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AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION

 
 FXUS66 KLOX 140417
AFDLOX

SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
800 PM PST MON FEB 13 2012

.SYNOPSIS...

A VERY COLD LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT FOR POSSIBLE
PRECIPITATION AND GUSTY WINDS. THERE IS A SHORT BREAK ON TUESDAY
BEFORE THE NEXT LOW ARRIVES ON WEDNESDAY WITH POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION
WITH BREEZY WINDS AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. A HIGH WILL ADVANCE
ON THE REGION THURSDAY AND ALONG WITH OFFSHORE WINDS WILL LAUNCH
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL INTO SATURDAY. EARLY
NEXT WEEK ANOTHER LOW MAY WORK ITS WAY DOWN TO THE REGION.

&&

.SHORT TERM (TODAY-THURSDAY)...BEEN A BUSY SHIFT DUE TO THE GUSTY
WINDS AND SHOWERS INCREASING ACROSS AREAS N OF POINT CONCEPTION
AS THE COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES CLOSER TO THE FORECAST AREA.
CURRENTLY...THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW WAS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF
SLO COUNTY MOVING SOUTH TOWARD POINT CONCEPTION. LATEST 00Z SOUNDING
OUT OF VANDENBERG AFB INDICATED A LITTLE BIT OF CAPE AT THE LOWER
LEVELS WITH A PRETTY STEEP LAPSE RATE. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AFTER MIDNIGHT
AS THE LOW MOVES OVERHEAD...ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS SOUTH AND EAST
OF POINT CONCEPTION. 500 MB TEMPS WILL BE AROUND -28 TO -30 CELSIUS
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. ALTHOUGH CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS SUCH AS
LIFTED INDEX AND K INDEX ARE MARGINALLY STABLE...THE COMBINATION OF
THESE COLD TEMPS ALOFT AND SOME DECENT PVA TIMED WELL WITH THE
ARRIVAL OF THE UPPER LOW SHOULD KICK OFF SOME HIT AND MISS SHOWERS.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE QUITE MEAGER...HOWEVER IF A
THUNDERSTORM DOES DEVELOP...EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND LOCAL GUSTY WINDS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE THUNDERSTORM. RAINFALL TOTALS SO FAR TODAY WERE
ABOUT AS EXPECTED WITH MOST AREAS N OF POINT CONCEPTION RECORDING
LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH...AND LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS LA/VTU
COUNTIES. MANY AREAS DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PRECIP.

IN REGARDS TO SNOW...GENERALLY LESS THAN 2 INCHES REPORTED SO FAR
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF THE TEJON PASS NEAR THE I-5 CORRIDOR...BUT
BY THE LOOKS OF RADAR...MORE SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE
I-5 CORRIDOR OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. EXPECT LOW CLOUDS TO CONTINUE
TO BANK UP AGAINST THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF LA AND VTU COUNTIES AS
WELL BRINGING ADDITIONAL SNOW FLURRIES THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS.

IN REGARDS TO WINDS...
WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN QUITE IMPRESSIVE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE LA/VTU COUNTY COASTAL AREAS WITH GUSTS UP
TO 45 MPH AT LAX AS WELL AS OXNARD AND CAMARILLO AIRPORTS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAVE ADDED WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE COASTAL
VENTURA COUNTY VALLEY INCLUDING THOUSAND OAKS...WESTLAKE VILLAGE AND
NEWBURY PARK AS WELL AS THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. GUSTY WINDS WILL
CONTINUE ACROSS THE LA/VTU AND SBA COUNTY MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT AS
WELL. WINDS SHOULD DIE DOWN FOR TUESDAY...BUT STILL GUSTY NORTHERLY
WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS THE SBA COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT WIND
PRONE SOUTH COAST. WINDS ACROSS THE COASTAL AREAS HAVE BEGUN TO
DIMINISH SOME AND LOOK CLOSELY TO EXPIRE WIND ADVISORIES OR POSSIBLY
CONTINUING UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

BY TUESDAY...THE UPPER LVL LOW WILL PUSH INTO ARIZONA GIVING OUR
REGION A NICE BUT SHORT LIVED BREAK. TEMPS WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL
WITH LESS IN THE WAY OF WINDS AND MORE SUNSHINE.

