High Wind Warning 1, NWS Hanford, CA

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
234 AM PST Thu Jan 20 2022

.SYNOPSIS...
High pressure will continue until Friday and allow continued
chances of morning Tule Fog. Gusty northeast winds will be
possible in the Sierra Nevada by Friday afternoon until Saturday
morning as an inside slider passes through the Great Basin. Dry
weather is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Benign weather will continue throughout Central California due to
a prevailing ridge of high pressure until Friday, while high
temperatures will rise to several degrees above average again today.
The exception is patchy dense fog will develop in the San Joaquin
Valley once again this morning. While the ridge is expected to
weaken by Friday, valley fog could also develop in the morning
hours.

During Friday afternoon and evening, an upper-level low pressure
system will pass over the Great Basin as an inside-slider trough
and produce northeast flow over the mountain areas. This feature
will allow a slight lowering in afternoon high temperatures;
however, the primary impact due to this system will likely be
windy conditions over portions of the Sierra Nevada. Per blended
guidance, probabilities of gusty winds exceeding 50 mph have risen
considerably for locations in the higher elevations of the Sierra
Nevada, mainly towards Yosemite and south to Fresno County. Some
isolated gusts to 70 mph are also conceivable. So, confidence is
increasing in terms of this development. Later Friday evening into
Saturday, the upper-level low will pass south over the Colorado
River Valley and eventually over Baja California. Gusty northeast
winds will likely spread southward into Kern County as this system
progresses. Gusts around 50 to 55 mph with isolated stronger
gusts are also possible in these areas. It appears we could have a
brief break from valley fog, if enough atmospheric mixing occurs
with this system.

For Sunday into early next week, high pressure returns, and no
precipitation is projected. The possibility of morning/nighttime
dense fog returns to the Central Valley, although daytime highs
will remain above average.

&&

.AVIATION...
MVFR with local IFR to LIFR visibility in fog across the San
Joaquin Valley through 18z Thursday and possibly redeveloping
after 06Z Friday. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail across
the Central CA interior during the next 24 hours.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
On Thursday January 20 2022... Unhealthy for sensitive groups in
Fresno and Kern Counties.  Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning Status is:
No Burning Unless Registered in Kings... Madera... Merced and
Tulare Counties. No Burning For All in Fresno and Kern Counties.
Further information is available at Valleyair.org

&&

.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
an/or to provide feedback.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Wind Watch from Friday morning through late Friday night
for CAZ323-326.

&&

public...BSO
aviation....JDB

weather.gov/hanford