Includes Yosemite National Park and Oakhurst
July 2, 2021 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a few thunderstorms are possible in the Sierra Nevada and adjacent foothills this afternoon into this evening. Small hail and wind gusts near 45 miles per hour are a couple of hazards associated with these thunderstorms.
In addition to dangerous cloud to ground lightning strikes, any thunderstorm can produce intense rainfall rates, leading to localized flooding.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 345 AM PDT Fri Jul 2 2021 .SYNOPSIS... High temperatures will hover right around the century mark in the San Joaquin Valley into early next week. Drier air will diminish the chances of Sierra thunderstorms to around Yosemite NP this afternoon. But a quick shot of moisture will bring another chance for most of the Sierra on Saturday. Drier air Sunday through Tuesday will bring little to no threat of thunderstorms anywhere in the Central California Interior. && .DISCUSSION... Satellite loops are showing mainly clear skies across the central California interior early this morning. Thunderstorm activity was more limited on Thursday, with most of the activity confined to right along the Sierra crest from Yosemite NP to Kings Canyon NP. Drier air continues to push in from the south and will limit the threat even further today to mainly around Yosemite NP during the afternoon. Models are still showing a surge of moisture from the south on Saturday. This will expand the thunderstorm threat from Yosemite NP south to Sequoia NP. The threat retreats a bit farther north on Sunday with the slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms from Yosemite NP to Kings Canyon NP. The air mass looks to dry out enough on Monday to end the thunderstorm threat. Models show a few pushes of moisture next week around a Four Corners high pressure cell. This moisture looks rather shallow and may only provide for some mid/high level clouds at times next week. Temperatures will change little from yesterday with highs mainly a few degrees above normal for early July. Most of the San Joaquin Valley will top out around the century mark though cooler marine air will help keep parts of Merced and Madera Counties in the 90s. Persistence looks to prevail through the weekend and into at least the middle of next week as the Four Corners high dominates. Slight warming is forecast next Thursday and Friday. Signs are pointing to another heat wave as model ensembles build the high pressure dome westward over California as a 600 DM high by the following weekend. && .AVIATION... MVFR/IFR conditions in and near showers and thunderstorms around Yosemite NP from 19z this afternoon until 02z this evening. VFR conditions will prevail elsewhere throughout Central California for the next 24 hours. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... On Friday July 2 2021...Unhealthy for sensitive groups in Kern and Tulare Counties and Sequoia National Park and Forest. Further information is available at Valleyair.orgSource: NWS
