321
FXUS66 KEKA 262228
AFDEKA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Eureka CA
328 PM PDT Tue May 26 2026

.SYNOPSIS...Shower activity and the chance for thunderstorms
today through Thursday. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms across
the interior on Thursday. Breezy NW winds over the interior ridges
and channeled terrain into Wednedsay, shifting to the coast
Wednesday afternoon. Drier with a gradual warming trend this
weekend through early next week.


&&
.KEY MESSAGES...

- Showers and thunderstorms over the interior through Thursday.

- Enhanced northwest winds with gusts from 25 to 35 mph across the
  exposed ridges and channeled terrain Today into Wednesday,
  shifting to the coastal headlands Wednesday afternoon.

- Isolated to scattered thunderstorms (15-30% chance) across the
  interior on Thursday, capable of produce dangarous lightning
  strikes, brief heavy downpours, and gusty, erratic winds.

- Drier with a gradual warming trend this weekend through early
  next week, with interior Minor HeatRisk potentially on Monday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A closed low is already center over Northeastern
California continue to track southward, bringing cooler temperatures
and showers activity across the area. Isolated mountain thunderstorms
are possible (10-20% chance) late this afternoon and evening over
the interior Del Norte, interior Humboldt, northeastern Mendocino,
Lake and Trinity counties. In addition, an enhanced in the
northwest winds is expecetd across the interior exposed ridges and
channeled terrain this evening into Wednesday, with gusts from 25
to 40 mph possible. Then shifting along the coast on Wednesday,
with north- northwest gusts of 25 to 35 mph over the coastal and
exposed ridges.

Cool and unsettle weather pattern is expected to continue through
Thursday as the low settle over California, before weakens and
shift eastward into the Great Basin. PWAT values increase up to
1.0 inches on Wednesday and Thursday, with PWAT anomaly generally
about 150-200% above-normal across the area. Instaibility diminish
across the area on Wednesday; however, some shallow instability
with a cold air aloft will be capable of produce moderate showers
bands rotaring around the low and moving toward the coast. There
remain a slight chance (10-15%) of thunderstorms for Trinity
County on Wednesday afternoon and evening, with a non-zero
probability elsewhere. On Thursday, the back side of the closed
low will promote an increasing chance of convective showers and
thunderstorms. There is a 15-30% chance of thunderstorms across
the interior on Thursday, with the highest chance in Trinity
County.

A weak ridging builds in briefly on Friday, while the low exits
the area shifting to the east to northeast. This will bring dry
air across the area. However, some lingering moisture will yield
in isolated mountain showers and thunderstorm is the Trinity Horn
on Friday. High temperatures are expected to increase and become
more seasonably for this time of the year. A shortwave trough may
bring an increasing cloudiness and some isolated mountain showers
and thunderstorms again to Trinity County on Saturday.

The 500 mb ridge appears to slowly build back Sunday through early
next next week, resulting in a drier weather with a gradual
warming trend. Minor HeatRisk will likely resturns on Monday,
especially across the interior valleys. /ZVS


&&

.AVIATION...Showers passing the area brought intermittent IFR
conditions this morning, but lingering instability combined with
northwest winds have helped scatter out ceilings and create mostly
VFR conditions all across the area this afternoon. There is a 60%
chance of some shallow mist and broken ceilings briefly generating
MVFR to IFR conditions overnight along the coast, but skies will
most likely quickly scatter back to VFR during the day on
Wednesday. /JHW


&&

.MARINE...Steep, mid to short period seas up to 14 feet continue to
dominate the sea state in all waters this afternoon. Moderate north
winds have built in the outer waters and will push closer to shore
overnight into Wednesday. Marginal gale conditions will build first
in the southern outer waters early Wednesday morning with brief bu
stronger gale conditions transitioning into the northern outer
waters Wednesday afternoon. Near gale force gusts will push into the
inner waters throughout the day. Seas will remain steep
and hazardous throughout the day.

Winds will weaken and pull further offshore on Thursday. Just as
short period seas begin to fall, however, a unusually long period
northwest swell will build up to around 7 feet. Such a swell is
unusual for May and will brining at least a moderate risk of sneaker
waves to area beaches. Otherwise, Winds will be mostly calm by
Thursday afternoon alongside falling short period seas. Moderate
north winds will begin to return to all waters Friday and into the
weekend. /JHW


&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Breezy NW winds with gusts from 25 to 35 mph is
expected to continue this evening and into Wednesday over the
exposed ridges and channeled terrain across the interior. Daytime
relative humidity values are in the upper 30s to mid 40s percent in
Trinity and Lake counties, with highest amounts up to 80 percent
for the coastal counties. Enhanced fire weather threat exists for
zones 418 and 421 due to gusts up to 40 mph and low daytime RH
values around 35 percent and overnight recovery values around 70
percent. Winds are the expected to diminish throughout the day on
Wednesday for the interior, before shift to the coastal headlands
Wednesday afternoon. /ZVS


&&

.BEACH HAZARDS...Surf is currently elevated thanks to mid period
seas up to around 14 feet. These shorter period seas and winds will
calm Wednesday evening into Thursday. At the same time, an unusually
long period northwest swell will build Wednesday evening and through
the day on Thursday. The forerunners of this swell will begin to
build in at just couple feet around 24 seconds. The swell will peak
Thursday around 8 feet at 16 seconds. Though falling short period
waves will somewhat mask the swell, there will be a moderate risk of
sneaker waves on area beaches. The greatest risk will be in areas of
mostly calm winds on beaches that are exposed to the northwest. /JHW


&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...
None.
NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS...
     Small Craft Advisory until 3 AM PDT Thursday for PZZ450-455.

     Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM PDT Wednesday for PZZ470.

     Gale Warning from 3 PM to 11 PM PDT Wednesday for PZZ470.

     Small Craft Advisory until 3 AM PDT Wednesday for PZZ475.

     Gale Warning from 3 AM to noon PDT Wednesday 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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For forecast zone information
see the forecast zone map online:
https://www.weather.gov/images/eka/zonemap.png