826
FXUS66 KHNX 211816
AFDHNX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HANFORD CA
1116 AM PDT THU MAY 21 2026
KEY MESSAGES
1. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA BRINGS AT LEAST A MODERATE RISK OF FIRE DANGER
THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.
2. WARMING TREND CONTINUES UNTIL SATURDAY, WITH A LOWERING
TREND SUNDAY INTO NEXT WEEK.
3. PRACTICE SAFETY AROUND AREA LAKES, RIVERS, AND STREAMS AS
WATER IS STILL RUNNING COLD.
DISCUSSION
TODAY'S HIGHS WILL BE A BIT WARMER THAN YESTERDAY'S THANKS TO
THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALONG THE WEST COAST. THE RIDGE WILL
GRADUALLY WEAKEN DURING THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY WEEKEND, ALTHOUGH
A MINOR LOWERING TREND IN TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR AS DAYTIME
HIGHS ARE STILL ABOVE AVERAGE THROUGH THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
THE WARMEST LOCATIONS IN BOTH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND KERN
COUNTY DESERT REACH INTO THE 90S, ALTHOUGH TODAY'S AND FRIDAY'S
HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S INSTEAD OF THE LOWER 90S
BY THE END OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. TODAY'S CHANCE FOR AT LEAST A
95 DEGREE TEMPERATURE READING IS AT 60-70 PERCENT ACROSS THE
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. EXPECT AT LEAST A MODERATE CHANCE AGAIN FOR
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. BY SUNDAY, CHANCES FOR HIGHS THIS WARM
WILL DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON
TUESDAY AND BRINGS A SLIGHT (15-20 PERCENT) CHANCE FOR LIGHT
PRECIPITATION OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA ALONG WITH SEASONAL
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER
THE TYPICAL PRONE AREAS, SUCH AS THE SIERRA NEVADA CREST AND THE
MOJAVE DESERT SLOPES. FOR NOW, THE CHANCE OF A 40 MPH GUST IN
THESE AREAS IS AT 30-40 PERCENT ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
A WARMING TREND SOON FOLLOWS BY LATE NEXT WEEK, AS HIGH PRESSURE
RETURNS TO THE REGION.
AVIATION
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
FIRE WEATHER
LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY, THE WEST SIDE HILLS OF THE COASTAL RANGE, THE
LOWER SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS, KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE
DESERT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FAST MOVING AND DEVELOPING GRASS
AND BRUSH FIRES WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN REGARDING AVAILABLE
FUELS. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT, BUT WITH THE WARMING TREND AND
LOWERING HUMIDITY THERE WILL BE POOR TO MODERATE OVERNIGHT
HUMIDITY RECOVERY.
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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