312
FXUS66 KHNX 251845
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1145 AM PDT SAT APR 25 2026
KEY MESSAGES
1. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BRINGS CHANCES FRO MORE WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A 10 TO 20
PERCENT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE EASTERN SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY TO THE CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS.
2. WIND ADVISORY FOR THE MOJAVE SLOPES AND DESERT FROM 5 PM
SATURDAY THROUGH 5 AM MONDAY.
3. SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION CONTINUE EACH DAY OVER THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA UNTIL WEDNESDAY.
4. WARNING TREND TO END NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS CURRENTLY ORIENTED NORTHEAST TO
SOUTHWEST ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, WITH A LOCALIZED CUTOFF
LOW CURRENTLY SPINNING OFF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST. OVER
THE NEXT 12 TO 18 HOURS, THE CUTOFF LOW WILL GRADUALLY PUSH
INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR
PRECIPITATION TO ROUND THE WEEK OFF. THROUGH 5 PM SUNDAY, THERE
IS A 40 TO 50 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR GREATER THAN ONE-QUARTER
INCH OF RAINFALL IN THE EASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. THESE
PROBABILITIES INCREASE WITH HIGHER ELEVATIONS, UP TO 80 TO 90
PERCENT IN THE SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE NP THROUGH THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA IN TULARE COUNTY. PROBABILITIES FOR AN INCH OR
MORE IN THIS AREA IS AT 40 TO 50 PERCENT. HOWEVER, WITH SNOW
LEVELS GENERALLY AROUND 7,000 FEET TODAY AND FALLING TO 5,500 TO
6,000 FEET TOMORROW, MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION IN THE MOUNTAIN
AREAS WILL BE FALLING AS SNOW. THROUGH 5 AM SUNDAY, EXPECTED SNOW
TOTALS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA ARE BETWEEN THREE
TO SIX INCHES.
THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING STRONGER WIND GUSTS TO THE REGION,
ESPECIALLY IN THE MOJAVE DESERT SLOPES IN THE LEE SIDE OF THE
TEHACHAPI MOUNTAIN RANGE, BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTING
THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, THERE IS
A 60 TO 70 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS TO EXCEED
50 MPH AND AS SUCH, A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS
AREA.
INTO NEXT WEEK, A SERIES OF WEAK PIECES OF ENERGY ARE EXPECTED
TO TRACK THROUGH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL
MINOR CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION, THOUGH MAINLY CONFINED TO THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. SNOW LEVELS RISING TO
8,000 FEET ON TUESDAY WILL KEEP MUCH OF THE POTENTIAL
PRECIPITATION AS RAINFALL. HOWEVER, EACH DAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
HAS UP TO A 25 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION
(>0.01 INCHES).
A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IS FAVORED TO BUILD IN OVER THE REGION
TOWARDS THE END OF THE WORK WEEK, DRIVING TEMPERATURES UPWARD.
THERE IS A 70 TO 80 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR MAXIMUM TEMEPRATURES
TO EXCEED 85 DEGREES ACROSS THE VALLEY AND DESERT AREAS BY NEXT
SATURDAY.
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS IN THE SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY. SHOWERS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
AFTER 21Z WILL RESULT IN SOME AREAS OF MVFR CONDITIONS, WITH IFR
POSSIBLE IN ESPECIALLY HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS. -RA TO -SHRA WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 12Z SUNDAY ACROSS THE VALLEY AND
FOOTHILL AREAS.
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
AND/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 5 AM PDT MONDAY FOR
CAZ337>339.
PUBLIC/AVIATION...MCCOY
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page