Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
229 PM PDT THU APR 30 2009

...WINTER LIKE WEATHER WILL MAKE A RETURN TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
THIS WEEKEND...

.A WARM PACIFIC STORM IS MOVING EAST TOWARD CALIFORNIA. THIS
SYSTEM HAS A GOOD FEED OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST
FRIDAY AFTERNOON...AND MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT AND
INTO SATURDAY.

CAZ096-010530-
/O.NEW.KHNX.WS.A.0008.090502T0000Z-090502T1800Z/
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
229 PM PDT THU APR 30 2009

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING FOR HEAVY SNOW FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM
YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON.

A LATE SEASON STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INLAND...BRINGING MODERATE
TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FRIDAY
NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS STARTING OUT AROUND 9000
FEET LATE FRIDAY NIGHT WILL LOWER TO AROUND 7500 FEET BY
SATURDAY MORNING. NEW SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS TOTALING 12 TO 16
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ABOVE 9000 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH
AROUND 6 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE AT THE 7500 FOOT LEVEL. LOCAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY COULD BE EVEN GREATER IN THE
HEAVIEST SNOW SHOWERS.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

$$

BARLOW

Winter Storm Warning
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
308 AM PDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...WINTER LIKE WEATHER WILL MAKE A RETURN TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA THIS WEEKEND...
.A WARM PACIFIC STORM CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST TOWARD CALIFORNIA. THIS SYSTEM HAS A
STRONG FEED OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED
WITH IT. THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA THIS AFTERNOON...AND
MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY.
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PDT SATURDAY...
...WINTER STORM WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM
YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY
SNOW AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 7000 FEET...WHICH IS
IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON. THE WINTER
STORM WATCH FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.

MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL BEGIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE
OVERNIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY MORNING OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA. SNOW LEVELS
WILL START OUT RATHER HIGH AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 8000 FEET AND LOWER TO AROUND 6500 FEET
ON
SATURDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS TOTALING 12 TO 16 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE
ABOVE 9000 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH
AROUND 6 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE AT THE 7500 FOOT LEVEL. LOCAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE
HIGH COUNTRY COULD BE EVEN GREATER IN THE
HEAVIEST SNOW SHOWERS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR
OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL
MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

000
FXUS66 KHNX 012214
AFDHNX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
314 PM PDT FRI MAY 1 2009

.DISCUSSION...THE UPPER LOW NEAR 39N/130W IS NEGATIVELY TILTED
WITH THE UPPER JET UNDER CUTTING IT. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATE
A GOOD SWATH OF MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE LEADING EDGE OF
THIS SYSTEM IS BEGINNING TO SPREAD INTO THE CWFA WITH MAINLY
LIGHT RAIN SO FAR. EXPECT RAIN TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND
INTENSITY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNTS OF
RAIN BETWEEN 00Z AND 15Z (5 PM TONIGHT THROUGH 8 AM SATURDAY).
SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT HIGH...BUT WILL LOWER TO NEAR 6500 FEET
TOWARD MORNING. WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES REMAIN IN
EFFECT FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA ZONES ABOVE 7000 FEET. RAINFALL
AMOUNTS STILL LOOK ON TRACK FOR 1-2 INCHES IN THE SIERRA NEVADA
AND AS MUCH AS ONE HALF INCH IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY...TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH IN THE SOUTH. THE HEAVY
RAIN AND HIGH SNOW LEVELS NEAR YOSEMITE WILL CAUSE THE MERCED
RIVER TO RISE RAPIDLY WITH FLOODING PROBABLE ALONG THE MERCED
RIVER IN YOSEMITE PARK.

THE MAIN TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH SOME
RESIDUAL SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. ON SUNDAY ANOTHER
SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CONTINUING A CHANCE OF
RAIN NORTH OF FRESNO. ALTHOUGH LOW AMPLITUDE RIDGING TRIES TO
BUILD OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA MONDAY AND TUESDAY...IT IS HAMPERED
SOMEWHAT BY SYSTEMS THAT CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA. THIS WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN THIRD OF THE CWFA...WITH THE BEST CHANCE NEAR YOSEMITE
MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ELSEWHERE IN THE CWFA THE WEATHER WILL DRY
OUT AND TEMPERATURES WILL WARM. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY LOOK DRY
AND WARMER ACROSS THE ENTIRE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR.


&&

.AVIATION...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM OFF THE COAST WILL MOVE INTO
CALIFORNIA THIS EVENING. WHILE LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS MAY BE SEEN OVER
THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SIERRA NEVADA...CONDITIONS OVER THE LOWER
FOOTHILLS AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT VFR/MVFR
LEVELS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY. MORE WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS
AND VALLEY MVFR CONDITIONS MAY BE SEEN AFTER 06Z SATURDAY.


&&

.AIR QUALITY ISSUES...
NO AIR QUALITY ISSUES TODAY
THIS IS ALSO AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK. MORE INFORMATION IS
AVAILABLE IN THE LATEST PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN HANFORD.
SEE /NOUS89 KHNX/ OR /SFOPNSHNX/ FOR DETAILS
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN AIR QUALITY IN THE SAN JOAQUIN
VALLEY. BRING YOUR LUNCH TO WORK OR WALK TO A NEARBY RESTAURANT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT HEALTHYAIRLIVING.COM OR VALLEYAIR.ORG

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR CAZ097.

WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR CAZ096.

FLOOD WARNING FOR LATE TONIGHT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. FOR THE
MERCED RIVER AT POHONO BRIDGE.

&&

$$

PUBLIC...BEAN
AVN/FW...MOLINA

I see new snow on Half Dome via the Turtleback cam.