PREVIOUS SHIFT SEEMS TO HAVE HANDLED WED THROUGH MONDAY WELL.

...FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...

THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BARREL DOWN CALIFORNIA ON WEDNESDAY.
THERE UNFORTUNATELY IS STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS
SYSTEM...AS THE LOW HAS YET TO PEEL OFF THE STRONG TROUGH CURRENTLY
IMPACTING ALASKA. THE OVERALL TREND HOWEVER IS TOWARD A DRIER MORE
INSIDE TRACKING SOLUTION...WHICH IS CONSISTENT TO WHAT HAS BEEN
GOING ON THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. IN FACT..THE CURRENT PROJECTED
TRACK IS VERY SIMILAR TO TODAYS SYSTEM. WHILE THERE IS STILL A
DECENT CHANCE OF SOME RAIN AND SNOW...TRENDED THE POPS DOWN A SMIDGE
TO REFLECT THE INCREASING CHANCE OF A MORE OVER-LAND TRACK. EVEN IF
PRECIP HAPPENS...THIS SYSTEM LOOKS STARVED FOR MOISTURE...AND
AMOUNTS SHOULD BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE.

ONCE THE LOW MOVES THROUGH...THERE IS DECENT CONFIDENCE THAT HIGH
PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SURFACE OF THE GREAT BASIN BEHIND THE
SYSTEM...WHICH WILL PRODUCE SOME GUSTY OFFSHORE FLOW THURSDAY. AT
THIS POINT...WIND ADVISORIES LOOK POSSIBLE OVER LA/VTU COUNTIES. THE
OFFSHORE FLOW ALONG WITH SOME RIDGING ALOFT WILL HELP TEMPERATURES
SPIKE TO NEAR NORMAL ON THURSDAY WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE.

.LONG TERM (FRIDAY-MONDAY)...
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY LOOK TO CONTINUE THE NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES
WITH BREEZY OFFSHORE FLOW...FOR A PLEASANT KICK-OFF TO THE HOLIDAY
WEEKEND. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS ITS TARGETS ON CALIFORNIA
ON SUNDAY OR MONDAY. WHILE TEMPERATURES LOOK SET TO COOL...OTHER
DETAILS OF THE FORECAST ARE STILL TO BE DETERMINED. THERE HAS BEEN
VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY WITH THIS
THING...AND THE FULL PEANUT BUTTER SPREAD OF THE LATEST GFS
ENSEMBLES ONLY SUPPORTS THAT UNCERTAINTY. AS A RESULT...WILL RIDE
CLIMO POPS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY UNTIL BETTER GUIDANCE COMES ALONG.

&&

.AVIATION...13/2350Z.
GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT. OCCASIONAL
SHOWERS WILL ALSO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING AT
KPRB...KSMX...KSBP...KWJF...AND KPMD. LLWS WILL BE A CONCERN WITH
THE GUSTY WINDS...ESPECIALLY AT KSBA AFTER SUNDOWN. EXCEPT FOR
OCCASIONAL MVFR UNDER HEAVIER SHOWERS...VFR SHOULD PREVAIL INTO
TUESDAY. KPRB MAY SEE SOME BR LATE TONIGHT HOWEVER. OUTSIDE CHANCE
OF -TSRA AT KPRB...KWJF...KPMD THROUGH 06Z.

KLAX...EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONALLY BRIEF MVFR CIGS THROUGH 04Z...VFR
SHOULD PREVAIL. GUSTY WEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 04Z...THEN
GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THROUGH 08Z. MODERATE LLWS MAY ALSO ACCOMPANY THE
WINDS.

KBUR...EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONALLY BRIEF MVFR CIGS THROUGH 03Z...VFR
SHOULD PREVAIL. OCCASIONALLY BREEZY SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH 03Z...THEN SHOULD QUICKLY SUBSIDE. WEAK LLWS MAY ALSO
ACCOMPANY THE WINDS.

&&

.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY (SEE LAXNPWLOX).
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY (SEE LAXWSWLOX).
GALE WARNING (SEE LAXMWWLOX).
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY (SEE LAXMWWLOX).
HIGH SURF ADVISORY (SEE LAXCFWLOX).
HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK (SEE LAXSRFLOX).

&&




PUBLIC...KAPLAN/KITTELL
AVIATION...KITTELL
SYNOPSIS...SETO

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