A weak front will lift northeast across the area this afternoon and evening bringing an increase in clouds and some light rain to the area. Breezy to windy conditions can be expected with the front this evening. Cool weather with showers can be expected on saturday as a weak upper trough moves across the region. Then it will be dry on sunday. Another front will bring precipitation to the area on monday. Then unsettled weather will continue into next week.
A negatively tilted frontal system that connects a system moving into central california with a deep low in the gulf of alaska will lift northeastward across the region this afternoon and this evening. Expect clouds to thicken and light rain to spread into the area from the southwest mainly this afternoon and evening. Mesoscale models continue to show breezy to locally windy conditions developing this evening as southerly pressure gradients tighten with the front, but winds are expected to remain below advisory criteria.
Behind the front, expect partly cloudy to mostly cloudy conditions with showers on saturday as a weak upper level trough moves across the area. At this time it appears that instability and upper level diffluence will be greatest over western oregon on saturday, so will leave thunderstorms out of the forecast for now.
Low level flow will tend to become north to northeasterly on sunday as high pressure builds over southwestern british columbia and the next negatively tilted frontal system approaches the area from the southwest. So the idea of a dry day on sunday still looks good.
Temperatures in the short term appear that they will be near normal for late march with highs in the mid 50s to lower 60s and lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s for the most part. Albrecht
Models are consistent on monday in showing another frontal system lifting into the area from the south and southwest. This will result in more rain later monday followed by a showery pattern later monday night into tuesday. Expect temperatures on monday to be slightly cooler than normal with the precipitation, then near normal temperatures are expected on tuesday with the showers.
The forecast wednesday and beyond gets more challenging as models develop a strong ridge over the gulf of alaska allowing cool high pressure over the northwest territories of canada to drop southward into british columbia and alberta. At lower latitudes, a strong jet stream continues to move into central and southern portions of california mid to late week. Western washington is left between the two streams with possible offshore flow - but also possibly a frontal system camped over the area. No changes were made to the forecast from wednesday onward for now. Albrecht
No river flooding expected over the next seven days.
Wa...none. Pz...small craft advisory until 11 pm pdt this evening for coastal waters from cape flattery to james island 10 to 60 nm- coastal waters from james island to point grenville 10 to 60 nm-coastal waters from point grenville to cape shoalwater 10 to 60 nm.
small craft advisory from 11 am this morning to 11 pm pdt this evening for coastal waters from cape flattery to james island out 10 nm-coastal waters from james island to point grenville out 10 nm-coastal waters from point grenville to cape shoalwater out 10 nm.
small craft advisory from 2 pm this afternoon to 5 am pdt saturday for east entrance u.s. Waters strait of juan de fuca.
small craft advisory from 5 pm this afternoon to 5 am pdt saturday for northern inland waters including the san juan islands.
small craft advisory from 2 pm this afternoon to midnight pdt tonight for admiralty inlet.
small craft advisory from 2 pm this afternoon to 3 am pdt saturday for puget sound and hood canal.
Increasing southerly winds this morning will result in small craft advisory conditions most area waters through this evening, with small craft advisory westerlies through the central and east strait this evening. In addition, significant westerly swell - 10 to 12 feet - will reach the coastal waters and west entrance friday night through saturday. Winds and seas will ease sunday.
Cloud cover encompasses the majority of the area this morning as a frontal system slowly approaches the region from the west. Recent trends in observations actually depict clear skies from hoquiam over to olympia, with partly to mostly cloudy skies to the east and north. Ceilings are largely mvfr and vfr and this should continue into thru the morning hours ahead of the front. Will likely see a few breaks in clouds at times. Winds early this morning range from calm to s/se around 5-6kts.
As the front approaches the coast by the afternoon, additional cloud cover is expected-mostly vfr but some higher end mvfr is possible as well. Along with the clouds, rain will begin to spread across the area and winds will begin to pick up towards 10-12kts. As the rain along the front pushes west to east friday evening and friday night, rain will decrease in coverage and give way to scattered showers. ceilings may also drop to mvfr behind the front. Winds will maintain a southerly component with speeds dropping back below 10kts.
Ksea...generally vfr through the evening hours, with a few breaks in the clouds this morning ahead of the front. Front will push into the area this afternoon and evening, bringing rain showers. Rain showers will taper into saturday with a chance for mvfr cigs early saturday morning. Winds generally south at less than 5kts, then increasing to near 10kts this afternoon.