Funnel Cloud in California, March 19, 2020

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
400 AM PDT Thu Mar 19 2020

.SYNOPSIS...Scattered mainly light showers over our area today,
otherwise mostly dry and seasonably mild conditions will prevail
through the first half of the weekend. A storm system will bring
rain and mountain snow to the region from late Sunday through the
middle of next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
An upper level trough continues to swing through the region this
morning, with a lobe of energy tracking away from southern
California while another is dropping into central California. Some
scattered mainly light showers associated with the passing system
have been drifting westward across our area overnight, staying
mostly north of kern County. Rainfall amounts have mostly been a
few hundredths of an inch or less, but as much as a couple of
tenths has fallen in the Sierra north of Kings Canyon, with snow
levels down as low as 4500 feet.

The trough is progged to slowly lift and fill through tonight, and
with the weak low over the area we should see some additional
shower development today before tapering off this evening. Some of
the developing shower activity will produce locally heavier
precipitation amounts, but still, total rain and snow
accumulations are forecast to remain below significant thresholds.

Friday will bring a few degrees of warming, with temperatures
climbing to near climo, then warming a few more degrees Saturday.
Both days will be mainly dry, except a weak impulse swinging
inland Friday could bring increased clouds and a few light showers
to portions of the Sierra and the Kern County mountains and
desert during Friday afternoon and evening.

Additional incoming energy brings more precipitation chances to
central California Sunday into Monday, followed by another trough
dropping through the region Tuesday and Wednesday. This will mean
more significant precipitation amounts, with a few feet of snow
accumulation in the higher Sierra elevations during the first half
of next week. By Wednesday, snow levels could drop down as low as
around 3000 feet, where a few inches of snow may accumulate.
Lower elevations including portions of the San Joaquin Valley
could see around an inch or more of rainfall during the Sunday
through Wednesday period. As certainty in timing and precipitation
amounts increases, watches/warnings/advisories can be expected
for this incoming weather.

&&

.AVIATION...In the mountains and foothills, areas of MVFR and
local mountain obscuring IFR in showers and upslope clouds through
06Z Fri. MVFR possible in scattered showers across the SJV and
the desert zones through 03Z Fri. Otherwise, VFR conditions will
prevail 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...
None.
&&

public...JEB
aviation....JEB

weather.gov/hanford