August 23, 2020 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a few strong thunderstorms are possible in the Sierra Nevada, Kern County mountains and desert, as well as the higher terrain adjacent to the west side of the San Joaquin Valley this afternoon and evening.
Dangerous cloud to ground lightning strikes, wind gusts near 50 mph, and small hail are some hazards associated with strong thunderstorms.
In addition, any thunderstorm can produce intense rainfall rates that could lead to localized flooding.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 213 AM PDT Sun Aug 23 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Smoke from surrounding fires will continue to produce poor air quality through at least early this week. A northerly influx of tropical moisture will bring an increasing chance of thunderstorms to mainly the higher elevations through Monday. Otherwise, temperatures will average close to normal through the period. && .DISCUSSION...Some mid-level moisture continues to bring some clouds at times tonight. Hazy skies will continue for much of today due to smoke from ongoing wildfires. Temperatures will remain at or slightly above average with somewhat warm overnight lows, though not as warm as what occurred during last week. Moisture from the remnants of Genevieve will push mainly along the Central CA coast later today into Monday with some moisture that could produce isolated thunderstorms over the higher terrain. The best chances will be during this afternoon and evening over the Sierra Nevada and Kern County mountains, though some isolated thunderstorms cannot be ruled out over the West Side Hills, mainly over the highest peaks. Any thunderstorm that develops is capable of producing frequent lightning, as well as brief heavy rain along with gusty winds. On Monday afternoon and evening, a renewed threat of thunderstorms is expected over the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada due to residual moisture. During Monday evening, the remnants of Genevieve will be caught in the southerly flow around the upper-level ridge that remains parked over much of the southern U.S., and the moisture will be transported northeastward into the Great Basin. Unfortunately, smoke from the surrounding wildfires will continue to impact much of Central California with unhealthy air quality for at least the next couple of days and perhaps longer. We will continue to coordinate with the local air pollution control districts regarding this situation. Visibility of around a couple of miles, and possibly lower at times, will likely last for the early part of this week, due to this smoke. Until these fires are extinguished, expect at least some hazy skies to persist beyond this period, especially over the Central Valley. Winds will be generally light through at least Monday, as we are situated under the western edge of the upper-level high pressure. By Tuesday, the flow aloft will likely turn more southwesterly, which is a typical dry pattern for this time of year. Relatively warm weather with mainly clear skies are in store for Tuesday and likely for the remainder of August. The high pressure ridge will be mainly over AZ and the Four Corners region, but is projected to weaken a bit and shift southward by late in the week. Some moderation in temperatures is possible over our forecast area by the following weekend, though with little noticeable change likely at this time.Source: NWS
