Smith River, California 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

149
FXUS66 KEKA 190816
AFDEKA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Eureka CA
116 AM PDT Thu Mar 19 2026

.SYNOPSIS...Dry weather and above-seasonable temperatures are
expected to continue with widespread Minor HeatRisk for the
interior through Friday. Temperatures will cool gradually this
weekend and into early next week, yet remain above normal. The
chance of precipitation increases early to mid next week.


&&

.DISCUSSION...(Today through Friday)...Quiet and settled weather
conditions persist across the area. A massive high pressure ridge
is currently centered over Southeast California and Western
Arizona, keeping our skies clear. The only exception is right
along the Mendocino Coast and around Humboldt Bay, where low
clouds and areas of fog (including patchy dense fog) are observed.
Otherwise, low clouds and fog is expected to lift and scatter out
by late morning with diurnal heating. Well offshore, a shallow
marine layer slowly approaches the area today. High- resolution
model guidance suggest this marine layer will blanket much of the
coastal waters, with low clouds nearing the North Coast late this
morning or early afternoon. Well above normal warm temperatures
and minor heatrisk is forecast to continue through Friday for the
interior. Coastal areas are expected to run up to 5 degrees warmer
today, with high in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

The high pressure begin to weaken tonight, while a shortwave
trough approaches the Pacific NW. This will aid in a greater
coverage of marine layer as the layer deepens into Friday in
response. Temperatures are expected to trend sown across the
interior on Friday with the push of marine moisture. Otherwise,
unseasonably warm and dry weather conditions will persist through
Friday. /ZVS

&&

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION...(Saturday through Thursday)...
High temperatures in the interior are forecast to moderate more
substantially over the weekend and the heat risk will generally
diminish. It will still remain above late March normals for
portions of the interior and some of the hotter interior valleys
will continue to have minor heat risk. Greater cooling will be
possible early to mid next week with the passage of a synoptic
scale trough and eventual frontal passage. Some precipitation is
possible as well Tue into Wed. The greatest chance for rain is
forecast across Del Norte and northern Humboldt Counties (40-60%).
Chance for measurable rain falls off sharply for southern
Mendocino and Lake Counties (20% or less). The front could end up
stalling offshore and provide light rain or drizzle to only
interior Del Norte as well as coastal areas north of Cape Mendo.


&&

.AVIATION...Shallow fog has again formed along the coast, though
coverage is much less then previous nights with dense fog isolated
to right around Humboldt Bay. LIFR conditions are likely to expend
along the coast by sunrise, however, with coastal conditions calm and
very close to saturation. Again, even the coast will most likely
clear back out to VFR by mid-morning with fog quickly eroding. High
pressure beginning to erode will generally make low fog less likely
Thursday night, but the potential for IFR marine conditions will
still remain around 50/50. /JHW


&&

.MARINE...As high pressure gradually pushes east, the pressure
gradient over the area has reached it weakest, allowing for gentle
to mostly calm north winds through Thursday generally below 15 kts.
As high pressure finally breaks down, stronger winds will begin to
return first to the southern waters Friday afternoon with gusts near
25 kts. Conditions will build to near gale during the day Saturday
int he outer waters, with strong winds over 25kts pushing even into
the inner waters Saturday afternoon and evening.

Calm winds will generally limit any meaningful short period seas
through the week. That said a minor, long period southerly swell and
modest mid period westerly swell will combine to create at least
some seas up to 6 feet through mid week. Steeper short period seas
will return this weekend with the wind, allowing for wave heights
in excess of 10 feet by Saturday. /JHW


&&

.CLIMATE...

Station/Forecast/Record/Date
-------/--------/------/----
KCEC       62      82   1914
KEKA       62      78   1914
KUKI      *91      91   1914
----------------------------
*(Potential Tied or Broken Record)

&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...
None.
NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS...
     Small Craft Advisory from 11 PM Friday to 2 PM PDT Saturday
     for PZZ455.

     Small Craft Advisory from 5 PM Friday to 2 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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For forecast zone information
see the forecast zone map online:
https://www.weather.gov/images/eka/zonemap.png