High Wind in California, November 25 to 26, 2020

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
125 PM PST Wed Nov 25 2020

.UPDATE...Updated the Air Quality Section.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...Dry weather can be expected over the district through
at least the middle of next week. A cold airmass will move into
the central California interior tonight accompanied by locally
gusty winds in the mountains, desert and the west side of the San
Joaquin Valley. Frost and below freezing temperatures are likely
over much of the San Joaquin Valley and the Kern County desert
Thursday night and successive nights through at least the weekend
with seasonably cool afternoons.

&&

.DISCUSSION...You'd hardly know it, but a moisture deficient cold
front is moving southward through the central California interior
this afternoon with little more than some cirrus clouds. The front
will be south of our CWA by this evening and it will usher in a
much drier and colder air mass during the next 24 hours. In the
wake of this front, northwesterly breezes will be locally gusty
over the western third of the San Joaquin Valley through
Thanksgiving Day where some blowing dust is possible. Brisk
westerly winds over the mountains and desert will become northeast
tonight behind this cold front and could locally gust up to 45
mph over the higher ridges as well as some canyons and passes.
The foothills and higher elevations of the Sierra from Fresno
county northward face the greatest risk of strong winds later
tonight into Thursday. There are still plenty of dead, standing
trees in this region and a few of them could be blown down by gusty
winds early Thursday morning.  Meanwhile, clouds will bank up along
the western slopes of the Tulare County mountains and the north
facing slopes of the Kern County mountains later tonight into
Thanksgiving morning.

Mostly clear skies and light winds will prevail over the CWA
Thursday night through at least the weekend as an upper level
ridge of high pressure moves in over the Golden State. This will
set the stage for frost and sub freezing temperatures in much of
the San Joaquin Valley and the Kern County desert Friday morning
and again Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Thermometer
readings could dip as low as the mid teens in the desert and the
mid 20s in the San Joaquin Valley any of those nights, especially
this weekend. Temperatures should recover close to seasonable
levels under sunny skies each of those afternoons.

The models forecast a short wave trough to trek eastward through
the Pacific Northwest early next week. Although the deepest
moisture with this system appears as though it will remain
pretty far north, it could brush the northernmost part of our CWA
with some light precipitation Monday evening. We're opting for
model consensus at this time and are keeping the forecast dry for
now. Otherwise, the upper level ridge will get flattened by the
passage of this trough to our north early next week before it
builds back over central California on days 6 and 7 behind a
deepening upper level low over the Four Corners region.

On a final note, the National Weather Service office in Hanford
wishes everyone a safe, enjoyable and healthy Thanksgiving Day!

&&

.AVIATION...
MVFR ceilings can be expected along the valley facing slopes of
the Kern county mountains and the west slope of the Sierra mainly
south of Fresno County between 07z and 17z Thursday. Local wind
gusts of 35 knots or greater are likely in the Kern county
mountains and desert through 10z Thursday and in the foothills
and higher elevations of the Sierra between 09z and 19z Thursday.
VFR conditions will otherwise prevail over much of the central
California interior during the next 24 hours.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
On Thursday November 26 2020... Fireplace/Wood Stove Burning
Status is: No Burning Unless Registered in Fresno... Kern...
Kings...Madera...Merced and Tulare Counties.

Further information is available at Valleyair.org

&&

.CERTAINTY...

The level of certainty for days 1 and 2 is high.
The level of certainty for days 3 through 7 is high.

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 2 AM PST Thursday for CAZ195>199.

Wind Advisory from 2 AM to 11 AM PST Thursday for CAZ190-192-193.

Freeze Watch from late Saturday night through Sunday morning for
CAZ180>189.

Freeze Warning from 1 AM to 8 AM PST Friday for CAZ180>189.

Freeze Warning from 1 AM to 8 AM PST Saturday for CAZ180>189.

&&

update...Andersen
synopsis...Durfee
public/aviation/fw...Durfee
PIO/IDSS...Bollenbacher

weather.gov/hanford