Includes Eastern Madera and Mariposa Counties and Yosemite National Park
July 28, 2022 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a few strong thunderstorms are possible in the Sierra Nevada, mainly above 5,000 feet, from 2:00 P.M. this afternoon until 8:00 P.M. this evening.
Dangerous cloud to ground lightning strikes, wind gusts near 45 mph, and small hail are hazards associated with strong thunderstorms.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
241 AM PDT Thu Jul 28 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Smoke from the Oak Fire will continue to be the major
story today. The other major story will be the increase in
temperatures into the weekend which the smoke could affect.
Afternoon thunderstorms over the Sierra Nevada crest will be a
recurring character in the forecast the next few days.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
An upper level ridge continues to build today over Northern
California into the weekend which will continue to bring a northerly
northeasterly flow to the San Joaquin Valley. The ridge will
start to move towards the Great Basin and the Four Corners during
the weekend as a trough starts to move in across Oregon and the
very Northern portion of California.
Temperatures will be increasing today through Saturday with Friday
and Saturday being the warmest days due to the building ridge.
Temperatures will start to decrease starting Sunday to seasonal
average temperatures because of the approaching trough.
Temperatures today are forecasted to be between 94 in the
foothills to 104 in the Central Valley but the smoke from the Oak
Fire could make it a degree or two colder than forecasted.
The afternoon thunderstorms over the Sierra Nevada crest will
continue to persist until next week. The thunderstorms are favored
due to more moisture in the mountains as well as up to a few hundred
J/kg of CAPE. There's a slight chance of rain Sunday afternoon in
the more interior eastern locations of the San Joaquin Valley due to
the approaching trough to the north near the California-Oregon
border which will bring more moisture to the San Joaquin Valley.
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions are expected with MVFR or lower visibilities
possible due to the smoke from the Oak Fire. Thunderstorms are
also expected to fire off between 19Z Thursday and 02Z Friday
&&
.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
On Thursday July 28 2022... Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in
Fresno... Kern... Madera and Tulare Counties... and Sequoia
National Park and Forest.
Source: NWS
