High Wind Warning 5, NWS Hanford, CA

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
439 AM PDT Fri Apr 15 2022

.SYNOPSIS...
Dry conditions and seasonable temperatures prevail today with
gusty winds in the Kern County mountain passes this morning.
A system will bring precipitation late tonight through Saturday
afternoon, mainly north of Kern County. Dry conditions, light
winds, and warmer temperatures are expected on Easter Sunday.

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.DISCUSSION...
Satellite loops show mostly clear skies at this time as yesterday's
storm system exits to the east and the next upstream system quickly
approaches from the eastern Pacific. Rainfall amounts were rather
paltry with only a few hundredths to around one tenth of an inch
measured, mainly around Yosemite NP. A good onshore flow continues
with the SFO-LAS surface pressure gradient around 12 mb. Westerly
wind gusts around 50 mph will continue in the Mojave Desert Slopes
and the Indian Wells Valley in Kern County, where a Wind Advisory
is in effect until 10 AM this morning. Mostly sunny skies should
prevail this afternoon with temperatures near normal for this time
of the year.

An upper trough located around 39N/140W will track east southeast
today and will begin to spread precipitation inland across central
California late tonight. Latest high resolution guidance shows the
precipitation beginning around Yosemite NP after midnight with an
increasing chance through the morning. The progressive zonal flow
will make this a relatively short-lived event with the bulk of the
precipitation occurring from sunrise to Noon. Decreasing showers
are expected during the afternoon then dry conditions by evening.
Unfortunately, Kern County looks to get little if any precipitation
from this system either. Rainfall amounts in the San Joaquin Valley
north of Kern County are generally expected to be a few hundredths
to one tenth of an inch, though isolated amounts up to two tenths
are possible north of Fresno County. The Sierra Foothills could
see up to one half of an inch of rainfall from Fresno County north.
Sierra QPF is as much as one inch liquid around Yosemite NP with
decreasing amounts to the south. A Winter Weather Advisory has been
issued for the Sierra above 6000 feet from 5am to 5pm Saturday with
snow accumulations of 3 to 9 inches and isolated amounts up to 12
inches possible over the higher elevations around Yosemite NP. It
will become windy again in the Kern County mountains and desert on
Saturday but the timing is still uncertain. Will allow the current
advisory for that area to expire later this morning before issuing
one for Saturday.

Upper ridging moves over on Sunday into Monday for dry weather and
lighter winds. Global ensembles bring a system over the Pacific NW
on Tuesday with a low chance for precipitation from Fresno County
northward. Ensembles show potential for a stronger system tracking
farther south around Thursday-Friday next week.

&&

.AVIATION...
Wind gusts up to 45 knots possible over the mountains in eastern
Kern County through 17z Friday. Otherwise, VFR conditions will
prevail over the Central California Interior for the next 24 hours.

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.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
an/or to provide feedback.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory until 10 AM PDT this morning for CAZ337-338.

Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM to 5 PM PDT Saturday for
CAZ323-326>330.

&&

DCH

weather.gov/hanford