927
FXUS66 KHNX 120731 CCA
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1210 AM PDT SUN APR 12 2026
KEY MESSAGES
1. RAIN IS SPREADING SOUTH ACROSS THE VALLEY TONIGHT WITH HEAVY
SNOW IN THE SIERRA NEVADA. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
2. WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 11 PM SUNDAY
FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA ABOVE 7,000 FEET.
3. WIND ADVISORY FOR MOJAVE SLOPES THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.
DISCUSSION
THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO SPIN OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA LATE THIS EVENING. A COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED BAND
OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ARE WORKING SOUTH ACROSS
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE REACHING THE
FRESNO AND HANFORD AREAS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS OCCURRING
WITH SOME OF THESE CELLS. THIS POSES A LOW RISK FOR THE BURN
SCARS, ESPECIALLY THE FRENCH WHICH HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING RAIN
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS AND IS MOST SENSITIVE. RATES SO FAR
HAVE BEEN AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH PER HOUR OR LESS, HOWEVER,
SO AT THE MOMENT HOLDING OFF ON ANY FLOOD HAZARDS. THE RAIN WILL
CONTINUE PROGRESSING SOUTH OVERNIGHT, LIKELY REACHING
BAKERSFIELD AROUND 3 AM PDT. HEAVY SNOW IN THE SIERRAS WILL
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH RATES EXCEEDING 3 INCHES PER HOUR AT
TIMES. THE UPPER LOW WILL SLOWLY PROPAGATE EASTWARD SUNDAY TO
NORTHERN CA. THE STEADIEST RAIN WILL END EARLY IN THE MORNING.
ADDITIONAL SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL DEVELOP IN THE
AFTERNOON WITHIN THE CYCLONIC FLOW OF THE UPPER LOW. SOMEWHAT
STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 7 C/KM AND A MOIST BOUNDARY
LAYER SHOULD ALLOW 200-400 J/KG OF CAPE TO DEVELOP DURING PEAK
HEATING. THIS ACTIVITY AND MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW WILL CONTINUE THE
SNOW IN THE SIERRAS INTO THE EVENING BEFORE TAPERING OFF AS THE
UPPER LOW WEAKENS AND SHEARS APART LATER TODAY.
TROUGHING WILL REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL LATE TUESDAY WHEN IT EJECTS
EAST TO THE ROCKIES AND PLAINS. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE
RUNNING A BIT BELOW NORMAL UNTIL THAT TIME. ANOTHER TROUGH WILL
PASS THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA LATE WEEK. MOST OF THE IMPACTS SHOULD REMAIN NORTH
OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO WARM LATE WEEK WITH HIGHS
RETURNING TO THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S. CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED IS
CONSIDERED HIGH GIVEN THE QUIETER PATTERN.
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH THE PERIOD.
MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES IN THE HEAVIER SHOWERS
OVERNIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY WITH
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON. MAINTAINED THE
PROB30 FOR TS FOR ALL TAF SITES, EXCEPT BFL.
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
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
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR CAZ338.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR CAZ323-326>328-
330-331.
PUBLIC...BORGHOFF
AVIATION....BORGHOFF
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
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