674
FXUS66 KEKA 301953
AFDEKA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Eureka CA
1253 PM PDT Thu Jul 30 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

* Hot temperatures return early next week with widespread Moderate
  to locally Major HeatRisk through mid week

* Elevated fire danger returns Saturday and into next week with
  periods of breezy winds and increasingly hot, dry conditions.

* Westerly to northeasterly winds through the weekend and into
  Monday will bring the greatest fire weather risk.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...Temperatures will be trending higher over the next week
with moderate to major HeatRisk possible early next week. Hot
interior temperatures in combination with periods of breezy winds
this weekend through Monday with increase the fire weather risk.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A tight upper low is currently moving over Northwest
California bringing a shield of high clouds to the northern half of
the area. Model guidance indicates there is a small 5k ft layer of
elevated instability associated with this low around 15k feet above
the surface. However, moisture is very limited and any convective
growth today/this evening is expected to quickly be squashed before
any thunderstorm threat can develop. Thus the forecast remains dry
today.

Beginning on Friday ridging will begin to build toward the west
coast while at the same time a sharp trough moves through the
Pacific Northwest. This will leave our region right in between these
two features through Saturday with warming temperatures across the
interior and a stronger onshore stratus push closer to the coast.
The trough will move inland on Saturday into Pacific Northwest and a
trailing dry front will move through Northwest California.
Northerlies will increase over the coastal waters behind the front
and then push inland from the west-northwest resulting in gusts in
excess of 20 mph across much of the region, with much higher gusts
in the King Range and other favored terrain. Enhanced fire weather
risk will develop as a result and more details are included below in
the fire weather discussion.

As the trough departs, the ridge will finally win out and build
directly over the west coast. Temperatures are forecast to warm
significant into the lower 100s across many interior valley
locations. Widespread moderate to major HeatRisk is expected with a
potential for heat advisory level heat Monday through Wednesday next
week. /RPA


&&

.AVIATION...Coastal stratus has been persistent around Humboldt
Bay but has otherwise cleared across the region. No precipitation
is expected as an upper low bring some high clouds to the region
today and this evening. As the low departs, northerly winds over
the coastal waters will persist resulting in onshore flow into
areas north of Cape Mendocino. This should support redevelopment
of stratus overnight with a push into the coastal river valleys.
IFR to LIFR conditions are expected at CEC and ACV overnight
through Friday morning. Farther inland VFR is expected to persist
through the forecast period at UKI and most other interior
terminals. /RPA

&&

.MARINE...Northerly winds will persist over the coastal waters for
the next week with a building ridge of the western US and a
strengthening thermal trough. A quick passing dry frontal boundary
will strengthen the pressure gradient on Saturday resulting in an
expansion and strengthening of the northerly winds over all waters.
Gales will be possible in all of the waters over the weekend into
early next week, with gales very likely over the outer water zones.
Steep waves in excess of 10 feet will likely develop in response
to the strengthening winds. /RPA

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...Lighter winds and gradually increasing overnight
relative humidity recoveries are expected through Saturday morning
as a trough approaches the Pacific Northwest. Stronger marine layer
pushes into the near-coast valleys and along coastal ridges are
likely Friday and Saturday mornings. Farther inland dry air will
remain in place with afternoon relative humidity values falling into
the teens on Friday.

As the trough moves through the region on Saturday the pressure
gradient will tighten resulting in stronger afternoon westerly
winds with chances for gusts over 25 mph increasing to 50 to 70%
for a good portion of the interior Saturday afternoon. Thankfully
the west- northwesterly winds will also bring slightly increased
relative humidity with minimums in the 20s instead of teens. This
will keep the fire threat from becoming critical. A robust burst
of dry NE winds will likely follow the departing trough later
Sunday through Monday over the interior ridges of Trinity,
Humboldt, and Del Norte counties.

RH will trend much lower across the interior to the low teens and
likely some single digits by Monday and then remaining dry into mid
next week. Afternoon west-northwesterly gusty winds can be expected
each afternoon. These winds are not expected to be more typical for
the summer only lasting a few hours and not as strong as Saturday.
/RPA


&&

.EKA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...
None.
NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COASTAL WATERS...
     Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Saturday for PZZ455-475.

&&

$$

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