491
FXUS66 KHNX 082208
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
308 PM PDT WED APR 8 2026
KEY MESSAGES
1. WIND ADVISORY FOR MOJAVE SLOPES THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.
2. ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY.
3. CHANCE FOR UNSETTLED WEATHER AS PRECIPITATION, WINDS, AND
PERIODIC THUNDERSTORMS RETURN THIS WEEKEND.
4. WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM FRIDAY THROUGH 11 PM
SUNDAY FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA ABOVE 7,000 FEET.
DISCUSSION
ABOVE AVERAGE HIGHS CONTINUE ON THURSDAY AS THE VALLEY HAS A 29
TO 35 PERCENT CHANCE OF HIGHS OF AT LEAST 85 DEGREES. HOWEVER,
THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO SLIDE EAST TOMORROW WITH
A SMALL LOW MAKING ITS WAY LEADING TO WINDS TO PICK UP AGAIN IN
THE MOJAVE SLOPES LEADING FOR THE WIND ADVISORY TO CONTINUE
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.
HOWEVER, COOLER AND WETTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND AS
THE FIRST LOW GETS ABSORBED BY A STRONGER TROUGH THAT SLIDES IN
OVER THE WEEKEND. THE LATEST SPC DAYS 2 AND 3 OUTLOOKS HAS A
THUNDERSTORM RISK FOR THE NORTH PORTION OF THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY. HOWEVER, SATURDAY IS GOING TO BE THE WETTEST DAY WHEN
THE BULK OF RAIN ARRIVES WITH A 15 TO 25 PERCENT CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND SIERRA NEVADA.
THE SYSTEM IS ALSO COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW TO FALL AT 7,000 FEET AS
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT AS THERE IS A 50 TO 70 PERCENT
CHANCE OF A FOOT OF SNOW TOTAL ABOVE 7,000 FEET IN THIS STORM.
WINDS ALSO INCREASE AGAIN FOR THE MOJAVE SLOPES AND DESERT WITH
THIS SYSTEM ELEVATING FIRE RISKS.
IN THE LONG TERM, THE CPC 6-10 AND 8-14 DAY OUTLOOKS HAVE A 40
TO 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. THE
OUTLOOKS SHIFT FROM A 33 TO 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES TO EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE AND BELOW AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES.
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. GUSTS ABOVE 40
KNOTS EXPECTED ACROSS THE MOJAVE SLOPES IN THE LEE SIDE OF THE
TEHACHAPI RANGE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.
FIRE WEATHER
ELEVATED FIRE RISK FOR EASTERN KERN COUNTY. MIN RH VALUES
AROUND 20 PERCENT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ON THURSDAY BEFORE
WINDS INCREASE WITH HIGHER RH VALUES OVER THE WEEKEND.
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 UNTIL 11 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR CAZ338.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING FOR CAZ323-326>328-330-331.
JPK
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page