206  
FXUS66 KHNX 181729 AAA  
AFDHNX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA  
929 AM PST WED DEC 18 2024  
   
UPDATE
 
UPDATED AVIATION SECTION.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1. WARMING TREND THROUGH THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND.  
TEMPERATURES WILL WARM TO 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE BUT NOT  
RECORD BREAKING ON FRIDAY.  
 
2. THERE IS A 20 TO 45 PROBABILITY OF ANY RAIN ACCUMULATING ON  
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY FOR MOST OF THE VALLEY. PROBABILITIES  
INCREASE FOR RAIN ON TUESDAY (CHRISTMAS EVE).  
 
3. THE PROBABILITY OF DENSE FOG THIS MORNING IS LESS THAN 20  
PERCENT FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. THURSDAY MORNING THE  
PROBABILITY OF DENSE FOG GOES UP TO 40 TO 70 PERCENT FOR THE SAN  
JOAQUIN VALLEY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
A RIDGE STARTS THE DAY TODAY OVER THE GOLDEN  
STATE WITH PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. JUST ENOUGH UPWARD  
VERTICAL MOTION IN THE LOWEST 150 MB THIS MORNING IS KEEP A  
THICK STRATUS LAYER IN PLACE WITH VISIBILITY STAYING ABOVE A  
MILE. VALLEY WEATHER CAMERAS SHOW GOOD DRIVING VISIBILITY.  
TEMPERATURES WILL BE TRICKY AGAIN TODAY. THE 25TH TO 75TH  
PERCENTILES RANGE FROM THE MID 50S TO NEAR 60 ACROSS THE VALLEY.  
THE ISSUE WILL BE STRATUS BREAK UP IN THE AFTERNOON. THERE IS A  
SLIM PROBABILITY OF BREAK UP AND THAT COULD RUN TEMPERATURES  
ABOVE 60, HOWEVER THE BEST BET REMAINS WITH HOLDING THE OVERCAST  
KEEPING TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 50S AND GRAY AFTERNOON.  
 
TONIGHT THE RIDGE HOLDS STRONG AND THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE IS  
PRIMED AGAIN. THE STRATUS WILL BE KEY. THE INDICATIONS IS THAT  
NOT MUCH UPWARD MOTION IN THE LOWEST LEVELS WITH HIGHEST RH AT  
THE SURFACE DECREASING WITH HEIGHT BACKS THE HI-RES ENSEMBLE  
PROBABILITIES OF 40 TO 70 PERCENT OF VISIBILITIES LESS THAN A  
QUARTER MILE. WILL NOT GO FOR THE DFA JUST TOO MANY WILDCARDS  
THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.  
 
THURSDAY THE RIDGE STARTS THE SLOW NUDGE TO THE EAST AS A TROUGH  
DIGS DOWN INTO THE EAST PACIFIC OFF THE CA COAST. THE CLEARING  
AND WARMING TREND FOR THE REGION. THIS CONTINUES INTO FRIDAY  
WITH PROBABILITY OF EXCEEDING 68 DEGREES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN  
VALLEY FOR MOST LOCATIONS TO 40 TO 70 PERCENT WITH NEAR 100  
PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR BAKERSFIELD WITH A PROBABILITY OF  
EXCEEDING THE DAILY MAXIMUM HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD OF 76  
DEGREES AT 24 PERCENT.  
 
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY A STRONG TROUGH SLIDES ACROSS NORCAL HOWEVER  
THE IMPACTS WILL BE MINIMAL FOR MOST OF INTERIOR CENTRAL  
CALIFORNIA WITH PRECIPITATION MOST LIKELY ONLY IN THE FAR  
NORTHERN REACHES OF THE FORECAST AREA.  
 
TUESDAY AND NEXT WEDNESDAY A STRONG TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE  
REGION THAT COULD BRING A MORE IMPACTFUL SYSTEM. THE PROBABILITY  
OF EXCEEDING 1/4 OF AN INCH OF RAIN RANGES FROM 20 TO 40 PERCENT  
SOUTH OF HANFORD-VISALIA LINE, AND 40 TO 60 PERCENT NORTH OF THE  
LINE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND WEST SIDE HILLS, WIDEPSREAD MVFR WITH  
AREAS OF IFR IN LOW CLOUDS AND MIST/HAZE. LOCAL LIFR IN FOG  
AFTER 12Z THU.  
 
IN THE HIGH SIERRA/FOOTHILLS AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS, VFR  
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL FOR THE 24 HOUR PERIOD.  
 
KERN COUNTY DESERT REMAINS VFR FOR THE 24 HOUR PERIOD.  
 

 
   
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
 
ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 18 2024,  
FIREPLACE/WOOD STOVE BURNING STATUS IS: NO BURNING UNLESS  
REGISTERED IN FRESNO, KERN, AND TULARE COUNTIES. BURNING  
DISCOURAGED IN KINGS, MADERA, AND MERCED COUNTIES, AND KERN  
(GREATER FRAZIER PARK AREA) AND SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK AND  
FOREST.  
 

 
   
CERTAINTY
 
 
THE LEVEL OF CERTAINTY FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 IS MEDIUM.  
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
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
PUBLIC...PROTON  
AVIATION...DAS  
 
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD  
 
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