Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Steilacoom, WA

SYNOPSIS
A weak upper level trough will move through the region this morning. A cooler, stronger, trough arriving Sunday for more widespread shower activity. Post trough convergence zone could give Stevens or Snoqualmie Pass a couple inches of snow Sunday evening. Northwesterly flow aloft Monday for dry and cooler weather. Dry weather into midweek with high pressure.

SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/
A weak front passed through western WA early this morning with light rainfall over the region.
Most areas saw a trace to a few hundredths. We're under post- frontal onshore flow through the remainder of the day leading to cooler conditions and highs in the 50s to around 60.

Onshore flow will persist into Sunday and showers will increase with a passing trough axis. Most of the showers will be along the coast and mountains, with the focus shifting to the central sound and Cascades Sunday afternoon/evening as a Puget Sound Convergence Zone develops. Snow levels will start around 4000 ft and will lower to around 2500 ft overnight with a few inches of snow expected at both Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass.

Monday will be drier but also cooler under NW flow. Forecast highs are in the 50s with lows Monday night in the 30s to lower 40s. Areas around the south sound may see freezing temps with lows in the lower 30s possible. 33

LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
High pressure keeps western WA dry and mild moving forward next week. Temperatures will peak on Thursday with highs reaching the upper 60s in the interior.
Onshore flow will keep the coast a few degrees cooler (around 60).
On Friday, the ridge shifts east while a trough digs offshore. The trough may pull some moisture north for a chance of showers and cooler conditions. 33

AVIATION
Westerly flow aloft will become more northwesterly today as an upper level trough gradually deepens over the region into Sunday. Conditions are a mixed bag of mostly MVFR to VFR across the area in the wake of a frontal system that moved through earlier this morning, though a few terminals remain IFR. Latest hi-res guidance does still show some light shower activity possible across portions of the Sound through the morning hours and into the early afternoon. More likely will be lingering cloud cover, though expect ceilings to lift towards VFR again this afternoon.
A more widespread drop down to MVFR ceilings is expected headed into Sunday morning. Breezy surface winds to 20-25 kt remain likely into this evening for terminals along the Pacific Coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca today. Otherwise expect W/NW winds 5-10 kt this afternoon, with wind shifting to the SW and easing tonight into Sunday.

KSEA...Ceilings MVFR, generally between 1000-1500 ft this morning.
Some light shower activity may linger in the vicinity of the terminal into the early afternoon. Expect cigs to lift back towards VFR this afternoon. Winds remaining light and variable this morning, but direction is expected to switch to the north today and persist at 5 to 10 kt into this evening. A shift back to the south is expected tonight, likely between 05-08Z. Lower ceilings down to MVFR are likely again by 12Z Sunday morning.

HPR/14

MARINE
Northwesterly winds will remain breezy across the coastal waters this morning in the wake of a frontal system that moved through earlier today. High pressure will build across the northeastern Pacific this weekend, though another disturbance will move along its periphery and across the area waters on Sunday.
Gusty winds will continue this weekend, with another round of small craft strength westerlies/northwesterlies expected down the entire Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet this afternoon and evening. Another onshore push is expected along the Strait Sunday night into Monday, likely yielding another round of small craft advisories.

Seas across the coastal waters remain steep and generally persist between 8-12 ft at around 8-10 seconds this morning. Seas will subside towards 7-9 ft by tonight, before falling to 6-8 ft on Sunday. A brief uptick towards 10 ft is possible again late Sunday into Monday, before seas subside towards 4-6 ft on Tuesday.

14

HYDROLOGY
No river flooding is expected through the next 7 days.

SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 2 AM PDT Sunday for Admiralty Inlet-Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.

Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Sunday 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 James Island To Point Grenville 10 To 60 Nm- Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater Out 10 Nm.