907 FXUS66 KLOX 131807 AAA AFDLOXArea Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA 1107 AM PDT Mon Oct 13 2025
updated aviation discussion
.SYNOPSIS...13/330 AM.
An early season storm system in the Pacific Northwest will dig south into the region through Tuesday. Periods of rain and high elevation snow, heavy at times, will develop from north to south from this afternoon through Tuesday. Gusty southerly winds are likely to develop this evening through Tuesday ahead of and along the system`s cold front. Cooler temperatures with drier conditions will linger into Thursday, then a warming trend will develop for the end of the week.
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.SHORT TERM (TDY-WED)...13/917 AM.
***UPDATE***
The forecast remains generally on track. The peak of the storm remains focused on tonight through Tuesday afternoon. There may be a few modifications to the finer details based on the early assessments of the latest projections. Rain rate forecasts will likely be increased, especially for any south and southwest facing slopes. Nearly every high resolution model is showing streaks of heavy rain moving through the region, and while not every area will see them, these narrow bands could happen anywhere. Several of the projections are now showing the rain the organizing and intensifying as it swings into LA County, which is concerning for the recent burn scars - especially the Eaton and Bridge scars.
The severe weather threat also remains. Still seeing several signatures (the trajectory of the low, the diffluence aloft, the high shear environment) for supercell thunderstorms with several high resolution models resolving finer scale parameters conducive of isolated strong downdraft winds and/or weak tornadoes (updraft helicity being one of them).
What should people do? For tonight through Tuesday: Avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors as much as possible, especially if you hear thunder, see lightning, or experience sudden wind shifts. Avoid parking near tall trees. Be ready for sudden power outages. Avoid the roads as much as possible, and if you have to drive, allow extra time as traffic will be increased due to slippery roads, low visibility, and localized flooding. If you are near a burn scar, there is a risk of significant debris flows. Heed the advice of local officials, and expect at the very least mud and debris on some roads. Boaters, please stay in safe harbor. For everyone, stay tuned to your local news outlet and weather.gov for any updates.
***From Previous Discussion***
The latest satellite imagery shows an upper-level trough digging south off the Oregon coast early this morning. A cold frontal boundary can be seen stretching from near Portland, Oregon out to the southwest and west. This frontal boundary and the associated upper-level trough will dig south through Tuesday, bottoming out over Central California Tuesday afternoon. Light to moderate pre- frontal rain could start over the Southland as early as this evening, but the heaviest rainfall is expected along the cold front, which will arrive along the Central Coast late this afternoon and early this evening. With high-resolution multi-model ensemble members all indicating rain spreading over the region spreading north to south from this afternoon through Tuesday afternoon, PoPs have been nudged higher to between 90 and 100 percent along the frontal boundary. Virtually every location in the four county area will receive measurable rainfall through Tuesday morning.
Storm total rainfall amounts are expected to range from 0.75 inch to 1.50 inches for the coastal and valleys with up 1.50 to 3.00 inches in the mountains. Local amounts to 4.00 inches are possible along south-facing slopes across the Southland and into Santa Ynez Range in Santa Barbara County. There is less certainty with convective elements of the band, but there is moderate to high confidence that a burst of heavy rainfall with a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) will develop overnight tonight into Tuesday. Rainfall totals could go higher than the range stated if the front slows down over the region and could be less than the range stated if the front accelerates through the region. A difluent flow pattern aloft will aid lift as the front approaches the region and possibly allow for isolated thunderstorms to develop. Rainfall rates will generally range between 0.25-0.50 inch per hour, but some of the higher resolution models continue to indicate potentially higher rates of 0.50-1.00 inch per hour or greater. Sub-hourly rates could be quite intense with the possibility that some locations could receive a third to two- thirds of an inch of rainfall in a very short time. A Flood Watch remains in effect for the recent burn areas from 8 pm tonight through 3 pm Tuesday as rainfall rates could reach or exceed USGS thresholds for area burn scars. Significant mud and debris flows from recent burn scars, including the Gifford, Madre, Lake, Palisades, Franklin, Eaton, and Bridge burn scars could develop.
With the difluent flow pattern aloft and the thunderstorm potential in place, periods of heavy rainfall, dangerous lightning, and gusty winds will be in play with this storm. Marginal wind shear parameters are present for the potential for weak tornadoes or waterspouts to develop tonight along the Central Coast and late tonight and early Tuesday morning along the South Coast of California. Slightly more favorable directional and speed shear develops across the Southland after midnight tonight through mid- morning on Tuesday. The topographic features of the Los Angeles Basin and the Greater South Coast Basin can enhance wind shear parameters and aid tornadic development in storms. As colder air mass aloft moves into the region on Tuesday afternoon and evening, the potential for brief heavy downpours with small hail could enter the picture, while gusty and erratic winds and dangerous lightning will continue to be hazards.
