785
FXUS66 KHNX 181121
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
321 AM PST WED FEB 18 2026
UPDATE
UPDATED FOR KEY MESSAGES AND 12Z AVIATION.
KEY MESSAGES
1. MULTIPLE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THROUGH THURSDAY,
BRINGING PERIODS OF MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW.
2. WINTER STORM WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA UNTIL
THURSDAY EVENING AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING, INCLUDING THE I-5/GRAPEVINE AREA.
3. STRONG WINDS WILL INCREASE THE RISK FOR POWER OUTAGES,
DOWNED TREES, AND ROAD HAZARDS FOR MANY MOUNTAIN AREAS AS WELL
AS THE MOJAVE DESERT AND THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
DISCUSSION
THE CORE OF A COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE SWEEPING
THROUGH THE NORTHERN HALF OF CALIFORNIA TONIGHT. THE FRINGES OF
A VERY STRONG JET WILL BRING STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER THE
MOUNTAINS, WITH SOME OF THAT ENERGY MIXING DOWN TO THE VALLEYS.
WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER READINGS JUST UNDER ONE INCH, THIS FLOW
WILL COUPLE WITH COLD UNSTABLE AIR ALOFT TO BRING WIDESPREAD
MODERATE RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW, WITH SOME POCKETS OF HEAVIER
PRECIPITATION. SNOW LEVELS WILL CONTINUE FALLING BELOW 3,000
FEET TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING, BEFORE PRECIPITATION EXITS
THE REGION. MOST AREAS WILL SEE A BREAK ON WEDNESDAY, EXCEPT
FOR A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHERN SIERRAS. THAT
BREAK WILL BE BRIEF AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH ON
THURSDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY
WINDS, MODERATE RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW, AND MAYBE A
THUNDERSTORM, JUST A STEP DOWN IN SEVERITY COMPARED TO TONIGHT.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS WITH THESE TWO STORMS THIS WEEK IS
WITH SNOW. SEVERAL FEET OF ADDITIONAL SNOW IS LIKELY OVER
ELEVATIONS OF 5,000 FEET. FOR LOWER MOUNTAIN ELEVATIONS, SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS BUT STILL IMPACTFUL AS THERE IS A
MODERATE RISK FOR A FEW INCHES ON THE GRAPEVINE/TEJON PASS AND
TEHACHAPI PASS. WINTER STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL BRING A BREAK IN THE STORMS, BUT NIGHTS
WILL BE COLD AND SOME FOG CONCERNS EXIST. ANOTHER ROUND OF
STORMS IS ON TARGET FOR NEXT WEEK STARTING SUNDAY.
AVIATION
PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY UNTIL 16Z
WEDNESDAY, THEN A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN RAIN ACROSS THE VALLEY.
A 5-15% CHANCE OF TSTM FROM 18Z WEDNESDAY TO 03Z THURSDAY
TOWARDS KMCE AND THE COASTAL RANGES. IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS IN THE
SIERRA NEVADA DUE TO MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW. SURFACE WINDS
GENERALLY 12 KTS AND BELOW AT THE TAF SITES, BUT WINDS 20-30 KTS
WITH GUSTS 35-45 KTS CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERT UNTIL
00Z THURSDAY.
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18 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 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
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR CAZ300-308-313-
337>339.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THURSDAY FOR CAZ318-320-
322>331.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM PST FRIDAY FOR CAZ333>336.
AC/BSO
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
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