516  
FXUS66 KSEW 181014  
AFDSEW  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA  
314 AM PDT SUN OCT 18 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXITING THE GULF OF ALASKA TODAY WILL MOVE  
BY TO THE WEST MONDAY. THE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH  
TUESDAY WITH A WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE AREA. ANOTHER  
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE COAST WEDNESDAY. THE  
ASSOCIATED WEAKENING FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON  
THURSDAY. COOL UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE AREA FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A PATCH OF STRATUS OVER GRAYS HARBOR  
COUNTY AND FOG IN THE SNOHOMISH RIVER VALLEY OTHERWISE CLEAR  
SKIES OVER THE AREA. TEMPERATURES AT 3 AM/10Z WERE IN THE UPPER  
30S TO NEAR 50.  
 
ZONAL FLOW ALOFT BECOMING SOUTHWESTERLY TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH DIGS SOUTH WELL OFFSHORE. AT THE SURFACE, HIGH PRESSURE  
WILL WEAKEN WITH LIGHT NORTHERLY FLOW. NARROW TEMPERATURE  
DEWPOINT SPREADS EARLY THIS MORNING WITH LIGHT GRADIENTS SO  
EXPECT MORE FOG TO DEVELOP ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHWEST  
INTERIOR AND NEAR THE PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL. THE FOG THAT  
DOES FORM WILL BE GONE BY LATE MORNING. MOSTLY SUNNY THIS  
AFTERNOON WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 50S TO LOWER 60S.  
 
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CONTINUING TO MOVE SOUTH TONIGHT AND MONDAY  
WITH THE TROUGH AXIS NEAR 130W MONDAY AFTERNOON. THIS IS TOO FAR  
WEST TO BRING ANY WEATHER TO WESTERN WASHINGTON OTHER THAN SOME  
MIDDLE AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS. ANOTHER ROUND OF PATCHY MORNING  
FOG IN THE FOG PRONE PLACES LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MID MORNING.  
LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. HIGHS MONDAY A COUPLE OF  
DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF 60.  
 
LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW DEVELOPING IN THE TROUGH MONDAY NIGHT INTO  
TUESDAY ENDING UP OFF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST TUESDAY  
AFTERNOON. WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON WITH  
LIGHT/SPLIT FLOW ALOFT. LIGHT SURFACE GRADIENTS ALLOWING FOR A  
LITTLE MORE FOG COVERAGE TUESDAY MORNING. LIKE MOST OF THE FOGGY  
MORNINGS THIS MONTH THE FOG WILL BE GONE BEFORE NOON. LOWS IN  
THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/  
 
EXTENDED MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE UPPER LEVEL LOW  
SPINNING AROUND OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST TUESDAY NIGHT AND  
WEDNESDAY. WEAKER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING OUT OF THE GULF OF  
ALASKA STILL WELL OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER SUNNY DAY IN STORE  
WITH AREAS OF MORNING FOG AND LOCAL FREEZING FOG. LOWS IN THE  
30S TO LOWER 40S. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S.  
 
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WITH THE ASSOCIATED FRONT STILL OFFSHORE  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FRONT WEAKENING AS IT MOVES INLAND THURSDAY  
WITH JUST CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST. LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO  
MID 40S. THE INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER WILL KNOCK A FEW DEGREES  
OFF THE HIGHS WITH MID 50S TO NEAR 60 IN THE FORECAST.  
 
COOL UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HANGING OVER THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT  
INTO SATURDAY. VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF DYNAMICS WITH THE  
TROUGH. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AT TIMES  
THROUGH THE PERIOD. SNOW LEVELS NEAR 4500 FEET SO CHANCE FOR  
SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. HIGHS NEAR  
NORMAL, MID 50S TO NEAR 60. LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO MID 40S  
FRIDAY MORNING AND 30S TO LOWER 40S SATURDAY MORNING.  
 
VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PRECIPITATION FORECAST FOR THE NEXT  
WEEK. SO FAR IN OCTOBER THERE HAS ONLY BEEN 0.08 INCHES OF RAIN  
AT SEATTLE-TACOMA AIRPORT. THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN 4 OCTOBERS IN  
THE 81 YEARS OF THE RECORDS AT SEATTLE-TACOMA AIRPORT WITH LESS  
THAN AN INCH OF RAIN, 1987 0.31 INCHES, 2002 0.67 INCHES, 1972,  
0.72 INCHES AND 1978 0.98 INCHES. FELTON  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TURNING MORE SOUTHWESTERLY INTO MONDAY. LIGHT  
FLOW AND RESIDUAL SURFACE MOISTURE IS LEADING TO THE DEVELOP OF FOG  
ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. AREAS OF IFR/LIFR ARE EXPECTED BUT ANY  
LINGERING FOG SHOULD SUBSIDE BY 18Z TO WIDESPREAD VFR. MID TO HIGH  
LEVEL CLOUD COVERAGE WILL STREAM OVERHEAD SUNDAY AFTERNOON - EVENING  
BUT CAN'T RULE OUT ANOTHER ROUND OF PATCHY FOG SUNDAY NIGHT INTO  
MONDAY MORNING. NORTHERLY SURFACE WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON 5-10 KT.  
 
KSEA...VFR CONDITIONS THIS MORNING. CAN'T RULE OUT VICINITY FOG  
AROUND THE TERMINAL AS THE MORNING PROGRESS BUT IF MANIFEST IT  
SHOULD SCATTER OUT BY THE AFTERNOON (17-18Z). A TEMPO GROUP HAS BEEN  
INTRODUCED INTO THE TAF TO HIGHLIGHT THIS POTENTIAL. NE SURFACE  
WINDS THIS MORNING 5-10 KT, SHIFTING TO THE NW 5-10 KT WITH GUSTS TO  
18-20 KT DURING THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE  
OVERNIGHT SUNDAY INTO MONDAY.  
 
41  
 
 
   
MARINE  
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE WATERS  
TODAY. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSING SOUTHWARD WELL OFFSHORE WILL  
TURN WINDS NORTHERLY OR WEAKLY OFFSHORE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. WEAK  
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE WATERS INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE  
COMING WEEK FOR RATHER QUIET CONDITIONS. A LARGER SWELL TRAIN NEAR  
10-12 FEET GENERATED BY ACTIVE WEATHER WELL OFFSHORE IS EXPECTED TO  
REACH THE COASTAL WATERS AROUND THURSDAY. SEAS WILL THEN SUBSIDE  
INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 
41  
 
 
   
SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WA...NONE.  
PZ...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
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