FXUS66 KHNX 101044 AFDHNX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 244 AM PST WED MAR 10 2010 .SYNOPSIS... WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE DESERT AND SIERRAS TODAY AS A RESULT OF A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT THAT PAST THROUGH THE CENTRAL INTERIOR THIS MORNING. VERY COLD AIR BEHIND THIS SYSTEM WILL SETTLE IN THE VALLEY WITH POSSIBLE FROST CONDITIONS THURSDAY MORNING. && .DISCUSSION...VERY FAST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT IS REALLY PUSHING THE INCOMING FRONTAL SYSTEM TO THE SOUTHEAST AT A RAPID CLIP. RADAR AND SURFACE OBS SHOW THE PRECIPITATION IS NOW AT MERCED AND HEADING DOWN THE FORECAST AREA IN A BIG HURRY. GRIDS HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT A QUICK SHOT OF PRECIPITATION ENDING EVEN IN THE BAKERSFIELD AREA BY LATE MORNING. I HAVE LINGERED SOME POPS OVER THE UPSLOPE AREAS OF THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND THE SIERRA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BUT BY SUNDOWN, ALL AREAS SHOULD BE DRY. WINDS HAVE ALREADY GUSTED TO OVER 60 MPH AT MOJAVE EARLIER THIS EVENING AND WITH THE VERY FAST FLOW ALOFT AND ESPECIALLY BEHIND THE FRONT, IN THE SUBSIDENCE ZONE THE WINDS SHOULD PICK UP AGAIN OVER THE ENTIRE AREA. I EXPECT ADVISORY TO LOCALLY HIGH WIND WARNING LEVEL WINDS FOR MUCH OF THE THE DAY OVER THE KERN MOUNTAINS AND DESERT. MEANWHILE, AFTER THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY A MODERATELY STRONG NORTHWEST WIND WILL BEGIN. MAY NOT SEE ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS HERE BUT IT WILL NEED CLOSE MONITORING. SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA ON THURSDAY BEFORE THE NEXT VERY FAST MOVING PACIFIC SHORT WAVE MOVES INTO AND QUICKLY ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FRIDAY EVENING LOOKS TO BE THE TARGET FOR PRECIPITATION AND I HAVE UPPED POPS QUITE A BIT FOR THIS TIME PERIOD. DUE TO THE QUICK HITTING NATURE OF THE INCOMING SYSTEM I DON'T EXPECT A BIG PRECIPITATION EVENT, BUT CERTAINLY MORE THAN TODAY'S EXPECTED AMOUNTS. A STRONGER A LONGER LASTING RIDGE IS THEN PROGGED TO BUILD OVER THE WEST COAST FOR THE WEEKEND AND PERSIST INTO NEXT WEEK. LOOKS LIKE A DRY BREAK FOR AT LEAST A FEW DAYS NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... MVFR CONDITIONS IN RAIN ACROSS THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY THROUGH 20Z TODAY. AFTERWARD...MVFR CIGS CONTINUE IN A POST-FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT WITH AN INCREASE IN SURFACE WINDS. ACROSS THE SIERRA NEVADA AND TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS...MVFR CONDITIONS BECOMING WIDESPREAD WITH LOCAL IFR VSBY AND CIGS IN LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY. LOCALLY GUSTY SURFACE WINDS 40-50 KTS THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES. CONDITIONS SLOWLY IMPROVING TOWARD 12Z THURSDAY. IN THE KERN DESERTS...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 18Z TODAY. CONDITIONS BECOMING MVFR IN RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. STRONG SURFACE WINDS GUSTING TO 40 KTS UNTIL 06Z THURSDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... NONE && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR THE PASSES IN THE CAZ095. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING CAZ098-099. && $$ PUBLIC...DUDLEY AVN/FW...MOLINA SYNOPSIS...PJ WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD