Projected rainfall totals for Mariposa: 0.50" to 1.00"
Projected rainfall totals for Oakhurst: 0.50" to 1.00"
Projected rainfall totals for Yosemite Valley: 1.00" to 1.50"
December 21, 2019 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a storm system will impact Central California Sunday through Monday night.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Southern Sierra Nevada above 4,500 feet.
The majority of this precipitation will fall Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 425 AM PST Sat Dec 21 2019 .SYNOPSIS...Dry weather and mild afternoon temperatures can be expected over the district today. An increase in clouds tonight will be followed by rain and mountain snow Sunday through Monday along with colder temperatures. Precipitation will linger over the mountains Tuesday while much of the district gets a break from wet weather. Another storm will bring a return of rain and mountain snow to the region Christmas Day into Thursday. && .DISCUSSION...A storm system currently over the eastern Pacific will likely disrupt or delay travel for many folks taking to the roads or airways this weekend, especially if they wait until Sunday to do so. The cold front in advance of this storm system will move inland through central California Sunday afternoon and evening with its precipitation. As the cold front approaches, clouds will gradually thicken over central California through tonight. Winds will also increase and peak in intensity through and below the mountain passes tonight into Sunday morning as the cold front bears down on the CWA. Motorists heading out of the San Joaquin Valley may experience wind gusts as high as 45 mph through the passes west of I-5 this afternoon through tonight. Southerly winds will ramp up at the south end of the San Joaquin Valley and over the Kern county mountains by tonight and remain strong until the cold front passes through during the midday hours Sunday. Winds could gust up to 55 mph at the foot of the Grapevine tonight and as high as 70 mph over the summits in the Tehachapi mountains. Meanwhile, precipitation accompanying this cold front will fall as snow over the higher elevations (above 4500 feet near Yosemite to about 5500 feet in Kern county) and rain in the lower elevations. Folks heading into the mountains later this weekend should be prepared for slick, snow covered roads and potentially long delays or road closures. Advisories are in place for strong winds through and below the mountain passes and snow over the higher elevations of the Sierra this weekend. The upper level low associated with this storm system will track southward along the California coast Sunday night and Monday and bring additional precipitation to the CWA. As the low nears Point Conception Monday afternoon and evening, it may bring a healthy slug of moisture northward into the mountains of Kern county and Tulare county. If so, this will become the focus of heavy precip early in the week with the potential for hefty snow accumulations above 5,000 feet and a threat of localized flooding in the lower elevations. This is something we`ll have to monitor closely Monday into Monday night. The models eject this storm into the Great Basin Tuesday as the upper level trough shifts inland from the coast. Theoretically this will bring a lull in precipitation over much of the CWA on Christmas eve with any residual showers confined to the mountains. Another round of wet weather is expected Christmas Day into Thursday morning as yet another storm system tracks down the California coast. Although this second storm does not look as wet as its predecessor, it will still bring a renewed threat of wintry weather to the mountains during the Christmas holiday with the possibility of accumulating snow to elevations as low as 3500 feet. This includes the mountain passes in Kern county (i.e. I-5 over Tejon Pass and Highway 58 through Tehachapi Pass). Toward the end of next week, it appears we`ll finally experience a drying trend as our holiday storm exits into the Desert southwest and an upper level ridge of high pressure builds into the Golden State. Clouds could linger in the upslope regions well into Friday while skies become mostly clear elsewhere. If so, this will set the stage for night and morning fog in the San Joaquin Valley by next weekend with additional travel woes for holiday motorists. Temperatures will trend much cooler/colder after today and generally average pretty close to normal for much of next week. On a final note...the Winter solstice begins at 8:19 pm PST this evening.Source: NWS
