768  
FXUS66 KHNX 250940  
AFDHNX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA  
240 AM PDT THU APR 25 2024  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1. A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE MOJAVE DESERT SLOPES  
AND A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS THROUGH 11 PM  
ON FRIDAY.  
 
2. A COOLING TREND TO JEST BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS LASTING  
THROUGH FRIDAY.  
 
3. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FRIDAY  
WITH MOUNTAIN SNOW, FOOTHILLS RAIN, AND CHANCE OF VALLEY  
THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
4. A WARMING TREND BEGINS ON SUNDAY AND LASTS THROUGH THE WEEK  
AHEAD WITH DRY CONDITIONS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE CONTINUES TO MOVE OFF TO THE EAST INTO THE  
DESERT SOUTHWEST. ON THE SURFACE A LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER  
SOUTH CENTRAL NEVADA AND HIGH OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL  
MAINTAIN A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE KERN COUNTY  
MOUNTAINS. THIS GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO TIGHTEN UP THROUGHOUT  
THE DAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE POE OF 60 MPH IS  
80 TO NEAR 100% FOR THE MOJAVE SLOPES FOCUSED ON HIGHWAY 58 AND  
HIGHWAY 14. THE PROBABILITY OF EXCEEDING 70 MPH IS 20-30% NEAR  
THE INTERSECTIONS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGHWAYS. THE  
SURROUNDING KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS POE OF 45 MPH REMAINS 80 TO  
NEAR 100% THROUGH THE SAME PERIOD AS THE WARNING. THE CURRENT  
TIMING AND ALIGNMENT OF THE WARNING AND ADVISORY IS VERY  
REASONABLE FOR THE EVENT. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE PROBABLE FOR  
THE SLOPES AREA HOWEVER THE REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY TO LESS  
THAN 1/2 MILE IS NEAR ZERO PERCENT.  
 
ON FRIDAY AN UPPER WAVE IN THE THE NORTHWEST FLOW SLIDES DOWN  
THROUGH THE GOLDEN STATE. THE DECREASE IN UPPER LEVEL HEIGHTS  
AND LAPSE RATES ALONG WITH CONVECTIVE ENERGY INCREASE PROVIDES  
THE PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE SIERRA AND SAN JOAQUIN  
VALLEY FROM EARLY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE  
PROBABILITIES OF THUNDER ARE AS FOLLOWS:  
 
TIOGA PASS 19% YOSEMITE VALLEY 20%  
WAWONA 21% OAKHURST 20%  
MERCED 11% MADERA 11%  
SHAVER LAKE 20% FRESNO 12%  
GRANT GROVE 18% VISALIA 12%  
HANFORD 9% LEMOORE NAS 8%  
DELANO 9% BAKERSFIELD 8%  
KERNVILLE 12% TEHACHAPI 7%  
LEBEC 7% PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB 6%  
 
SATURDAY NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES OVER THE AREA AND SLOWLY  
TRANSITIONS TO ZONAL WESTERLY FLOW BY TUESDAY. THE ZONAL FLOW  
CONTINUES THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY. THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT A  
WARMING TREND BACK INTO THE 80S FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY FOR  
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. HERE IS A POE TABLE OF 80 DEGREE OR  
BETTER TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK:  
 
SUN MON TUE WED THU  
MERCED 16% 21% 61% 46% 16%  
MADERA 21% 36% 66% 51% 21%  
FRESNO 51% 66% 86% 71% 36%  
REEDLEY 11% 31% 66% 56% 21%  
LEMOORE NAS 41% 61% 76% 66% 31%  
HANFORD 41% 61% 81% 71% 36%  
VISALIA 41% 66% 86% 71% 36%  
DELANO 41% 66% 81% 81% 36%  
BAKERSFIELD 26% 56% 76% 71% 36%  
EDWARDS AFB 51% 81% 91% 86% 51%  
 
THE SIX TO TEN DAY CPC FORECAST IS FOR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND  
NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE REGION. FOR REFERENCE THE  
NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION FOR THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY  
ARE IN FRESNO: HIGH 81, LOW 56, AND PRECIPITATION 0.01 OF AN  
INCH. BAKERSFIELD: HIGH 83, LOW 57, AND PRECIPITATION 0.01 OF AN  
INCH.  
 
THE EIGHT TO 14 DAY CPC FORECAST TAKES THE TEMPERATURES TO BELOW  
AVERAGE LEVELS FOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AND NEAR NORMAL  
PRECIPITATION, WHICH IS NEAR ZERO FOR MID MAY, FOR THE REGION.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
A LOW VFR CEILING WILL CONTINUE UNTL 16Z-21Z CLEARING FROM  
NORTH TO SOUTH IN THE SJV. THEN VFR AND UNLIMITED AFTER 21Z. THE  
SIERRA AND KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS MAY HAVE LOCALIZED MOUNTAIN  
OBSCURATIONS. THE KERN COUNTY AND MOJAVE DESERT HAS A HIGH  
PROBABILITY OF SURFACE WIND SUSTAINING ABOVE 30 KTS THROUGH THE  
TAF PERIOD.  
 

 
   
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
 
 
ISSUED: 04/24/2024 14:25  
EXPIRES: 04/25/2024 23:59  
NONE.  
 

 
   
CERTAINTY
 
 
THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 IS MEDIUM.  
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  
AND/OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.  
 

 
   
HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM PDT FRIDAY FOR CAZ338.  
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT FRIDAY FOR CAZ331-333-334-337-  
339.  

 
 

 
 
PUBLIC/AVIATION/FIRE WEATHER...PROTON  
DSS/PIO....SM  
 
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD  
 
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