...POWERFUL PACIFIC STORM DEVELOPING OFF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST TONIGHT... AT 4 PM...A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND POWERFUL PACIFIC STORM WAS CENTERED ABOUT 300 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF POINT CONCEPTION. THIS STORM WILL MOVE EAST NORTHEAST TOWARD THE CENTRAL COAST THIS EVENING...THEN STALL JUST OFFSHORE. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING. GUSTS TO GALE FORCE HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED THIS AFTERNOON BY THE MONTEREY BAY AND CAPE SAN MARTIN BUOYS. GALE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS FROM PIGEON POINT TO POINT PIEDRAS BLANCAS...WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 KNOTS. IN ADDITION...LOCAL GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT FROM PIGEON POINT NORTHWARD TO POINT ARENA...AS WELL AS ACROSS MONTEREY AND SAN FRANCISCO BAYS. IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG WINDS...THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING...REDUCING VISIBILITY TO AS LOW AS ONE MILE AT TIMES. THE COMBINATION OF LOW VISIBILITY AND STEEP WIND DRIVEN SEAS WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS NAVIGATION TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL...PRODUCING LIGHTNING AND SQUALLY WINDS. MARINERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR AS THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.