019
FXUS66 KHNX 062340
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
340 PM PST TUE JAN 6 2026
UPDATE
AVIATION AND AIR QUALITY SECTIONS UPDATED
KEY MESSAGES
1. A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR LIGHT PRECIPITATION, MAINLY OVER THE
MOUNTAINS, IS EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY.
2. STRONGER WIND GUSTS ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERT FROM LATER ON WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.
3. WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG WILL MAKE A RETURN TO THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY LATE THIS WEEK.,
DISCUSSION
SATELLITE AND UPPER-AIR MODEL DATA IS SHOWING A WELL DEFINED
CIRCULATION SYSTEM JUST OFF THE MONTERREY BAY COAST THAT IS
STEERING THIS MORNING PRECIPITATION BAND. WHILE MOISTURE WILL
STILL MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR, THE
MOISTURE WILL BE MORE LIMITED AND RESULT IN LOWER PRECIPITATION
AMOUNTS. THEREFORE, WILL EXPECT THE CONTINUATION OF LIGHT
PRECIPITATION SPREADING IN FROM COASTAL SITES WITH PROBABILITIES
OF SEEING AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH IN THE 30-40 PERCENT RANGE.
PROBABILITIES ARE MUCH HIGHER FOR VALUES NEAR ONE-ONE
HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. AGAIN, THESE PERCENTAGES ARE MAINLY
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. VALLEY LOCATIONS
HAVE LESS A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SEEING MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION
THROUGH THURSDAY.
WINDS WILL GAIN ON CONCERN AROUND THURSDAY AS AN INSIDE-SLIDER
MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. TIMING HAS THE ONSET OF THE INSIDE-
SLIDER'S ENERGY MOVING TOWARD THIS DISTRICT BY LATE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS EXPECTED TO PICK-UP
BEFORE DAY-BREAK AS PROBABILITY OF GUSTS TO 15 MPH REACH 40-50
PERCENT ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND ALONG WEST SIDE OF THE SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY NEAR INTERSTATE-5 BY 1AM PST. PERCENTAGES
INCREASE AT 4AM PST WITH PROBABILITY OF 40 MPH WINDS IN THE
30-40 PERCENT RANGE ACROSS THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT.
STRONG WINDS MAY PEAK DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON THURSDAY AS
PROBABILITY OF 50 MPH GUSTS REACH 40-60 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS
OF THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. BETWEEN 1PM AND 4PM PST, THE
PERCENTAGES DROP OFF AS THE VORT-LOBE ENERGY FROM THE INSIDE-
SLIDER MOVES INTO AN AREA JUST WEST OF PHOENIX. BY THURSDAY
NIGHT, WILL EXPECT MOST LOWER ELEVATION LOCATIONS TO SEE A DROP
IN WIND SPEEDS WITH LINGERING SIERRA CREST AND MOUNTAIN RIDGE-
TOP BREEZES.
BY FRIDAY, ENSEMBLE SHOWING HIGH CONFIDENCE IN INTRODUCING A
HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE PATTERN OVER THE WEST. AS THE RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE MOVES IN, SO DOES THE RETURN OF FOG ACROSS THE SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY. WHILE SOME UNCERTAINTY EXIST AS WE NEAR THE
MIDDLE OF THE MONTH, THE OUTLOOK OF MOST OF THE PERIOD FROM
FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY WILL SEE A STAGNANT WEATHER
PATTERN WITH FOG AND POSSIBLE LOW CLOUDS LINGERING FOR MUCH OF
THE WEEK.
AVIATION
EXPECT MAINLY MVFR TO VFR CONDITIONS AT THE TAF SITES AND MUCH
OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS A SLIGHT CHANCE
FOR SHOWERS WILL ALSO EXIST ACROSS THE SIERRA NEVADA AFTER 00Z
WEDNESDAY. A 40 TO 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY.
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7, 2026, FIREPLACE/WOOD STOVE BURNING
STATUS IS:
NO BURNING UNLESS REGISTERED IN KERN COUNTY. BURNING DISCOURAGED
IN FRESNO, KINGS, MADERA, MERCED, AND TULARE COUNTIES, AND IN
KERN (GREATER FRAZIER PARK AREA) AND SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK AND
FOREST.
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
AND/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING FOR CAZ334>336-338.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 PM WEDNESDAY TO 8 PM PST THURSDAY FOR
CAZ339.
PUBLIC...MOLINA
AVIATION....JPK
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page