High Wind in California, November 23 to 24, 2018

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford CA
325 PM PST Fri Nov 23 2018

.SYNOPSIS...Showers will continue over mainly the higher
elevations tonight into Saturday. Dry weather is expected
Sunday into Tuesday with patchy late night fog in the San
Joaquin Valley. A storm system will bring a return of wet
weather to the central California interior by the middle
of next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...The storm system that brought the season's first
big snowfall to the high Sierra and a good soaking rain to most
lower elevations has left a good deal of cloudiness in its wake
over much of the central California interior. A northwesterly
flow aloft that resides over the Golden State will carry another
cold frontal system through our district tonight with additional
showers. Precipitation with this system will be relatively meager
compared to its Wednesday night predecessor. Nonetheless, the
higher elevations of the Sierra will get a few to several more
inches of snow before this cold front exits south and east of our
CWA late tonight. New snow accumulations in the Sierra above 7,000
feet will range from 2 to 5 inches in the Tulare county mountains
to as much as a foot in Yosemite National Park. Isolated to
scattered showers will occur elsewhere over our CWA tonight outside
of the Kern county desert with rain amounts generally under a
tenth of an inch. Otherwise, skies will remain rather cloudy over
much of the central California interior through the first half of
this weekend under a prevailing northwesterly flow aloft. Minimum
temperatures will continue to run milder than normal through
Saturday night while maximum temperatures stay seasonably cool.
A few light showers could linger in the upslope areas of our CWA
into Saturday evening, especially in the Tehachapi mountains and
may be accompanied by some fog. Areas of the San Joaquin Valley
that become mostly clear for a time Saturday night could end up
foggy by daybreak Sunday, especially north of Kern county.
Something valley motorists should keep in mind if they're
planning an early start back home from their Thanksgiving visit
with family and friends. Otherwise, Sunday should turn out
mostly sunny with no major weather woes as an upper level ridge
of high pressure builds inland from the Pacific.

Fog will likely become more prolific in the San Joaquin Valley
Sunday night into Monday morning under mostly clear skies and nearly
calm wind. Morning commuters could be impacted by travel delays
in the San Joaquin Valley Monday because of the fog. The threat of
dense fog could recur in the south valley late Monday night into
Tuesday morning even though the upper level ridge axis gravitates
into southern California.

Tuesday will bring an increase in cloudiness as another storm
system approaches from the Northwest. Although the models differ
on timing with this system, both the GFS and ECM agree that it
will bring a return of significant rain and high Sierra snow
during the mid to later part of next week. A strong zonal flow
aloft will become established over central California Tuesday
through Wednesday. A rich plume of moisture will be embedded
in this westerly flow, but it will be difficult to ascertain
exactly where this atmospheric river sets up early next week. At
this time it appears that the northern half of our CWA (Fresno
county north) will have the best chance of wet weather from
Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday. As the offshore storm
deepens and moves inland, wet weather will likely overspread the
remainder of the central California Wednesday evening and continue
through Thursday evening. The models forecast this storm to exit
into the Great Basin next Friday with clouds and light precip
lingering behind it over mainly the foothills and mountains.
Brisk westerly winds may also occur in the wake of this storm
system in the Kern county mountains and desert next Friday.

&&

.AVIATION...
In the San Joaquin Valley, areas of MVFR and local IFR conditions as
showers move south through 12Z Saturday. MVFR ceilings with areas of
IFR will prevail over the western slopes of the Sierra. Areas of
LIFR and mountain obscurations can be expected over the higher
elevations of the Sierra. VFR conditions will prevail elsewhere over
the central CA interior during the next 24 hours.

&&

.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...
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening CAZ096.

&&

public...Durfee
avn/fw...JEB
synopsis...Durfee

weather.gov/hanford