642 FXUS66 KLOX 110319 AFDLOXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA 819 PM PDT Fri Oct 10 2025
.SYNOPSIS...10/114 PM.
Gusty northwest to northeast winds will increase through Saturday, then shift to northeast and weaken on Sunday. This will result in drying conditions through the weekend. A storm system will affect the area next week Monday Night through Wednesday, focused on Tuesday, with widespread light to moderate rain and a potential for locally heavy showers and thunderstorms.
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.SHORT TERM (FRI-MON)...10/818 PM.
***UPDATE***
Latest satellite and surface observations indicate clear skies across the area, except for lingering high clouds across eastern LA county. Based on radar trends, any precipitation is east and south of the area. Current sounding data indicates marine inversion around 800 feet in depth. As for winds, northerly winds, gusting 30-45 MPH, are observed across the western range of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Forecast-wise for the immediate short term, no significant issues are expected. Gusty northerly winds will continue overnight across the western Santa Ynez Mountains with SBA-SMX gradient currently running around -4.5 mb. So, current WIND ADVISORY in effect for that area looks good and will remain in place. As for clouds, the developing northerly flow should keep most areas cloud-free overnight. the only exceptions will be interior sections of SLO, SBA and Ventura counties. Also, there is a chance of an eddy spinning up, bringing some stratus/fog to the LAX coastal plain overnight.
Overall, current forecast looks good for the immediate short term. So, no significant updates are expected.
***From Previous Discussion***
An isolated shower or two remains possible into the evening over eastern Los Angeles County, mainly over the San Gabriels, but will diminish overnight. The more interesting and impactful showers or thunderstorms will stay to the east.
A large low pressure system, currently centered about 300 miles west of the California/Oregon border, will continue to push to the southeast and through Nevada by Sunday. A mostly dry front will drop down through the west coast with it. While this will not bring any rain to the area (except maybe a few light rain showers to the north mountain slopes Saturday morning) it will spur a moderate north wind event (thanks to its 80 knot jet and induced north-to-south pressure gradient). Northwest winds are already picking up on the Central Coast today, and will expand and strengthen by the Saturday/Saturday Night peak when wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph will be common in the areas that typically get northwest to north winds. These wind prone areas include the Central Coast, most of Santa Barbara County (including the southeast portion), the highway 33 Corridor, the I-5 Corridor, Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, and the western San Fernando Valley. The current suite of Wind Advisories look good highlighting the windiest areas. The winds will turn to more northeasterly on Sunday but weaken along the way. Sub-Advisory gusts in the 20 to 40 mph range are possible in the mountains and favored foothills.
With all the winds, high temperatures will remain around normal with highs in the mid 70s to mid 80s common. Skies will generally be clear, but some spotty and unorganized low clouds are possible as well as a few mountain wave clouds south of the ranges.
Monday will be the transition day between the warm and dry weekend and the unseasonably early and cool storm system heading our way (see long term section below).
.LONG TERM (TUE-FRI)...10/231 PM.
Computer projections continue to show a yet-to-form low pressure system riding the west coast Monday through Tuesday, before pivoting inland on Wednesday. While there remains some range in the timing and exact track of this system, which will determine which of the four counties will see the highest rain amounts and rates, the range of outcomes is narrowing to the point that we can advertise a most likely outcome. At this point, the period of focus remains centered on Tuesday (from 3am to 9pm). The area of focus remains San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, where amounts between 1 and 2 inches look favorable. For Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, amounts between 0.5 and 1.5 inches look favorable (with the highest end of the range over Ventura County). Favored foothills and mountains will likely see about double those amounts over the 4 counties. The focus could shift to the north or south depending on the track of the storm, but the slim majority favor this outcome. Rain rates look behaved peaking between 0.10 and 0.33 inches per hour - which would limit any hydro impacts to the roads and outdoor activities. Unfortunately there is a caveat to that all-clear message. The storm could slow down (which about 10% of the projections show) which would increase those totals. This storm is also very dynamic, with a concentrated area of diffluence aloft and an upper level jet over 120 knots. That means thunderstorms are on the table, and the associated potential of isolated heavy rain cells, lightning, and even severe weather (strong winds or a tornado). Right now, with the consensus track, those risks are highest over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties Monday Night into Tuesday, but that could shift in time and place depending on that track.
