Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS San Joaquin Valley, CA

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FXUS66 KHNX 120936
AFDHNX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
236 AM PDT Tue Mar 12 2024

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1. A storm system will bring generally light precipitation through
this afternoon, mainly over the Sierra from Fresno County northward.

2. Gusty westerly winds will occur along the Mojave Desert Slopes
through early Wednesday morning and spread into the desert floor
Tuesday afternoon and evening.

3. There are increasing odds of strong northeasterly winds over
the mountains and desert from Wednesday evening through Thursday.

4. A warming and drying trend will occur Wednesday through early
next week. High temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley are forecast
to climb to around 80 degrees by next Monday and Tuesday, around
10 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
An upper trough is moving over northern California this morning.
The southern end of the system will bring a chance for generally
light precipitation today, mainly from Fresno County northward.
Most of the precipitation will occur over the Sierra Nevada with
snow levels around 6500 feet. QPF is up to one half of an inch
in Yosemite NP tapering to around one tenth of an inch in Kings
Canyon NP. Snowfall amounts up to 5 inches are forecast around
Yosemite NP. Rainfall amounts across the San Joaquin Valley are
expected to be less than one tenth of an inch.

Westerly winds are increasing across the Mojave Desert slopes
where a Wind Advisory is in effect until 8 AM Wednesday. Gusts
to around 55 mph are expected. Wind gusts will increase across
the desert this afternoon and evening where a Wind Advisory is
in effect from 3 PM to Midnight for westerly gusts around 45 mph.
The trough will shift east over the Great Basin on Wednesday and
then dive south over the Colorado River Valley Wednesday night
and Thursday. This will set up a Mono Wind pattern with strong
northeasterly gusts developing along the Sierra Nevada Wednesday
evening and continuing through Thursday. The NBM 50th percentile
24hr max wind gust shows around 60 knots along the Sierra crest.
It will become a little windy across the San Joaquin Valley on
Wednesday with northerly gusts from 20 to 30 mph.

East Pacific upper ridging will build inland this weekend for a
warming trend into early next week. High temperatures across the
San Joaquin Valley are forecast to climb into the middle 70s this
weekend and near 80 degrees early next week. Here are some NBM
probabilities for a high temperature of at least 80 degrees for
some locations in the SJ Valley next Monday and Tuesday.

               Monday     Tuesday

Merced11%21%
Madera26%36%
Fresno41%51%
Hanford26%41%
Visalia26%36%
Bakersfield16%26%

&&

.AVIATION...
Areas of mountain snow and obscurations, or IFR, in and around
Yosemite National Park until 00Z Wed. Westerly winds with gusts
around 45 kts along the Mojave Desert Slopes until 15Z Wed with
gusts of 35 to 40 kts spreading into the desert floor from 22Z
Tues until 07Z Wed. Otherwise, VFR conditions prevailing across
the Central California Interior for the next 24 hours.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
None.

&&

.CERTAINTY...

The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is medium.
The level of certainty for days 3 through 7 is medium.

Certainty levels include low...medium...and high. Please visit
www.weather.gov/hnx/certainty.html for additional information
and/or to provide feedback.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory until 8 AM PDT Wednesday for CAZ338.
Wind Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to midnight PDT tonight
for CAZ337-339.
&&

$$

DCH

weather.gov/hanford


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