An upper level ridge will begin to move inland tonight/Friday. A thermal trough remains positioned off the coast of Washington. Northerly winds (with easterlies in the Strait of Juan de Fuca) will continue through Friday. Gusty winds to 20 kt have been observed in Puget Sound and central Strait of Juan de Fuca waters this afternoon, but are expected to remain largely under criteria needed for a small craft advisory. However, the next approaching system for this weekend will increase gradients in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca Friday (with stronger easterly winds to 25 kt). A small craft advisory was issued Friday morning through the evening. Additional gusty winds are possible Saturday and Sunday with the next system. Seas remain around 3 to 6 ft through Saturday, before rising to 8 to 10 feet Sunday. HPR (Issued: 202 PM PDT Thu Apr 18 2024 by NOAA)