151
FXUS66 KHNX 190448
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
948 PM PDT MON MAY 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
1. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA BRINGS AT LEAST A MODERATE RISK OF FIRE DANGER THIS
WEEK.
2. WARMING TREND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
3. PRACTICE SAFETY AROUND AREA LAKES, RIVERS, AND STREAMS AS
WATER IS STILL RUNNING COLD.
DISCUSSION
THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS MOVED TO FURTHER EASTWARD, SO
PRESSURE GRADIENTS HAVE RELAXED. THUS, WINDS WILL BE GENERALLY
LIGHT AND DIURNAL ACROSS OUR AREA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY
REBUILD ALONG THE WEST COAST, AND A WARMING TREND CONTINUES
ON TUESDAY. HIGHS HAVE A MODERATE PROBABILITY TO REACH 90
DEGREES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ON TUESDAY WITH A HIGHER
CHANCE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A LOW PROBABILITY OF A TRIPLE
DIGIT READING EXISTS FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY; IT IS MORE LIKELY
THAT HIGHS TOP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S. TEMPERATURES ACROSS
THE KERN COUNTY DESERT WILL BEGIN TO WARM MORE NOTICEABLY ON
WEDNESDAY. UNFORTUNATELY, LOW DAYTIME HUMIDITY WILL PERSIST AND
LOWER FURTHER AS WE GET THE HOTTER TEMPERATURES LATER THIS WEEK.
WARMER THAN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES PERSIST SUNDAY AND EARLY NEXT
WEEK, ALTHOUGH WITH SOME MODERATION AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH
PASSES OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. FOR NOW, HIGHS WILL REMAIN IN
THE LOWER TO MID 90S AT THE WARMEST LOCATIONS. LATEST CPC
OUTLOOKS SHOW CONTINUED ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND NEAR
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION (WHICH IS LITTLE TO NONE DURING THIS TIME
OF YEAR). DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
FIRE WEATHER
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY (RH) VALUES CONTINUE IN MUCH OF THE LOWER
ELEVATIONS THIS WEEK. THERE WILL BE THREATS FOR RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING GRASS FIRES IN THESE AREAS. MINIMUM RH VALUES WILL
PERSIST AS WELL, WITH MOST AREAS BEING UNDER 15 PERCENT RH.
WINDS ARE NOT FORECASTED TO BE AS STRONG AS THEY WERE OVER LAST
WEEKEND. A WARMING AND DRYING TREND WILL BE MOVING INTO CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA LATER THIS WEEK. THE RH IN THE VALLEY AREAS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN 15 PERCENT UNTIL THURSDAY. THIS LEADS
TO ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. POOR TO MODERATE
OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERY WILL ALSO OCCUR FOR THE LATTER PART
OF THIS WEEK.
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
NONE.
BSO
WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
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