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"
March 8, 2021 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a cold storm system will bring valley rain and mountain snow to the forecast area on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Afternoon thunderstorms are possible in the San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday, which could lead to brief heavy rain, gusty winds, and small hail.
National Weather Service Hanford CA 139 PM PST Sun Mar 7 2021 .SYNOPSIS...A dry southwesterly flow will prevail through Monday before a slow moving system brings cooler temperatures and unsettled weather to the forecast area Tuesday through Thursday. Drier weather and milder temperatures will return Friday. && .DISCUSSION... A dry west-southwest flow aloft is bringing high clouds over the region today. This pattern is expected to continue through Monday with temperatures near or just a few degrees below normal before a low pressure system drops out of the Gulf of Alaska and approaches central California Tuesday. Temperatures will cool below normal Tuesday, reaching 8-15 degrees below normal most areas Wednesday. Models are in good agreement today on the timing of this system moving through Tuesday through Thursday. There is a slight chance of very light precipitation in the northern part of Yosemite NP on Monday afternoon, but the main area of precipitation does not begin until Tuesday afternoon, mainly Fresno county northward. Precipitation will spread south Tuesday night and continue Wednesday. With colder air aloft as the trough move more directly over central California Wednesday, the airmass becomes more unstable and precipitation will change to showers with a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms in the San Joaquin Valley. Given the fact that this system is out of the Gulf and AK, it will be a cold storm and snow levels will lower from around 4000 feet at the onset of precipitation on Tuesday to around 3000 feet Tuesday night. Adverse impacts to travel will be likely over the mountains and foothills Tuesday night through Wednesday night due to winter weather. The ensemble model runs are showing better agreement in moving the trough pushing into the desert southwest by Thursday, with showers diminishing in the San Joaquin Valley Wednesday night and showers continuing in the mountains Thursday. A few light showers may continue in the Sierra Nevada on Friday. There is still some uncertainty in the forecast Friday into next weekend as there continues to be a fair amount of spread in the ensembles during that period. However, they do seem to be beginning to trend more toward building a ridge of high pressure into California by Saturday which would bring warming temperatures for the weekend, so will continue with that idea with highs warming back to near normal by Saturday.
Source: NWS
