FXUS66 KHNX 261740
AFDHNX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
940 AM PST SAT DEC 26 2009

.SYNOPSIS...

MIDDLE AND HIGH CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ARE 
MOVING OVER THE AREA TODAY. ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED AS EARLY 
AS TONIGHT AND WILL REMAIN OFF AND ON FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS A 
SERIES OF WEAK SYSTEMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. HIGH PRESSURE AND FAIR 
SKIES TO RETURN BY MID WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS THIS MORNING. DENSE FOG
THREAT WAS MITIGATED BY A HIGH CLOUD COVER. WEATHER RADARS
STARTING TO PICK UP RAIN BANDS OFF THE CENTRAL COAST. MODELS
CONTINUE TO INDICATE THE RAIN THREAT MAY HOLD OFF UNTIL EARLY IN
THE EVENING. LIGHT FOG IN THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY MAY
BE SLOW TO CLEAR THIS MORNING DUE TO THICKENING CLOUDS AND LIMITED
MIXING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE GRAPEVINE AREA
THIS MORNING. PRESSURE GRADIENTS BFL-EDW HAVE STRENGHTEN TO NEAR
6MB. THE GUSTY SOUTH WINDS ALONG THE GRAPEVINE MAY CONTINUE INTO
THE AFTERNOON AS MODELS DECREASE GRADIENTS UNTIL 00Z. WILL UPDATE
WIND GRIDS BUT NO CHANGES TO ZONE FORECAST.

.EARLY DISCUSSION...
INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS ARE OCCURRING THIS MORNING AS A SHORTWAVE
TROF APPROACHES THE COAST. NO PRECIP SEEN ON COASTAL RADARS
YET...BUT SOME SHOULD REACH THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS LATER TODAY AND
SPREAD IN ACROSS CENTRAL CA TONITE. WHILE NOT VERY
IMPRESSIVE...THE SYSTEM DOES TAKE ON A NEGATIVE TILT AS IT MOVES
IN. STAYED WITH THE EURO AND GFS CHANCE POPS FOR TONITE. PRECIP
WILL BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE...THOUGH THE EURO DOES GIVE SOME
ISOLATED 1/2 INCH AMOUNTS TO THE MOUNTAIN AREAS.

THE OVERALL PATTERN IS VERY SLUGGISH RIGHT NOW...WITH A LARGE
UPPER LOW IN THE MIDWEST...AND A STRONG BLOCKING RIDGE OVER
SOUTHWEST CANADA. THIS WILL KEEP A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS CENTRAL CA
INTO SUN AS THERE ISNT ANYWHERE FOR THE APPROACHING SYSTEM TO GO.
IN FACT...THE NEXT SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE FROM THE PACIFIC
ACTUALLY DIGS SOUTH OF CA TOWARD BAJA. THIS WILL DECREASE THE
SHOWER CHANCES EVERYWHERE EXCEPT FOR SOME LIGHT SHOWERS OVER THE
MTNS MON AND TUES. AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED ALONG
THE COAST BY MIDWEEK.

TEMPS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE A LITTLE LOWER ACROSS THE
MTNS AS SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR MOVES IN. HOWEVER...FOR THE VALLEY AND
DESERTS...IT SHOULD ACTUALLY WARM A BIT AS THE LOW LEVELS BECOME
BETTER MIXED AND COLDER AIR IN THE VALLEY IS REPLACE WITH SOME
MARINE AIR. THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR THE DESERTS AS THE COLD SURFACE
HIGH OVER THE GREAT BASIN LOOSENS ITS GRIP.

&&

.AVIATION...
IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...WIDESPREAD MVFR VISIBILITIES IN MIST 
AND HAZE THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY. CLOUDS WILL GRADUALLY LOWER RESULTING 
IN MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS AFTER 00Z SUNDAY AND LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS 
IN SHOWERS. LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS THROUGH 20Z SATURDAY IN THE 
TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 26 2009... UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS IN
FRESNO AND KERN COUNTIES.  FIREPLACE/WOOD STOVE BURNING IS
PROHIBITED IN FRESNO... KERN... KINGS AND TULARE COUNTIES.
FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT VALLEYAIR.ORG

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

$$

PUBLIC...MV
AVN/FW...JDB
SYNOPSIS...WP

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD