June 21, 2022 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports there is a slight chance (10% probability) of dry thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada, southern Sierra Nevada foothills, and Kern County mountains and desert Wednesday.
"Dry thunderstorms" are thunderstorms that produce little or no precipitation at the surface.
In combination with arid fuels (i.e. vegetation), dry thunderstorms can ignite wildfires with lightning, but will not produce much rain to put the wildfires out.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
1256 AM PDT Tue Jun 21 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Triple digit heat is likely in most of the San Joaquin Valley this
afternoon. Thunderstorms are possible in the higher terrain of
Central California, as well as in the Kern County desert Wednesday
afternoon. These thunderstorms may produce little precipitation,
resulting in a risk of wildfire starts. Light rain is possible in
the San Joaquin Valley from Fresno County southward Wednesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
An upper-level area of low pressure will move southward down the
coast of California today. Triple digit heat is expected in the
majority of the San Joaquin Valley this afternoon. Here are
probabilities of triple digit heat for select locations in the
San Joaquin Valley on Tuesday, June 21st, 2022:
Merced - 70%
Fresno - 67%
Hanford - 54%
Visalia - 53%
Lemoore - 52%
Madera - 51%
The aforementioned cyclone aloft will be centered just offshore
of Southern California Wednesday, before moving inland over
Central California Thursday. This upper-level area of low pressure
will weaken as it progress eastward through the service area
Thursday night, before opening up into a trough of low pressure
over the Great Basin Friday. The cyclone aloft will draw
subtropical northward into Central California Wednesday, resulting
in the possibility of light precipitation, generally from Fresno
County southward. A few dry thunderstorms are possible in the
Sierra Nevada, adjacent foothills, and Kern County mountains and
desert Wednesday afternoon, leading to the threat of lightning
ignited wildfires. The possibility of thunderstorms Thursday
afternoon should be confined to the Sierra Nevada and adjacent
foothills. There may be enough lingering atmospheric instability
for a few thunderstorms along the Sierra Nevada crest Friday
afternoon.
Cyclonic flow aloft will remain over California Saturday. An area
of high pressure over the Eastern Pacific Ocean will build
northeastward over the Golden State late this weekend into early
next week. Widespread triple digit heat should return to the San
Joaquin Valley this weekend. This triple digit heat should
persist into early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will persist throughout Central California today
and tonight.
&&
.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
On Tuesday, June 21st, 2022, unhealthy for sensitive groups in
Kern County. Further information is available at Valleyair.org.
Source: NWS
