Lightning Strike in California, July 30, 2003

INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
830 PM PDT TUE JUL 29 2003

A RATHER EVENTFUL DAY FOR SUMMER IN INTERIOR CALIFORNIA HAS
TRANSITIONED INTO AN INTERESTING EVENING AS WELL.  DESPITE AN
ABUNDANCE OF MID AND UPPER LEVEL CLOUDINESS...THE MERCURY STILL
MANAGED AN OPPRESSIVE 106 DEGREES AT FRESNO AND 105 DEGREES AT
BAKERSFIELD...JUST TO NAME A COUPLE. FRESNO ACHIEVED ITS 21ST DAY OF
THE MONTH AT OR ABOVE THE CENTURY MARK...WITH 16 OF THOSE BEING
CONSECUTIVE. THE RECORD NUMBER OF DAYS FOR 100 DEGREE OR ABOVE
WEATHER IN JULY AT FRESNO STANDS AT 28...WITH RECORD CONSECUTIVE 100
DEGREE OR GREATER TEMPS ANYTIME DURING THE YEAR BEING 20 DAYS. ALSO
NOTEWORTHY...THE MORNING LOW TEMPERATURE AT BAKERSFIELD...87
DEGREES...IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR AN ALL TIME RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR
THE CITY SHOULD THE TEMPERATURE FAIL TO FALL BELOW THAT THRESHOLD IN
THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THIS LOOKS QUITE PROBABLE AS EVEN AT 8 PM THE
TEMPERATURE IS STILL 100.

CONVECTION ONCE AGAIN BOILED OVER THE SIERRA MOUNTAINS AND KERN
COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. 00Z RAOBS FROM OAKLAND AND VANDENBERG
SHOW IMPRESSIVELY DEEP EASTERLY FLOW EXTENDING FROM 700 MB AND
ABOVE. PW VALUES APPROACHING 2 INCHES IN THE COLUMN AT VANDENBERG
OFFER FURTHER TESTAMENT TO THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE RIDING INTO
CALIFORNIA. THE COPIOUS MOISTURE AND FAVORABLE WINDS ALLOWED FOR
THUNDERSTORMS TO DRIFT AWAY FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND INTO THE
VALLEY...WHERE AVAILABLE MID EVENING REPORTS WERE TYPICALLY A TRACE.
THE RAWS SITE AT JOHNSONDALE...AT 4700 FEET IN EASTERN TULARE
COUNTY...REGISTERED 0.56 INCH IN AN HOURS TIME.

THIS EVENING/S SATPIX STILL INDICATE COOLING CLOUD TOPS ACROSS THE
COLORADO RIVER IN RESPONSE TO AN IMPULSE SKIRTING OUT OF ARIZONA
INTO SOCAL. SINCE THIS FEATURE WILL EVENTUALLY CLIP THE SOUTHERN
PORTION OF OUR CWA BY AROUND 12Z...WOULDN/T BE SURPRISED TO SEE
NOCTURNAL CONVECTION DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS/DESERTS OF KERN COUNTY LATER TONIGHT. SINCE DYNAMICAL
FORCING APPEARS TO HAVE AIDED CONSIDERABLY IN THIS EVENING/S
EPISODE...RATHER THAN PURELY HEATING AND OROGRAPHICS...WILL RETAIN
CURRENT PACKAGE MAINTAINING POPS FOR ALL ZONES OVERNIGHT.

OTHER WEAK DISTURBANCES ARE PROGGED TO RIDE THIS FLOW INTO THE
REGION TOMORROW...SO EXPECT A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF CONVECTION. WHAT
IS LESS CERTAIN IS THE IMPACT ON TEMPERATURES. GOING FORECAST
INDICATES COOLING TREND COMMENCING TOMORROW...WITH THE GFS BEING A
BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE. ETA MOS STILL HAS A 103 HIGH FORECAST FOR
FRESNO...AND WITH CLOUD IMPACT BEING NEGLIGIBLE THUS FAR...THINK A
WARMER SOLUTION IS PROBABLY BEST. STILL HOLDING OUT HOPE FOR SOME
RELIEF...AS A WEAK UPPER LOW OFF THE BAJA COAST SCOOTS NORTHWARD AND
DEEPENS THE MARINE LAYER ALONG THE COAST.  SURFACE P-GRADS PROJECTED
TO TIGHTEN SUFFICIENTLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT SO THAT THURSDAY SHOULD BE A
MARGINALLY COOLER DAY.

.HNX...NONE.

BURGER

CAZ089>099-301230-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
530 AM PDT TUE JUL 29 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS TODAY. THERE ALSO
EXISTS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR. ANY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN
SIERRA NEVADA WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
THERE IS SLIGHT RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ENTIRE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA INTERIOR.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.