117
FXUS66 KEKA 200849
AFDEKA
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
149 AM PDT FRI MAR 20 2026
SYNOPSIS
UNSEASONABLE WARMTH WITH WIDESPREAD MINOR HEAT RISK IN
THE INTERIOR IS FORECAST TO ABATE THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
COASTAL NORTHERLIES WILL INCREASE ON SATURDAY AFTER PASSAGE OF A
FRONT. NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN IS EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.
DISCUSSION
DESPITE SOME HIGH CLOUDS STREAMING ACROSS THE AREA
FROM THE SOUTHWEST, MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ARE OBSERVED OVERNIGHT
ACROSS NW CALIFORNIA. THE MASSIVE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE SLIGHTLY
WEAKEN TODAY, WHILE A SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES THE PACIFIC NW.
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIMILAR ACROSS MUCH OF THE
AREA COMPARED WITH YESTERDAY READING, WHILE ALONG THE NORTH COAST
ARE FORECAST TO BE UP TO AROUND 5 DEGREES COOLER. DAYTIME WINDS
WILL BE MOSTLY GENTLE AND TERRAIN DRIVEN, EXCEPT FOR SOME ENHANCED
NORTH WINDS RIGHT ALONG SHORE AND CHANNELED ALONG THE EEL RIVER
VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON.
A SLOW- MOVING DECAYING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS
THE AREA THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY BRINGING INCREASING MID-
TO HIGH-LEVEL CLOUDS, AND AIDING IN A DEEPENING MARINE LAYER.
ASIDE OF PATCHES OF MIST AND COASTAL DRIZZLE, GENERALLY DRY
CONDITIONS AND ABOVE NORMAL DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. IN
ADDITION, BREEZY TO LOCALLY GUSTY W-NW WINDS IS EXPECTED IN THE
WAKE OF THE FRONT ON SATURDAY, ESPECIALLY OVER THE COASTAL
HEADLANDS, EXPOSED RIDGES AND CHANNELED TERRAIN. SATURDAY NIGHT
INTO SUNDAY, A SURFACE HIGH WILL BUILD UNDER A ZONAL FLOW ALOFT.
THE BROAD FLAT RIDING WITH ABOVE NORMAL 500MB HEIGHTS WILL
DOMINATE THE WEATHER SCENE FOR NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS PATTERN WILL BRING A MODERATE MORE
SUBSTANTIALLY THE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE INTERIOR THIS WEEKEND,
RESULTING IN A GENERAL DIMINISH HEAT RISK. OTHERWISE, DRY WEATHER
WITH ABOVE NORMAL DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES PERSIST THROUGH EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
THE NEXT FORMIDABLE CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL ARRIVE TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY
NEXT WEEK. DETERMINISTIC MODELS CONTINUE TO VARY WIDELY WITH
TIMING AND AMOUNTS. NBM HAS QUITE THE 24-HR SPREAD TOO SO STAY
TUNED FOR UPDATES AND MORE DETAILS.
RIDGING SPRINGS BACK AROUND MID NEXT WEEK AFTER OUR BRIEF SPAT OF
RAIN TUE OR WED. GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS WITH ABOVE NORMAL INTERIOR
HIGH TEMPS ARE EXPECTED. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS MAY COOL DOWN MID OR
LATE NEXT WEEK FOR PERHAPS LOW END FROST FREEZE CONCERNS. /ZVS
AVIATION
CONDITIONS HAVE REMAINED MUCH CLEARER ALONG THE COAST,
LIKELY AIDED BY A WEAKENING AND LIFTING MARINE INVERSION AHEAD OF AN
APPROACHING TROUGH. VFR CONDITIONS WILL MOST LIKELY PERSIST THROUGH
EARLY FRIDAY, THOUGH THERE IS A ROUGHLY 50% CHANCE OF AT LEAST
ISOLATED, SHALLOW MVFR TO IFR FOG ALONG THE COAST AROUND SUNRISE.
INCREASING WINDS AND INSTABILITY WILL HELP MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS
DURING THE DAY FRIDAY, THOUGH GUSTS OVER 15 KTS WILL LIKELY BUILD
ALONG SHORE IN THE AFTERNOON. ONSHORE FLOW MIXED WITH INCREASING LOW
PRESSURE MAY HELP (50% CHANCE) FORM A SHALLOW MARINE LAYER FRIDAY
NIGHT INTO SATURDAY WITH CEILINGS AROUND 800 FT TO 1500 FT ALONG
SHORE. /JHW
MARINE
A PROLONGED PERIOD OF CALMER WINDS AND SEAS WILL FINALLY
START TO COME TO AN END FRIDAY. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BEGIN BUILDING
IN THE SOUTHERN WATERS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 25KTS BY FRIDAY EVENING.
WINDS WILL CONTINUING AND TO BUILD AND SPREAD NORTHWARD WITH GALE
CONDITIONS IN THE OUTER WATERS BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. GUSTS CLOSE TO
25 KTS WILL MOST LIKELY PUSH RIGHT ALONGSHORE WITH THE AFTERNOON SEA
BREEZE. SIMILAR WINDS WILL PERSIST SUNDAY BEFORE TAPERING OFF EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
STEEP SHORT PERIOD SEAS WILL BUILD ALONGSIDE THE WINDS IN EXCESS OF
11 FEET AT 9 SECONDS BY SATURDAY NIGHT. EVEN WHERE WINDS ARE WEAKER
IN THE INNER WATERS, STEEP SEAS WILL PERMEATE CLOSE TO SHORE. WIND
WAVES WILL DOMINATE THE ENVIRONMENT WITH ONLY VERY WEAK SWELLS
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. /JHW
CLIMATE
STATION/FORECAST/RECORD/DATE
-------/--------/------/----
KCEC 64 76 1930
KEKA 62 67 2004
KUKI *91 85 1960
----------------------------
*(POTENTIAL TIED OR BROKEN RECORD)
EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
CA...
NONE.
NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM SATURDAY TO 8 AM PDT SUNDAY
FOR PZZ450.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM PDT
SUNDAY FOR PZZ455.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 3 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR
PZZ470.
GALE WATCH FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON
FOR PZZ470-475.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 PM PDT
SATURDAY 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.
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