Strong Wind in California, March 13 to 14, 2008

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
503 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

.DISCUSSION...
COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH CENTRAL CA ATTM. SHOWERS HAVE BROKE OUT
ACROSS THE NRN PORTION OF THE CWA AND INTO THE SIERRA FROM FRESNO
COUNTY NORTH. SNOW LEVELS LOOK TO BE AROUND 9000 FEET. PRECIP IS
VERY LIGHT AND QPF DOES NOT LOOK TO BE ENOUGH TO WARRANT ANY
WINTER WEATHER STATEMENTS AT THIS TIME FOR YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL SEE PLENTY OF CLOUDS TODAY AND NOTICEABLY
COOLER TEMPERATURES FROM RECENT DAYS.

THE COOLING TREND WILL CONTINUE AS WINDS WILL PICK UP ACROSS THE
REGION LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL BE
THE FORECAST PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION. WINDS
ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY COULD GUST TO 35 MPH IN SOME OF
THE MORE NORMAL WINDY AREAS MAINLY ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR. WINDS
WILL ALSO PICK UP ACROSS THE SIERRA TODAY AS A STRONG JET APPROACHES
THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST IN ASSOCIATIOON WITHTHE COLD FRONT.
THE GRADIENTS ARE MARGINAL FOR WIND ADV CRITERIA TODAY IN THE
KERN CO MOUNTAINS AND DESERT REGION...BUT ISSUED ANYWAY AS A
PRECURSOR FOR THE ANTICIPATED STRONGER WINDS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS
TONIGHT. THE SYNOPTIC FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH A SFC LOW AND
GRADIENTS ARE NOT BEING SEEN IN THE MODELS AS A THE SFC LOW
REMAINS FAIRLY WEAK AND THE GRADIENTS ARE ONLY ABOUT 6 OR 7 MB
FROM BFL TO DAG. THE MARGINAL CONDITIONS WERE NOT ENOUGH TO ISSUE
A WARNING FOR THE DESERT REGION OF KERN COUNTY. THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL BE ASSOCIATED A VERY DYNAMIC JET THAT IS EXPECTED TO
CROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND WINDS WILL MIX DOWN AS THE
130 KT JET CROSSES THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT.

SATURDAY LOOKS INTERESTING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDER IN THE
VALLEY AS THE UPPER LOW SLIDES BY...MAINLY TO OUR WEST AND ALONG
THE COAST. THE H5 TEMPS GET COLD ENOUGH FOR POSSIBLE HAILERS AND
LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN SOME OF THE
STONGER STORMS. ONCE THE LOW PASSES BY SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO
SUNDAY THINGS WILL QUIET DOWN QUITE A BIT AS RIDGE BUILDS BACK IN
OVER THE REGION AND STICKS AROUND THROUGH THURSDAY BEFORE ANOTHER
WEAK TROUGH MOVES INTO THE PAC NW AND FLATTENS THE RIDGE SOME.
ZONAL FLOW SETS UP THURSDAY AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPS WITH DRY CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED.

&&

.AVIATION...LOCAL MVFR VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM
FRESNO COUNTY NORTHWARD DURING THE DAY. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH 12Z
FRIDAY. ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...STRONG WINDS
WILL EXIST FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NONE

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 9 PM PDT FRIDAY FOR CAZ095.

WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 AM PDT FRIDAY FOR
CAZ095.

WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM PDT FRIDAY FOR
CAZ098-099.

&&

PUBLIC...JDB
AVN/FW...MOLINA

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
443 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

CAZ089>094-140000-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
443 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY LATE EVENING. BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT NO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE.

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD

PEJ

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
333 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

CAZ089>092-131845-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
333 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TODAY AND BRING IN SOME
LOCALLY GUSTY NW WINDS TO 35 MPH...MAINLY ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF
THE VALLEY ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR. A FEW SHOWERS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE...MAINLY NORTH OF FRESNO COUNTY. A COLD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE
WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
SOME SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR
SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

CAZ093-094-131845-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
333 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TODAY AND BRING IN SOME
SHOWERS...MAINLY NORTH OF FRESNO COUNTY. A COLD AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY...THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING SOME SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...
MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS
SOURCE...FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.

CAZ096-097-131845-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
333 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

SNOW SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION TODAY WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF
SNOW POSSIBLE ABOVE 7000 FEET. WINDS WILL BE QUITE STRONG ACROSS
THE SIERRA TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET WILL
CROSS THE MOUNTAINS PRODUCING VERY STRONG WINDS ABOVE 6000 FEET. A
COLD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY
PRODUCING SNOW MAINLY ABOVE 5000 FEET...BUT SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP
TO AROUND 4000 FEET BY SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY AS THE LOW
EXITS. MOISTURE IS LIMITED WITH THE STORM AND NO WINTER WEATHER
WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM AT THIS TIME.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR
SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

CAZ095-131845-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
333 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE ADVISORY CRITERIA THIS MORNING AND
CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM THE
NW AT AROUND 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH BY MIDDAY. AS AN
UPPER LEVEL JET APPROACHES THE REGION OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...WINDS
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 50 TO 60 WITH GUSTS TO 75 MPH THROUGH
THE PASSES AND OVER THE CRESTS. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF
FRIDAY. A COLD UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY
NIGHT AND POTENTIALLY DROP SNOW LEVELS TO PASS LEVEL. THIS COULD
IMPACT TRAVEL THROUGH THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAIN PASSES SATURDAY
NIGHT... INCLUDING THE GRAPEVINE/INTERSTATE 5 AND THE TEHACHAPI
PASS/HIGHWAY 58.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR
SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

CAZ098-099-131845-
INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
333 AM PDT THU MAR 13 2008

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON. WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA WILL BE MET BY LATER TODAY AS W
WINDS DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 30 TO 40
MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH
THE NIGHT TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE WEAKENING.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR
SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

JDB

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD