National Weather Service San Juan PR
454 AM AST Tue Feb 19 2019
.SYNOPSIS...
Fair weather conditions will prevail through much of the week.
However, a seasonal advective pattern will transport patches of
clouds and showers over the islands at times. A ridge pattern
aloft will limit afternoon convection across the interior and
western sections. Migratory surface high pressure will bring
breezy trade winds Wednesday through Friday.
&&
SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday...
Ridge aloft will continue to maintain a fairly stable weather
pattern across the forecast area through the period. At the surface,
a broad high pressure across the central and eastern Atlantic will
continue to produce breezy conditions with winds expected to range
between 10 and 20 mph with higher gusts. A stronger surface high
pressure is set to move over the western Atlantic Wednesday and
Thursday. This surface high pressure will further enhance the local
pressure gradient and therefore the winds. Winds both days are
expected to range between 15 and 25 mph with higher gusts.
Even though the ridge aloft is expected to produce mainly fair
weather conditions most of the time period, the strong low-level
trade wind flow will transport patches of low-level moisture across
the area from time to time. This will result in brief trade wind
showers, mainly across portions of eastern PR and the USVI. Across
western PR, shower activity is expected to be limited as the strong
low-level flow will prevent the formation of sea breezes, which
would normally enhance activity.
.LONG TERM...Friday through Wednesday...
The aformentioned surface high pressure will promote breezy trade
winds especially across the local waters and coastal sections through
at least Friday. Surface winds will slowly diminish through the
weekend.
Although a mid-to-upper level ridge will promote a fair weather
pattern through the forecast period, patches of moisture embedded
in the trades will result in passing showers across the windward
sections from time to time. Forecast soundings continues to
suggest the presence of a strong trade wind inversion which is
consistence with drier than normal conditions at mid-to-upper
levels as GFS continues to suggest.
&&
.AVIATION...
Mainly VFR conditions are expected to prevail across all
terminals during the next 24 hours. Low-level cloud fragments could
result in -SHRA/VCSH across TJSJ/TIST/TNCM after 19/14z. A few brief
SHRA across western PR could result in VCSH across TJMZ after
19/18z. Surface winds below 10 knots through 19/14z, increasing to
15-20 kts with higher gusts from the E-ENE with some sea breeze
variations afterwards.
&&
.MARINE...
Mariners should exercise caution across most of the local waters
due to easterly winds between 15 and 20 knots and choppy seas up
to 6 feet. Small craft advisories continues in effect for the
Caribbean Offshore waters and Mona Passage due to seas between 5
and 7 feet with occasional seas up to 9 feet.
Migratory surface high pressure will deteriorate marine conditions
across most of the local waters as seas and winds are forecast to
increase between 6 and 8 feet and 15 to 25 knots, respectively.
These conditions are forecast to spread across most of the local
waters by Wednesday afternoon and continuing through the upcoming
weekend. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating
smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Once again, a fire danger statements (RFDSJU) will be issued
along the southern plains of Puerto Rico as RH values are expected
to drop significantly between Cabo Rojo and Camp Santiago Raws
Stations. The limiting factor will be a surge of moisture which is
expected to reach the local islands by this afternoon. However,
critical values could be reach before the arrival of this airmass.
A drying trend will continue to persist through much of the week.
Winds are expected to increase between Wednesday and Friday. KBDI
values shows that soils are significantly dry with values above
700 at Guanica and Camp Santiago. Given that the forecast calls
for the continuation of a relatively dry weather pattern and
increasing winds, the chance for fire weather conditions will
remain high through much of the work-week.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SJU 84 74 83 73 / 20 20 20 20
STT 84 74 84 73 / 20 30 30 20

