FXUS66 KHNX 091135
AFDHNX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
335 AM PST WED DEC 9 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
COLD TEMPERATURES TODAY DUE TO AN ARCTIC AIRMASS REMAINING OVER THE 
AREA WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN 
VALLEY. A TROUGH PATTERN WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION THURSDAY THROUGH 
THE WEEKEND WITH CHANCES FOR RAIN IN THE VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS AND 
MOUNTAIN RAIN AND SNOW.

&&

.DISCUSSION...THE NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES TO DRAG COLD AIR
SOUTH INTO CENTRAL CA. A WEAK UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF CURRENTLY
NEAR 130W IS HAVING CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY MAKING MUCH HEADWAY
WITH RESPECT TO DISLODGING THE COLD AIRMASS. CLOUDS EARLY LAST
NIGHT ACROSS THE VALLEY HAVE DISSIPATED OR BEEN SHUNTED SOUTH.
THUS ANOTHER VERY COLD MORNING IS IN PROGRESS. THERE IS A HIGH
DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY ON WHETHER CLOUDS WILL ARRIVE OR BE THICK
ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANOTHER NITE OF FREEZING TEMPS TONITE. THE
FREEZE WARNING FOR TONITE (WED NITE) WILL BE LEFT ALONE.

THE WESTERLIES ARE STILL FCST TO BREAK THRU AND BRING WARMING
TEMPS THURS...THOUGH HOW MUCH PRECIP IS QUESTIONABLE. MODELS SEEM
TO BE SLOWING THE ARRIVAL UNTIL THURS NITE AND HAVE TRENDED POPS A
BIT IN THAT DIRECTION...WITH A WETTER FRI THAN PREVIOUS FCST. IT
STILL LOOKS LIKE THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE SAT AND BE THE
WETTEST...WITH SOME SHOWERY PRECIP LINGERING INTO SUN. QPF AMOUNTS
SAT COULD BE SIGNIFICANT AND WINTER WX PRODUCTS COULD BE NEEDED.
HOWEVER...SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE THE NEXT 2 DAYS AND BE IN THE 5-6K
RANGE AT LEAST THRU SAT...MAYBE LOWERING TO THE KERN COUNTY PASSES
LATER SUN.

A WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS POSSIBLE BY MON WITH LITTLE IF ANY
PRECIP. THE NEXT THREAT OF PRECIP COULD BE TUES AND/OR WED AS THE
STORM TRACK CONTINUES INTO THE WEST COAT. HOWEVER IT COULD BE FAR
ENOUGH NORTH THAT DRY WX COULD CONT INTO MID-WEEK. CONFIDENCE IN
THE MEDIUM RANGE IS RATHER LOW AT THIS POINT THOUGH.

&&

.AVIATION...
AREAS OF MVFR IN HAZE/MIST IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY UNTIL 20Z 
TODAY WITH LOCAL IFR/LIFR IN MIST/FOG FROM 10Z-17Z. THEN AREAS OF 
MVFR IN HAZE/MIST RETURNING AFTER 06Z THURSDAY. OTHERWISE...VFR 
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CENTRAL CA INTERIOR THROUGH 12Z 
THURSDAY.

&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9 2009... FIREPLACE/WOOD STOVE BURNING IS
PROHIBITED IN FRESNO COUNTY.
FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT VALLEYAIR.ORG

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR CAZ089>092.

FREEZE WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM PST THURSDAY FOR 
CAZ089>092.

&&

$$

PUBLIC...BINGHAM
AVN/FW...BEAN
SYNOPSIS...PJ

WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD