National Weather Service San Juan PR
434 AM AST Mon Aug 14 2023
.SYNOPSIS...The local weather conditions will begin to dry out
today, and despite some shallow patches of moisture streaming
across the region, expect limited shower activity during the next
few days. A dense Saharan Dust Layer accompanying this drier air
mass will maintain hazy skies, with the highest concentrations
expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. While excessive rainfall risk
levels will decline during the next few days, excessive heat
hazard risks will pose a higher threat, with areas observing heat
index values exceeding 111 degrees. Moisture steered by a wind
surge and a subsequent tropical wave may enhance wetting rains by
the end of the work week, but conditions will likely dry out
during the weekend. Increasing winds will maintain choppy
conditions, with deteriorating hazardous seas likely by the end of
the week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday...
Overnight, some brief trade wind showers moved across eastern Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, dry air with particles of
Saharan Dust moved over the islands by late night, lowering the
chances for rainfall activity. Winds were generally out of the east,
around 5 and 10 mph. Low temperatures fell to around the upper 70s
to lower 80s across lower areas. While at higher elevations, they
range around the 70s.
Today, expect the Saharan Air Layer to continue to move in, as well
as some moisture at times, resulting in isolated to scattered
showers with hazy skies and reduced visibility. The latest
precipitable water models suggest around normal PW content across
the area. However, dust aerosol guidances now show optical depths
around 0.20 and 0.30 throughout the day. For that reason, no
significant rainfall is anticipated. During the day, the low and
urban areas of the islands are foreseen to experience heat indices
around 102 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. The southern, eastern
interior, and eastern sections of Puerto Rico will experience heat
indices greater than 108 degrees Fahrenheit, and for that reason, a
Heat Advisory was issued. However, the northern and western areas of
Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are
forecast to experience heat indices above 113 degrees. Therefore an
Excessive Heat Warning was issued for those areas. With these
conditions, heat exhaustion and heat strokes are possible, and we
urge people to follow the necessary precautions to avoid any of
those mentioned above. Although breezy conditions will continue due
to the robust high-pressure system that remains anchored over the
northern Atlantic, expect the movement of showers at times assisted
by the high-pressure system. The afternoon convection across western
Puerto Rico and the San Juan metro area could produce limited water
ponding across urban areas.
On Tuesday, expect an increase in Saharan Dust concentrations and a
significant decrease in visibilities. Below-normal precipitable
water values will prevail through mid-week. However, afternoon
convection across the western sections of Puerto Rico cannot be
ruled out. At this time, hot weather conditions are foreseen across
the islands. Therefore, heat advisories and warnings could be issued
during the period.
By mid-week, expect hot and hazy weather conditions to prevail again
across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
.LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday...
Based on the most recent model guidance, a transition from a dry
to a wet weather pattern is likely between Thursday and Friday,
followed by drying again during the weekend into early the
following week. On Thursday, a persistent drier air mass
accompanied by a dense Saharan Air Layer, with aerosol optical
depth (AOD) values of 0.20-0.30, will gradually be replaced by a
moist air mass. Despite variations in AOD values, particularly
during the wettest periods, conditions will remain hazy through
the end of the period. Increased moisture levels, generated by a
wind surge and subsequent tropical wave, should enhance showers
with thunderstorm activity and an increased excessive rainfall
risk between Thursday night and Friday night. This wet period will
be short-lived, replaced by yet another drier air mass invading
the northeastern Caribbean region from the east from Saturday
onwards. Total Precipitable Water (PWAT) values will range from
around 1.8 inches on Thursday morning to approximately 2.4 inches
by Friday afternoon, followed by a gradual drop in PWAT, falling
as low as 1.4 inches by Monday. Despite these variations,
afternoon showers with isolated thunderstorm development are
likely each day, even during dry periods, as shallow moisture
patches stream across the region steered by generally easterly
winds. Wind and excessive heat hazard risks will prevail through
the long-term forecast period, with the highest impacts across
coastal areas and lower elevations, where wind speeds and heat
index values can reach the 15-25 mph and 108-111 degrees range,
respectively.
&&
.AVIATION...VFR at all terminals. HZ will prevail across all
terminals after 14/12Z. At 14/17Z TJBQ will experience brief MVFR
conditions due to Isold VCTS and HZ. SFC Wnd fm E 15-20 kts with hir
gusts btw 24-28 kts especially near/with TS. Winds will decrease to
less than 14 kts after 13/22Z.
&&
.MARINE...Recent CariCOOS buoy network observations around Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands indicated steady seas between 2
and 5 feet. Deteriorating marine conditions are likely today, and
small craft should exercise caution due to seas up to 6 feet
and/or winds up to 20 knots, mainly across the Atlantic and
Caribbean waters of Puerto Rico, Mona Passage, and Anegada
Passage. Seas should remain at 5 feet or below with winds up to 15
knots elsewhere across the local waters. Increasing winds may
yield hazardous marine conditions for small craft by the end of
the workweek. There is a moderate rip current risk beaches of
northern, eastern, southeastern, and southwestern Puerto Rico,
Vieques, Culebra, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.