Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS San Joaquin Valley, CA

000
FXUS66 KHNX 222114
AFDHNX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
214 PM PDT Mon Apr 22 2024


.KEY MESSAGES...
1. High temperatures peak today with most of the Valley at 25 to 55
percent chance of 90 degrees or higher with lower values north
of Fresno and closer to the foothills.

2. Cooling trend expected Tuesday through Friday.

3. A few thunderstorms possible in the Sierra Nevada on Wednesday.

4. The next storm system may impact the area Friday into
Saturday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Today will be another dry day with well-above-normal high
temperatures across central California under the influence of
a west coast ridge of high pressure. Some San Joaquin Valley
locations this afternoon will reach 90 degrees for the first
time this year. Here are probabilities of reaching at least
90 degrees today for a few San Joaquin Valley sites:

Bakersfield - 56%
Fresno - 56%
Visalia - 51%
Delano - 51%
Lemoore - 46%
Hanford - 41%
Porterville - 31%

Satellite loops show weak shortwave energy approaching the
California coast, heralding a change from our current dry and
unseasonably warm conditions. This shortwave impulse will begin
to weaken and displace the ridge ahead of another approaching
low pressure system, which will push into the California coast
Wednesday and swing through the southwest US by Thursday.
As a result, we will see around 6 to 12 degrees of cooling
tomorrow. Temperatures will lower another few degrees Wednesday,
with afternoon highs right around normal for Wednesday and
Thursday. The passing system will also bring as much as 20 to
30 percent probabilities for showers and a few thunderstorms
over the Sierra zones from around Sequoia National Park
northward.

By Friday, another low pressure trough is progged to drop
southeast through the Great Basin region, clipping our area
and creating 30 to 50 percent probabilities for showers and
thunderstorms in the in the Sierra north of Kern County, while
foothill communities will see 15 to 25 percent chances. QPF is
generally light, with high end amounts(10% chance) of just a few
hundredths in the San Joaquin Valley and around one quarter
inch into the foothills. Snow levels will be around 6500-7500 ft
during this time, and high end(10% chance) snowfall amounts max
out at just 2-4 inches.

We can expect periods of gusty winds with the passing systems as
well, especially during the afternoon and evenings Friday and
Saturday, when probabilities for wind gusts of at least 41 knots
are as much as 70-90 percent in the Kern County mountain and
desert areas and across the Coastal Range.

Dry conditions can be expected after Friday, with temperatures
trending up to a few degrees above normal for the start of next
week.

&&


.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will prevail throughout Central California for
at least the next 24 hours.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...

None.



&&

.CERTAINTY...

The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is high.
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...
None.
&&

$$

Public/Aviation/Fire Weather...JEB
PIO/DSS....BSO

weather.gov/hanford