Unsurprisingly daytime temperatures will plummet. Highs in the 60s will be most common Tuesday and Wednesday (15-25 degrees below normal). Overnight temperatures will be mild with the added moisture and sky cover.
A few of the projection also so another low pressure system spawning off the other one and retrograding westward back over California Thursday or Friday. A few more projections dont. As such, the is about as wide of a range of outcomes for the end of next week, anything from more rain, thunderstorms, and coldness, to warming and drying conditions.
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.AVIATION...11/0017Z.
At 2320Z at KLAX, the marine layer was at 500 ft deep. The top of the inversion was around 1800 ft with a temperature of 25 C.
Overall, moderate confidence in 00Z TAF Package. VFR conditions are generally expected with the exception of IFR CIGs possible to likely for KSMO (30%), KPRB (40%) KLAX (60%), & KLGB (60%). 10% chc for LIFR/IFR CIGs at KSBP/KSMX from 06Z to 15Z Saturday.
Periods of gusty west & north winds are likely for many terminals. Wind gusts may be off by 5 to 10 kts and/or wind direction by 30 degrees.
For SBA, low-level wind shear is possible from 02Z Fri to 12Z Sat.
KLAX...Moderate confidence in 00Z TAF. VFR conditions expected through atleast 09Z Saturday. Arrival of IFR CIGs 005-010 expected between 12Z-14Z and clearing 16Z-18Z Saturday. No significant east wind component expected. However, gusty north winds are possible starting around 03Z Sunday.
KBUR...High confidence in 00Z TAF. VFR conditions expected through the forecast period.
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.MARINE...10/703 PM.
For the waters outside the southern California bight from southwest through northwest of the Channel Islands, including the nearshore waters along the Central Coast, winds will increase through Saturday afternoon. Widespread Small Craft Advisory (SCA) level conditions will continue through at least early Sunday morning. There is a likely (60-80 percent) chance of GALES this afternoon through Saturday evening, with the strongest winds from near Point Conception south to San Nicolas Island. There could be some relative lulls in the winds during late night and early morning hours, but seas will likely remain at SCA levels through Sunday. There is a 30-50 percent chance of widespread SCA conditions lingering into early Monday morning. Due to the GALES and hazardous seas, inexperienced boaters should seek or remain in safe harbor.
Inside the southern California bight, SCA level winds are expected mainly across western and southern portions of the Santa Barbara Channel (including vicinity of Anacapa Island) through Saturday morning. From Saturday afternoon through evening, GALES may develop across western & southern portions of the Santa Barbara Channel. Since these strong winds are likely to remain confined to these areas, a GALE Warning is unlikely (but still a 25% chance). Regardless, hazardous conditions are expected and inexperienced boaters should seek or remain in safe harbor. Also, there is a moderate chance for SCA conditions to reach the Ventura coastline late Sat afternoon & evening. One last note, northerly cross-shore SCA winds may develop across west-facing beaches adjacent to the Santa Monica Bay Saturday evening.
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.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...Wind Advisory in effect from noon Saturday to 10 AM PDT Sunday for zones 88-350-352-353-375>379-381-383. (See LAXNPWLOX). Wind Advisory in effect from noon Saturday to midnight PDT Saturday night for zones 340-341-346>348. (See LAXNPWLOX). Wind Advisory in effect until 10 AM PDT Sunday for zones 349-351. (See LAXNPWLOX). PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until 3 PM PDT Saturday for zones 645-670. (See LAXMWWLOX). Gale Warning in effect from 3 PM Saturday to 3 AM PDT Sunday for zones 645-670. (See LAXMWWLOX). Small Craft Advisory in effect until 3 AM PDT Sunday for zone 650. (See LAXMWWLOX). Gale Warning in effect until 3 AM PDT Sunday for zones 673-676. (See LAXMWWLOX).
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PUBLIC...Kittell/Thompson AVIATION...Black MARINE...Hall/Lund/Black SYNOPSIS...RK
weather.gov/losangeles
Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=lox
NWS LOX Office Area Forecast Discussion