Projected Precipitation for Mariposa 0.62"
Projected Precipitation for Oakhurst 0.75"
Projected Precipitation for Yosemite Valley 0.89"
March 3, 2022 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a low pressure system will move eastward across Southern California Thursday night and Friday.
The majority of precipitation associated with this storm system will fall late Thursday night and Friday.
The snow level will start at around 7,000 feet Thursday night, before dropping to about 6,000 feet Friday morning.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hanford CA 1248 AM PST Thu Mar 3 2022 .SYNOPSIS... A storm system will move eastward across Southern California tonight and Friday, resulting in precipitation throughout most of the service area. A second, colder storm system will progress southward down the California/Nevada border Friday night and Saturday. This storm system will be responsible for lower elevation snow. && .DISCUSSION... An upper-level area of low pressure will approach the coast of Southern California today. High temperatures this afternoon will be around five degrees above normal for this time of year. The aforementioned area of low pressure aloft will progress eastward across Southern California tonight and Friday. Precipitation associated with this storm system will spread northward into Central California after midnight tonight. The snow level will start at around 6,000 feet tonight, before falling to about 5,000 feet Friday morning. Four to eight inches of snow is expected above 5,000 feet late tonight through Friday evening. One tenth of an inch to one quarter of an inch of rain is likely in the San Joaquin Valley late tonight through Friday evening. One quarter of an inch to one half of an inch of rain is anticipated in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Less than one tenth of an inch or rain is expected in the Coastal Hills and Kern County desert. Westerly wind gusts near 55 mph are possible in the Mojave Desert Slopes Friday afternoon and Friday evening. A colder storm system will move southward down the California/Nevada border Friday night and Saturday. Snow levels will start at around 3,000 feet Friday night, before falling to around 1,500 feet Saturday morning. In the Sierra Nevada foothills, an inch or less of snow is likely from 1,500 feet to 4,000 feet Friday night through Saturday afternoon. One to three inches of snow is possible in the Sierra Nevada from 4,000 feet to 5,000 feet Friday night through Saturday evening. Three to six inches of snow is conceivable in the Sierra Nevada above 5,000 feet Friday night through Saturday evening. Rain amounts should remain under one tenth of an inch in the San Joaquin Valley Friday night through Saturday afternoon. Light snow is likely along Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass and along Highway 58 over Tehachapi Pass from about 4 AM PST early Saturday morning until 4 PM PST Saturday afternoon. The probability of a trace of snow ore more in Tehachapi is 74% and the probability of a trace of snow ore more at Tejon Pass is 65%. The probability of one inch of snow or more in Tehachapi is 37% and the probability of one inch of snow ore more at Tejon Pass is 21%. Finally, strong, gusty west to northwest winds are possible in a portion of the Kern County mountains and desert Saturday afternoon into early Saturday night. Gradually warming is expected Sunday through Wednesday as a Eastern Pacific ridge of high pressure remains just offshore of the west coast of the United States. High temperatures will increase by about five degrees each afternoon Sunday through Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon, maximum temperatures in Central California will be two to four degrees above their typical values for the first half of March. && .AVIATION... VFR conditions will prevail today into tonight. MVFR or lower conditions are possible after 09z tonight as precipitation spreads northward over Central California. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... None.Source: NWS
