will linger over higher elevations and particularly at the King Range and the Klamath Mountains of Del Norte County. Area fuels are not advanced in the curing process to warrant raising red flags for problematic zones. Of particular interest today are eastern and southern Trinity county along with isolated ares of interior Del Norte and southern Lake. Fine fuels are likely the only probable source for ignition on this side of the valley. 1000 and 100 hour dead fuels need a few more cycles of warm and dry conditions, which will occur sooner than later. With the high pressure system moving over the area, interior regions could have periods in the afternoon with gusty winds and low min RHs (15% to 25%). Wind along shore will also gradually decrease Tuesday and through the week, though some moderate afternoon gusts remain most likely through mid week. Long range ensembles show generally high confidence in warm, dry conditions continuing through early June. && .AVIATION...18Z TAF: VFR conditions prevail with NW wind gusts 25 to 35 knots at CEC early this afternoon. A nearshore stratus deck has gradually been migrating north from Point Arena under the influence of a southerly wind reversal. Northward progression will likely remain stopped south of Cape Mendocino due to strong northerly winds over the waters. Strong winds will continue at the coastal terminals and elevated terrain through the afternoon, with gusts approaching 40 knots at CEC and 25 to 30 knots at ACV. As winds ease at the surface this evening, LLWS is possible at the coast as NE winds remain elevated aloft; 30 to 35 knots. Winds will gradually ease at the surface overnight into early Tuesday morning with potential for haze development around Humboldt Bay. HREF still indicating 60 to 80% chance for ceilings <500 feet along the southerly Humboldt and Mendocino coasts through Tuesday. && .MARINE... -Exceptionally strong north winds are verifying and forecast to continue this evening with gusts 40 to 50 kt. -Extremely steep and hazardous seas over 18 to 20 feet are verified on the buoys and will only slowly begin to ease later today. -Mariners should remain in port and alter plans until calmer conditions develop. Very strong winds and very large waves could capsize vessels. A very tight pressure gradient remains between a strong high and an interior low is causing these abnormally strong northerly winds. Though the gradient will ease some as the low drifts south, strong northerlies will continue through much of this week. Full gales with storm force gusts are forecast to continue Monday and Tuesday, especially in the outer waters. Gales are probable for much of this week with highest chances in the outer northern waters and downwind of Pt St George and local areas downwind of Cape Mendocino. Steep northerly waves expected to propagate into the northern inner and southern waters through Wednesday. Hazardous Seas Warnings for for Z450 & Z475 ave been extended to account for these wind- generated waves. This long duration of exceptionally strong northerlies and large steep waves is forecast to ease late this week when gale conditions become more isolated in the northern waters. && .EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA... None. NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS... Hazardous Seas Warning until 3 AM PDT Wednesday for PZZ450. Storm Warning until 3 AM PDT Tuesday for PZZ470. Gale Warning from 3 AM Tuesday to 3 AM PDT Thursday for PZZ470. Hazardous Seas Warning until 3 AM PDT Thursday for PZZ475. && $$ NOTE: The full forecast discussion is now regularly issued between 10 am/pm and 1 pm/am. Additional updates will be issued as needed. 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