Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Indianola, WA

SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/
We remain under onshore flow today with lingering light showers in the interior and Cascades. Rain will increase in coverage overnight and into Friday as a warm front moves in. The warmer air mass will bring higher snow levels around 5,000 ft. We'll sit in the warm sector on Saturday while high pressure nudges inland. Expect highs in the lower to mid 50s with light precipitation (mainly coast and north part). 33

LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
A cold front will stall over western WA on Sunday with strong westerly flow aloft. Snow levels will lower below the passes Sunday night with accumulating snow possible at both Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass.

The weather pattern is cold and wet moving through early next week with low snow levels. Strong, moist, westerly flow will pound the mountains with potential for several feet of snow.
Rates increase on Wednesday which could make travel over the mountains difficult. Across the lowlands, with low snow levels, there is a rain/snow mix in the forecast Mon-Thu. The low level flow will remain onshore, though, which will help temperatures mostly stay above freezing and thus limit impacts. Snow levels will be rising on Wed and Thu and any snow would mostly affect areas close to the mountains. 33

AVIATION
Brief break in the widespread precipitation continues this afternoon. Isolated showers continue to move over portions of the Cascades and the coast, but will remain light through the afternoon. Ceilings this afternoon are trending towards VFR (may be a couple of MVFR pockets lingering). Winds this afternoon are light out of the southeast/southwest at 4-8 kt (northwest from KPAE into the Strait of Juan de Fuca with onshore flow). A warm front is on track to bring in widespread stratiform precipitation tonight/Friday. Probabilities are elevated for lower-end MVFR/IFR conditions during the day Friday, especially as moisture advection increases into the region. Winds will also become gusty out of the southwest tonight/Friday with sustained winds 8-12 kt, and a few gusts to 20 kt.

KSEA...VFR will continue through late tonight. Variable winds will become southeast to south 4-8 kt. Rain chances increase after 07Z Friday morning. Reduced visibilities/ceilings are expected - probabilities favor lower-end MVFR early Friday morning, trending towards IFR during the day. Gusty winds will pick up out of the southwest 8-12 kt gusting to 20 kt on Friday.

HPR

MARINE
Seas this afternoon continue to remain elevated at 10 ft behind a frontal system that passed through yesterday. The small craft advisory will continue for the coastal waters and Grays Harbor Bar through the evening. Another warm front will swing through tonight into Friday with widespread stratiform precipitation. Reduced visibilities due to heavier rain/mist are likely at times. The flow will continue to remain southwesterly tonight into Friday, with a series of troughs expected to pass through the waters later this weekend into next week. This will largely keep the pattern onshore through the forecast period.
The next likelihood of significant winds for small craft will come Sunday into Monday, with the chance of gale force gusts in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This will keep the pattern active going through next week.

Seas will decrease tonight down to 6-7 ft into Friday. The next increase comes with the Sunday system, with pushes up to 9-11 ft Sunday into next week.

HPR

HYDROLOGY
Heavy precipitation over the Olympics will force rises on the Skokomish River with the potential for flooding mid to late next week. No other river flooding is expected over the next 7 days.

SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM PST this evening 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-Grays Harbor Bar.