National Weather Service San Juan PR
528 AM AST Mon Mar 11 2019
.SYNOPSIS...A mid to upper level trough will move over the region
today, enhancing afternoon convection over southwest PR. A surface
ridge over the western Atlantic will promote east-northeast winds
through the end of the week. A polar trough and associated front
is forecast to move across the islands during the end of the week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Monday through Wednesday...
Showers were seen moving across the Atlantic waters, the U.S. Virgin
Islands and the north, west and east sections of Puerto Rico
overnight. Meanwhile, the southern coast had little or no shower
activity overnight. Although the southern sections could expect
little or no shower activity during the morning, rainy conditions
will persist across the rest of the region.
A surface high pressure across the Atlantic Ocean, north of the
islands, will promote breezy east to northeast winds across the
north-east Caribbean today. A mid-to-upper-level trough will deepen
aloft increasing instability throughout the day. The trough axis is
forecast to move across the west-northwest of the islands during the
maximum heating of the day. GFS forecast sounding suggested no
inversion over the region with a convective temperature of 78
degrees Fahrenheit this afternoon. In addition, model guidances are
suggesting increasing moisture, colder temperatures at 500mb (around
25th-percentile) and the 1000-500mb thickness decreasing around the
25th percentile, which are conditions favorable for thunderstorm
formation. Also, steep lapse rate are forecast for today. That said,
isolated thunderstorms cannot be ruled out this afternoon,
especially across the southwest quadrant of Puerto Rico.
A drier air mass will move across the region late tonight into early
Tuesday morning. Therefore, shower activity is forecast to decrease
during this period. However, quick trade wind showers should not be
ruled out across the local waters, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the
north and east sections of Puerto Rico. The trough axis relocates
east of the area with its convergent side over PR/USVI. However,
local effects will trigger streamer like showers off from the Virgin
Isles into east-PR and another round of showers over the interior
and southwest sections of Puerto Rico during the afternoon.
Therefore dry conditions and fair weather is expected on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, a northeasterly wind flow will push patches of low
level moisture with embedded showers across the islands at times.
.LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday...
A deep polar trough is forecast to move northeast of the region
from Thursday through early in the weekend. An associated front at
the surface is expected to reach the islands during the end of the
workweek. This will result in an advective pattern with showers
moving at times from the Atlantic waters across portions of
northern and eastern PR as well across the USVI. A surface high
pressure will continue to promote a northeasterly wind flow
through the long term period and winds are expected to increase
after the possible frontal passage. An upper level ridge is
expected to build quickly during the weekend from the west, this
will promote drier air intrusion and stable conditions across the
region through early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...Occasional SHRA will affect the windward terminals of
NE-PR/USVI/Lesser Islands at times. SHRA will move into the interior
and western sections of PR between 11/15-22z. Isol-TSRA should not
be ruled out this afternoon. If develop, are possible in the
vicinity of JPS/JMZ. Winds will prevail from the ENE at around 10
increasing at 15-20 with sea breeze variations after 11/13z.
&&
.MARINE...Choppy seas up to 6 feet and winds between 15-20 kt are
expected across the Atlantic and Caribbean waters as well across
the Mona Passage during the next few days. Therefore, small
crafts are urged to exercise caution. Elsewhere, seas between 3-5
feet and winds up to 15 kt are expected. There is a moderate risk
of rip currents for the northern and southern beaches of the
islands.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SJU 84 73 83 73 / 60 50 50 30
STT 85 73 84 73 / 40 20 20 20

