380
FXUS66 KHNX 201059
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
259 AM PST FRI FEB 20 2026
UPDATE
UPDATED FOR 12Z AVIATION AND KEY MESSAGES.
KEY MESSAGES
1. WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS
THIS MORNING, WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS
IMPACTING THE GRAPEVINE ALONG I-5.
2. GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE MOJAVE DESERT
THROUGH THIS MORNING.
3. COLDER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION THIS MORNING AND SATURDAY
MORNING. FREEZE WARNING ISSUED FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, WITH
COLD AIR ADVISORY ISSUED FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA AND FOOTHILLS
BOTH DAYS.
4. A WARMER SYSTEM ARRIVES LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY, WITH
CONTINUED PRECIPITATION FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA. SNOW LEVELS
RISING ABOVE 8,000 FEET WILL BRING RISK FOR RAIN-ON-SNOW RUNOFF
BELOW THESE LEVELS.
DISCUSSION
LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THIS EVENING IN
CONJUNCTION WITH LINGERING MOISTURE FROM THE FINAL WAVE OF THIS
WEEK'S WINTER SYSTEM. AS THE SYSTEM TRACKS EASTWARD OVER THE
GREAT BASIN IN THE COMING HOURS, STRONG MID-LEVEL WINDS UPWARDS
OF 60 KNOTS WILL TRACK COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION FROM THE
NORTHWEST. THIS COLDER AIR RESULTS IN A 50 TO 60 PERCENT
PROBABILITY FOR FREEZING TEMPERATURES FRIDAY MORNING FOR NON-
URBAN AREAS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY WHICH WILL CONTINUE INTO
SATURDAY AND CAUSE A 70 TO 80 PERCENT PROBABILITY. EVEN COLDER
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA, WITH MINIMUMS
10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW 6,000 FEET AND ZERO TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE
6,000 FEET.
THE STRONGER MID-LEVEL WINDS EXPECTED FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND
FRIDAY MORNING WILL DESCEND TO THE SURFACE IN THE MOJAVE SLOPES
AS THE WINDS INTERACT WITH THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAIN RANGE. SURFACE
GUSTS 40 TO 50 MPH REMAIN VIABLE OVER THIS TIME PERIOD, AND AS
SUCH, A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS UNTIL 4
AM (INDIAN WELLS VALLEY, MOJAVE DESERT) AND UNTIL 10 AM (MOJAVE
SLOPES).
OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, A WARMING TREND WILL
TAKE HOLD WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES NEARING SEASON NORMALS BY
MONDAY. THESE TEMPERATURES WILL HOLD THROUGH THE WEEK AS THE
NEXT SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION. LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY, AN
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WITH
A TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTHWARD FROM THE CENTER LOW. UPPER LEVEL
FLOW OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST AS A
RESULT, WITH ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION EXPECTED FOR THE AREA.
HOWEVER, WITH WARMER AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST, SNOW LEVELS HAVE
BEEN TRENDING UPWARD, NOW UPWARDS OF 9,000 FEET TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL RAISE CONCERNS FOR RUNOFF AND SNOW MELTING
BELOW THESE LEVELS.
AVIATION
MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FOR THE NEXT 24
HOURS WITH PATCHY MVFR/IFR DUE TO FOG/MIST THROUGH 17Z FRIDAY
IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20 2026, FIREPLACE/WOOD STOVE BURNING STATUS
IS: BURNING DISCOURAGED IN FRESNO, KERN, KINGS, MADERA, MERCED,
AND TULARE COUNTIES, AND 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
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR CAZ338.
FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM PST SATURDAY FOR CAZ301>307-309>312-
314>316.
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR CAZ318-320-
322-323-325>331.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR
CAZ333>336.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR CAZ337-339.
MCCOY/BSO
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
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