National Weather Service Area Forecast Discussion for Long Beach, WA USA

fxus66 kpqr 192102
afdpqr

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland, OR
201 pm pdt fri mar 19 2010

.synopsis...a sharp upper level ridge just off the coast will shift
inland tonight as surface high pres builds over the rockies...
increasing the offshore flow. low level flow will turn back onshore
on sat...ahead of an upper level trough that will move in for sun and
mon. high pressure is expected to return briefly around tue...before
another pacific system moves through midweek.
&&

.short term..visible satellite imagery continues to show mostly clear
skies over the forecast area...except for a few thin cirrus clouds
spilling over the ridge. models continue with similar trends over the
next couple of days...with the ridge shifting inland tonight and sat
while slowly weakening. strong easterly low level flow will continue
through tonight...with kpdx-kdls at -4.9 mb.

a more southerly onshore flow will return sat as a low ejecting out
of the longwave trough out over the pac lifts to the n beyond 130w.
this should result initially in a marine surge sat...during the day
along the coast...and spreading quickly inland sat evening. a small
threat for rain returns by sat night as weak shortwave energy begins
to move through...but better chances for rain come on sun as a front
pushes inland with decent moisture...low level onshore flow...and the
main trough axis coming in late in the day. showers  will continue
monday as the trough moves through the area. showers will diminish
likens

.long term...an upper level ridge will rebuild along the coast
tue...for a temporary return to dry weather. the ridge will shift
east across the  forecast area tue/tue night allowing the next
pacific weather system to approach the coast wednesday. rain will
spread across the  cwa wed. unsettled conditions are possible through
the end of the week.

&&

.aviation...vfr tonight and most of saturday. patchy fog and
stratus moving up along the central oregon coastline midday
saturday. possible mvfr ceilings along the coast late saturday
with the approach of a weak front.

kpdx and approaches...vfr tonight and saturday. ss

&&

.marine...high pressure over the waters with a thermal trough
along the coast will give way to a weak disturbance tonight.
northeast winds will become easterly and increase and then turn
southerly later tonight and saturday with small craft advisory
speeds. a weak front will move across the waters late saturday. 10
ft seas should return sunday.

&&

.pqr watches/warnings/advisories...
or...none.
wa...none.
pz...small craft advisory for winds from 2 am saturday to 11 am pdt
     sunday for waters from cape shoalwater wa to cascade head
     or from 10 to 60 nm.

     small craft advisory for winds from 2 pm saturday to 11 am pdt
     sunday for coastal waters from cape shoalwater wa to florence or
     out 10 nm.

     small craft advisory for winds from 8 am saturday to 11 am pdt
     sunday for waters from cascade head to florence or from 10
     to 60 nm.

&&

$$

more weather information online at...
http://weather.gov/portland

this discussion is for northwest oregon and southwest washington from
the cascade crest to 60 nautical miles offshore. the area is commonly
referred to as the forecast area.