SAIPAN — Saipan and Tinian get one more night of scattered showers and a mostly quiet Thursday before the weekend turns, according to the National Weather Service 6 p.m. forecast, with winds flipping to the west and seas building ahead of Tropical Depression 17W by Friday night.
Tonight brings mostly cloudy skies with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph and a 50 percent chance of showers, with locally heavy showers and gusty winds possible in thunderstorms and lows around 75. Thursday looks partly sunny with scattered showers, highs around 87 and shower chances easing to 30 percent — the calmest window left before the weekend and the day to finish storm preparations.
By Friday night into Saturday the forecast turns breezy, with west winds of 15 to 25 mph, mostly cloudy skies, locally heavy showers possible and shower chances back at 50 percent. Breezy, showery conditions continue Saturday night through the middle of next week as southwest flow takes over.
The marine forecast carries the sharper signal. Combined seas of 4 to 5 feet will persist through the week and begin building ahead of 17W, the weather service said, warning that a wetter weekend with elevated winds, locally heavy showers and potentially hazardous seas may be in store depending on the depression’s development, particularly for Tinian and Saipan. Saipan and Tinian waters jump to 6 to 8 feet Friday night with northwest winds gusting to 25 knots, then 7 to 9 feet Saturday through Sunday with southwest winds gusting to 30 knots. Rota waters build to 6 to 8 feet over the weekend.
Rota’s land forecast runs a touch drier, with isolated showers Thursday and Friday before southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph arrive Saturday.
At Tanapag Harbor, high tide reaches 2.0 feet at 12:06 a.m. Thursday with a low of 0.3 feet at 7:43 a.m. Sunrise Thursday is at 6:09 a.m., sunset at 6:40 p.m.
