03:43 PM Tuesday March 26

Dry weather will prevail until the next system arriving from the south brings light rain into western washington late wednesday afternoon and night. Showers should taper off or end and partial sunshine may return by friday. Mostly dry weather is expected over the weekend, but a system could bring some rain into the area by late sunday and monday. A cool and showery pattern will dominate the pattern through the middle of next week.

SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/

Visible satellite imagery shows clouds clearing across most the area this afternoon. A few cumulus and associated showers over the mountains should end after sunset. A period of dry weather is expected through wednesday morning before clouds start to increase ahead of the next system arriving from the south. Northerly low level flow and drier air should inhibit fog development, but a few fog prone spots like shelton and olympia could have some patchy formation a few hours wednesday morning.

A stacked closed low approaches 130 w wednesday afternoon with a feed of moist southerly flow ahead of it. Models show a deformation band lifting north with diffluence aloft, producing light rain across southern portions of western washington during the afternoon. this feature is expected to weaken and break up with just spotty light rain as it moves over the rest of the area wednesday night. rain amounts should be light and many spots to the north may not measure at all.

Split flow persists into friday with the main energy heading south into oregon, and weakening at the same time. Some models produce some diurnal showers or even lift some residual showers into the area but any precipitation will be light and probably focused along the mountains. Highs will be close to 60 through friday across the puget sound/sw interior lowlands and other areas inland from the water.

Mercer

LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/

High pressure builds on saturday but then weakens on sunday as another system approaches. Models vary on the track and timing with a lot of uncertainty due to the split flow pattern. It would not be surprising if most or all the energy ends up to the south of wa on sunday, but some models do bring some rain into the area. Kept pops in the forecast. Extended models do not have a good handle on the split flow pattern in the early to mid part of next week. There will be some threat of light showers and clouds, but model solutions continue to vary on details and location of a trough over the area or nearby. Highs will range from the mid 50s to the lower 60s, slightly above normal for this time of year. Mercer

Mercer

HYDROLOGY

Flooding is not expected over the next 7 days.

SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wa...none. Pz...small craft advisory from 5 am to 5 pm pdt wednesday for coastal waters from cape flattery to james island 10 to 60 nm- coastal waters from cape flattery to james island out 10 nm- coastal waters from point grenville to cape shoalwater 10 to 60 nm-west entrance u.s. Waters strait of juan de fuca.

 small craft advisory from 5 am to 11 am pdt wednesday for       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 5 am to 2 pm pdt wednesday for central       u.s. Waters strait of juan de fuca-coastal waters from       james island to point grenville 10 to 60 nm.

MARINE

Southerly flow will gradually become offshore this evening through wednesday with a low pressure system well to the southwest. Small craft winds on wednesday for the coastal waters as well as the west entrance and central portions of the strait of juan de fuca. Southerly winds wednesday night as a front pushes northward. Offshore winds later thursday through the weekend. Jd

AVIATION

Southwesterly flow aloft will be light into tonight with an upper level low located well to the southwest. Vfr conditions will continue through wednesday morning with some mid- high level clouds around. Dry weather to continue. Patchy fog possible in spots, generally at kolm and along the coast. increased clouds wednesday afternoon ahead of a front pushing northward. Winds light mainly under 8 kts becoming offshore into this evening.

Ksea...vfr continues. Mostly clear skies tonight with a few mid to high clouds. Southwesterly winds generally 4 to 8 knots becoming northerly 00z-03z. Jd