Includes Eastern Madera and Mariposa Counties and Yosemite National Park
August 3, 2022 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports a significant amount of moisture will continue to move through Central California, leading to the possibility of thunderstorms in the green, shaded area.
A chance of possible heavy rainfall will remain a possibility as moisture continue to stream into the region.
In addition, any thunderstorm can produce dangerous cloud to ground lightning strikes.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hanford CA
217 AM PDT Wed Aug 3 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Monsoonal thunderstorm activity will continue to be the main
weather highlight across the forecast area today and each day
through at least this weekend. Afternoon highs continue to be a
few degrees above normal across Central California.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Another round of afternoon showers and thunderstorms looks likely
today across the Sierra Nevada and perhaps the northern portion of
the Mojave Desert in Kern County. Monsoonal moisture has
continued to be the main weather driver over the region over the
past week and will continue today. Models indicate that the
moisture flow could have a more southeasterly component today
through Friday, which may lead to an increase in shower and
thunderstorm coverage across the district. Afternoon high
temperatures may bump up a degree or two today and tomorrow from
Tuesday's highs. Ensemble guidance is suggesting that the ridge of
high pressure could shift eastward through the weekend. This
would lead to a downward trend in high afternoon highs.
Additionally, the flow pattern aloft would shift more
southwesterly in this scenario, which may lead to reduced
thunderstorm coverage.
Blended model guidance suggests the afternoon highs may retreat to
near normal across the Valley by early to the middle of next week.
This is due to a general consensus in global ensemble models of a
closed low pattern setting up in the Pacific Northwest that would
erode at the western flank of the desert southwest ridge, and
possibly leading to some onshore flow. Confidence on how this
scenario unfolds is limited for now as it's still several days
out.
&&
.AVIATION...Areas of mountain obscuring IFR conditions in and near
thunderstorms across the Sierra Nevada after 18Z Wednesday through
04z Thursday. Otherwise, VFR conditions will prevail elsewhere
across central CA for the next 24 hours.
&&
.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
ISSUED: 08/02/2022 14:48
EXPIRES: 08/03/2022 23:59
On Wednesday August 3 2022... Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in
Kern County.
Source: NWS
