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Next 12 Hours

Forecast data from the National Digital Forecast Database.

5 Day Forecast

• Sunday
• 
• High: 61 °
• Low: 45 °
• Partly Cloudy

• Monday
• 
• High: 52 °
• Low: 40 °
• Rain Showers

• Tuesday
• 
• High: 56 °
• Low: 40 °
• Partly Cloudy

• Wednesday
• 
• High: 58 °
• Low: 36 °
• Chance of Rain

• Thursday
• 
• High: 59 °
• Low: 38 °
• Partly Cloudy

Area forecast discussion 
National Weather Service San Joaquin Valley - Hanford California 
346 PM PST sun Feb 12 2012 


Synopsis... 
yet another system will increase the threat of valley rain and 
higher elevation snow tonight through Monday. Higher than usual 
desert winds and possibility of desert rain can be expected with 
this systems passage. 


&& 


Discussion...short wave ridging providing dry conditions today 
but low level moisture and northwest flow has resulted in abundant 
stratocumulus development over the much of the San Joaquin Valley 
and adjacent Sierra/Tehachapi slopes. Satellite water vapor imagery 
shows the next trough just crossing inside 130w off the pacnw coast. 
The trough will become a closed low over norcal overnight then 
slide south-southeast over central California on Monday afternoon. Precipitation 
will move in from the north late this evening and spread southward 
overnight as the front pushes through. Conditions then become 
showery on Monday afternoon under the cold pool aloft. 500 mb temperatures of 
-30 degree c over the central San Joaquin Valley could lead to some 
towering cumulus and potentially isolated T-storms if there is 
some clearing in the afternoon. But relative humidity forecasts suggest low/middle cloud 
shield should inhibit this threat. The bulk of precipitation will 
occur from Fresno County north where around a quarter of an inch 
of rainfall is possible in the central San Joaquin Valley. Snow 
levels will begin around 5500 feet around Yosemite tonight then 
cold air advection will bring snow levels down to around 4000 feet 
on Monday. Up to 8 inches of snowfall is possible over the higher 
elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada from Yosemite to Kings 
Canyon where a Winter Weather Advisory GOES into effect at midnight 
tonight through 8 PM Monday. Lighter amounts...up to 4 inches is 
expected over the Tulare County portion of the Sierra Nevada. By 
Monday night snow levels will drop into the foothills around 3000 
feet but showers will be diminishing and little accumulation is 
expected at these lower elevations. Snow levels will also fall to 
around 3500 feet in the Tehachapi Mountains Monday night. Light 
snow accumulations of around an inch will be possible along the 
Tehachapi Pass and the Grapevine. The low shifts southeast of the 
district Tuesday with wrap around moisture providing just a slight 
chance of some lingering mountain showers. There remains lots of 
uncertainty midweek with significant differences not only between 
models but within each model's runs. Given that the 12z GFS & European model (ecmwf) 
trended a little closer with a trough/upper low dropping south over 
the area Tuesday night- Wednesday...have slight to low chance probability of precipitation in for 
now. Short wave ridging should provide dry conditions and a warming 
trend Thursday-Friday...then perhaps a return to cooler and unsettled 
weather next weekend. 


Increasing low level winds will produce gusty conditions over the 
mountains tonight through Monday. In addition...surface pressure 
gradients will ramp up again and a Wind Advisory has been issued 
for the Kern County mountains and desert from noon Monday through 
10 PM Monday night...where gusts up to 50 miles per hour will be possible 
through and below passes and canyons. 


&& 


Aviation... 
San Joaquin Valley...areas of MVFR ceilings through 10z Monday. From 
10z-18z Monday...widespread MVFR and patchy IFR developing in 
clouds/precipitation and continuing through 00z Tuesday. 


Southern Sierra and Tehachapi Mountains...areas of IFR ceilings and local mountain 
obscurations through 03z Monday...then becoming widespread IFR ceilings/mountain 
obscurations in clouds and precipitation by 12z Monday and continuing through 00z 
Tuesday. Gusty winds through passes and canyons. 


Kern County deserts...patchy MVFR ceilings near east slopes of the 
Tehachapi Mountains through 22z...otherwise VFR through 18z Monday. From 18z to 
00z Tuesday areas of MVFR ceilings/visibility in -shra. Gusty surface winds to 45 kts 
Monday afternoon and evening. 


&& 


Air quality issues... 
none. 


&& 


Hnx watches/warnings/advisories... 
Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 8 PM PST Monday 
caz096. 


Wind Advisory from noon to 10 PM PST Monday caz095-098-099. 


&& 


$$ 


Public...dch 
AVN/fw...Bingham 
synopsis...pj 


Weather.Gov/Hanford