Southerly winds will increase through today and tonight ahead of the front. There is the possibility of high wind warning level winds across the mountains tonight and into Tuesday morning, especially given the possibility of the QLCS moving over the region tonight. Downburst winds with the convective system, should it develop, could down trees, tree limbs, and power lines. For now, a wind advisory was added for the Antelope Valley and adjacent foothills from noon today through 10 pm tonight for pre- frontal winds. The greatest area of concern would be the potential for mountain wave activity along the interior slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains this afternoon and evening. Foothill communities such as Valyermo, Pearblossom, Crystalaire, and Lake Palmdale may be particularly vulnerable given the wind direction.
With colder air aloft moving in along the front, light to moderate snowfall accumulations are possible above the 6000 foot elevation level and when combined with the winds along the front, travel could end up being treacherous at times on high mountain roadways, such as the Angeles Crest Highway and Lockwood Valley Road. A Winter Weather Advisory was considered for the higher elevations of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Ventura County mountains, but given the marginal conditions, the decision was tabled for now to allow for more data to arrive. Snowfall amounts could range between 1 and 4 inches with this storm with isolated amounts up to 6 inches.
There is an outside chance that the shower threat could linger across the Los Angeles Basin into Wednesday as the trailing vort max moves over the region. Drier conditions should develop through the day with cooler temperatures lingering across the region for Wednesday.
.LONG TERM (THU-SUN)...13/331 AM.
Weak to locally moderate offshore flow should set up between Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Currently, winds look to be sub-advisory for Thursday morning and no advisories looks to issued. The first frost of the season could occur for some interior valley and wind sheltered areas on Thursday morning as clear skies will make radiative cooling processes much more efficient. Patchy frost was added to a few spots in the Antelope Valley and the San Luis Obispo County interior valleys, but this will need to looked at closer as we move forward into the week.
Otherwise, high pressure aloft building into the region will bring a warming trend for late week. Temperatures could warm to near normal on Friday or Saturday.
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.AVIATION...13/1805Z.
At 1715Z at KLAX, the marine layer was 5000 ft deep. The top of the inversion was near 5800 ft with a temperature of 8 deg C.
Low confidence overall in the 18Z TAFs.
Expecting SHRA after 00Z Tue along Central Coast and after about 03Z-05Z for VTU/L.A. Counties with MVFR conditions at times. Around a 40% chance of TSRA during this timeframe for KPRB, KSBP, KSMX, & KSBA, with a 20%-30% chance elsewhere later this evening thru late tonight. Expect visibility reductions under heavy rainfall. Brief IFR conditions cannot be ruled out.
LLWS and turbulence is possible as front approaches and near any thunderstorms that develops.
Low to moderate confidence in wind forecasts. Wind gusts may be off 5 to 10 knots and/or direction by 30 degrees, especially for coast and valley sites after 00Z Tuesday - as front approaches.
KLAX...Low to moderate confidence in the 18Z TAF. MVFR CIGs 015- 025 common thru much of the period. Reduced visibility due to heavy rainfall likely as strong storms arrive with front. Conditions may fall to IFR at times with the front later tonight. There is a 20%-30% chance of a thunderstorm from 05Z to 13Z Tue. There is a 90% chance of an east wind component reaching up to 15 knots thru 21Z today, and a 40% chance of an east wind component of 10-15 knots at times 05Z-18Z.
KBUR...Low to moderate confidence in 18Z TAF. Reduced visibility due to heavy rainfall likely as strong storms arrive with front. Conditions may fall to IFR at times from 06Z to 15Z Tuesday. 20%-30% chance of a thunderstorm 06Z-12Z tonight.
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.MARINE...13/830 AM.
This afternoon through Tuesday afternoon, a storm system and associated cold front will move across the region. This will bring a 20-40% chance of thunderstorms across all the coastal waters during that timeframe. Any thunderstorms that form may be capable of frequent cloud to surface lightning, gusty and erratic winds, small hail, and even a waterspout. Please see the latest Marine Weather Statement (LAXMWSLOX) for further details.
Small Craft Advisory (SCA) level seas over the outer waters will diminish this afternoon. SCA winds are possible (50% chance) with the cold front later tonight into Tuesday morning, then decreasing from the west behind the front late Tuesday morning through Tuesday night. Wednesday through Thursday increasing NW winds will likely reach SCA levels once again. Best chances south of Point Conception.
For the inner waters south of Point Conception, S to SW winds increasing to SCA levels are expected across the area mainly tonight into Tuesday morning as the front approaches and moves through the region.
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.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CA...Flood Watch remains in effect from 8 PM PDT this evening through Tuesday afternoon for zones 38-88-342-344-345-348-353-355-358-362-368>375-377>380-548. (See LAXFFALOX). Wind Advisory in effect until 10 PM PDT this evening for zones 381>383. (See LAXNPWLOX). PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until noon PDT today for zone 676. (See LAXMWWLOX).
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PUBLIC...Hall/Kittell AVIATION...Sirard MARINE...Sirard SYNOPSIS...Hall
weather.gov/losangeles
Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=lox
NWS LOX Office Area Forecast Discussion