Severe Thunderstorm Warning 15, NWS Hanford, CA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
858 AM PST MON DEC 15 2008

.UPDATE...NO CHANGES TO FCSTS THIS MRNG. SNOW LEVELS RUNNING ABOUT
1500 IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS...2K IN THE TEHACHAPIS...3K IN THE
KERN DESERTS. DONT EXPECT MUCH CHANGE THE REST OF THE DAY...EXCEPT
HEAVIER SHOWERS COULD BRING THEM BRIEFLY DOWN ANOTHER 1K.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...A SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM PUSHING INTO
THE WEST COAST IS BRINGING CONSIDERABLE PRECIPITATION TO INTERIOR
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH RAINFALL TOTALS ARE COMMON IN
THE VALLEY SO FAR...WITH SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS HAVE SEEN SNOW LEVELS LOWERED TO AROUND 2500 FEET WHERE
A FEW INCHES HAVE ACCUMULATED...WITH UP TO A FOOT OR MORE LIKELY
AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. THE INITIAL PRECIPITATION AREA ENHANCED
BY THE UPPER JET PASSING TO THE SOUTH IS NOW MOSTLY AFFECTING THE
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT WITH SNOW FALLING DOWN TO AROUND
PASS LEVEL AND REACHING THE HIGHER DESERT ELEVATIONS.

PERIODS OF SNOW AND LOWER ELEVATION RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO
WEDNESDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE INLAND. SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF A FEW TO SEVERAL FEET ARE EXPECTED OVER THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS...WITH UP TO A FOOT OR TWO IN THE FOOTHILLS
BEFORE THE AMOUNTS BEGIN TO TAPER OFF AFTER THIS EVENING. THE
WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS THROUGH 10 PM TONIGHT. AS THE VERY COLD AIR ALOFT
WITH THIS SYSTEM MOVES OVERHEAD...DESTABILIZATION MAY BE
SUFFICIENT FOR A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS
TODAY AND TUESDAY.

TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW CLIMO INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS
ADDITIONAL IMPULSES MAINTAIN THE TROUGHY PATTERN OVER THE
REGION. FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE VALLEY
THURSDAY MORNING BETWEEN SYSTEMS. A SYSTEM BRUSHING THE DISTRICT
FRIDAY/SATURDAY WILL BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION TO
MAINLY THE YOSEMITE AREA...THEN ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BE
NEARING THE DISTRICT BY THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...SNOW SHOWERS WILL PRODUCE MAINLY IFR CONDITIONS
IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY. LOCAL LIFR
CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS. VFR
CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE WITH LOCAL MVFR CEILINGS
IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE KERN COUNTY DESERT THROUGH 18Z
TUESDAY. ADDITIONALLY...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AREA POSSIBLE IN THE
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS BETWEEN 19Z TODAY AND 00Z
TUESDAY.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR CAZ093>097.

&&

PUBLIC...BINGHAM
AVN/FW...DS

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
515 AM PST MON DEC 15 2008

CAZ093>097-160600-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
515 AM PST MON DEC 15 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS
AND THE FOOTHILLS AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
NEVADA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING FOR
THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE FOOTHILLS AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS
OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION PLEASE SEE
SFOWSWHNX OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX.

THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE FOOTHILLS
OF THE SIERRA NEVADA TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF
THE SIERRA NEVADA TUESDAY. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS
EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

CAZ089>092-160600-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
515 AM PST MON DEC 15 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE SOUTHERN AND
CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE SOUTHERN AND
CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY TUESDAY. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS
WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

OCHS

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD