FXUS66 KHNX 052309
AFDHNX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
309 PM PST Tue Mar 5 2024


1.A weak system is expected to impact Southern California and
the Southern portions of the San Joaquin Valley and Kern County
mountains on Wednesday into Thursday.

2.A drying and warming trend is expected for the upcoming
weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A generally mild day is occurring across central California
under westerly flow across the region. A Low pressure system
dropping southeastward well of the coast of California will
bring us our next chances for precipitation by tomorrow.

The low pressure system is progged to swing inland across
southern and central California Wednesday, with lingering
troughiness over the region Thursday as the low pressure center
progresses eastward. By noon Wednesday we will see precipitation
spreading into our area from the south and west.

This system will not bring precipitation amounts similar to our
last winter storm event, but will bring some moderate rainfall
accumulations in the Kern County mountains, with several inches
of snow at the highest elevations. Snow level during this time
will be generally around 5500 to 6000 feet, and not likely to
impact the major highway passes. Guidance currently shows
probabilities below 10 percent for snow on the passes between
1/10 of an inch and one inch. Several inches of snow will fall
at the highest elevations such as Mt Pinos, where probabilities
for at least 6 inches are at 62 percent, and there is a 17
percent probability for 8 inches or more. Otherwise, mountain
communities in Kern County have around 10 to 20 percent
probabilities of receiving 2 or more inches. Precipitation
amounts will taper off from south to north with this system, and
Sierra locations will not see significantly impactful amounts
of snow. Rainfall amounts will range from around 2 to 3 tenths
of an inch in the south Valley, to one tenth or less from Fresno
County northward.

Behind this departing system, we will return to dry and mild
conditions into early next week as high pressure builds over the
region and additional systems pass mainly to our north.
Temperatures will run right around normal for early March.


&&


.AVIATION...
Expect VFR conditions across the area through the overnight
period. Then by 18Z Wednesday, a storm system will begin to
spread showers from the west and south across central
California, with areas of MVFR conditions and local IFR and
terrain obscurations in heavier showers.

&&

.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 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.
&&

$$

JEB

weather.gov/hanford