High Wind Watch 1, NWS Hanford, CA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
1055 AM PST TUE FEB 15 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT THE AREA THIS WEEK.
WINTER CONDITIONS ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH MOUNTAIN SNOW AND VALLEY
RAIN...MAINLY WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
PARTLY SUNNY SKIES ACROSS THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR AS NEXT SYSTEM
GETS ORGANIZED OFF THE COAST. HAVE LOWERED POPS AND CLEARED OUT
SKY GRIDS FOR TODAY AND THIS EVENING AS MODELS ARE BRINGING IN
SYSTEM AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...WILL PROBABLY BE MORE TOWARDS
DAYBREAK ON WED. NO OTHER CHANGES TO SHORT TERM FORECAST OR THE
EXTENDED AT THIS TIME.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 225 AM PST TUE FEB 15 2011/

DISCUSSION...FORECAST AREA IS NOW FIRMLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A
CYCLONIC SOUTHWEST FLOW. A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS HAVE FORMED ALONG THE
COASTAL AREAS HOWEVER DUE TO OROGRAPHIC AFFECTS NONE HAVE MADE IT
INTO THE INTERIOR OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. FOR TODAY THE CHANCES OF
PRECIPITATION ARE SMALL AS THE COLD FRONT IS ONLY SLOWLY MOVING
SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. FORECAST MODELS ARE IN GOOD
AGREEMENT SLOWING THE PROGRESSION OF THE FRONT AND NOW BRING THE
BOUNDARY INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA LATE TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY
WEDNESDAY. LATEST FORECAST QPF STILL SHOWS 2-3 INCHES OF WATER
EQUIVALENT IN THE SIERRA AND SHOULD EASILY TRANSLATE INTO 2-3 FEET
OF SNOW. THE WINTER STORM WATCH WILL BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING
LATER THIS MORNING. THIS FIRST STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST
ON WEDNESDAY AND BY THURSDAY THE AREA WILL REMAIN IN A COLDER
AIRMASS HOWEVER FORECAST MODELS ARE NOT PROJECTING MUCH ADDITIONAL
QPF UNTIL LATER FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS A VERY COLD LOW MOVES DOWN
THE COAST. THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BRING SNOW TO RATHER LOW
ELEVATIONS AS THE AIRMASS ORIGINATES IN ALASKA. THIS WEEKEND COULD
BRING SOME MEMORABLE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FUTURE WATCHES
AND/OR WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE NECESSARY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
BY SUNDAY THE AREA SHOULD BE DRY AND THE LOW MOVES TO THE EAST.
MODELS DIVERGE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE GFS BRINGING YET ANOTHER
VERY COLD LOW SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ON MONDAY NIGHT
AND TUESDAY WHILE THE ECMWF MODEL KEEPS THIS SYSTEM WELL TO THE
NORTH. GET READY FOR SOME MORE WINTER.

&&

.AVIATION...
IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL WITH LIGHT RAIN SPREADING IN FROM THE NORTH AFTER 00Z
WEDNESDAY.
IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...VFR
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY...THEN PRECIPITATION
DEVELOPING WITH AREAS OF MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY.
IN THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH 18Z
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING CAZ096-097.

&&

PUBLIC...JDB
AVN/FW...SANGER
SYNOPSIS...BSO

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
345 AM PST TUE FEB 15 2011

CAZ096-097-161200-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
345 AM PST TUE FEB 15 2011

...WINTER STORM...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO SFOWSWHNX...OR WMO HEADER WWUS46 KHNX...FOR
MORE INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE WINTER STORM WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. ADDITIONAL STORM SYSTEMS COULD IMPACT THE AREA LATER THIS
WEEK INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND...PLEASE STAY TUNED AS FURTHER
STATEMENTS MAY BE ISSUED.

.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.

BSO