Mariposa Projected High Temperatures for Saturday through Monday: 71-73 Degrees
Oakhurst Projected High Temperatures for Saturday through Monday: 72-75 Degrees
Yosemite Valley Projected High Temperatures for Saturday through Monday: 71-73 Degrees
May 28, 2022 - The National Weather Service Hanford Office reports high temperatures across Central California will be a few to several degrees below normal throughout the Memorial Day weekend.
Area Forecast Discussion...CORRECTED National Weather Service Hanford CA 130 AM PDT Sat May 28 2022 .SYNOPSIS...A cooling trend will continue for the Memorial Day weekend with below average temperatures expected across the central California interior. Strong winds are expected until at least Sunday evening for the Kern County desert and adjacent slopes. Temperatures will once again return to above average by the middle of next week with dry weather for the foreseeable future. && .DISCUSSION...The cooldown has begun, and expect cooler air to continue to flow into the region over the remainder of the holiday weekend. Friday`s highs were considerably lower, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 80`s throughout the San Joaquin Valley. However, most locations in the Kern County desert remained above 90 degrees. With cooler temperatures, comes gusty winds for at least some portion of our forecast area, especially this time of year. Winds have already picked up along the Mojave Desert slopes, with a few spots reporting gusts around 50 mph. Gusty westerly winds, with gusts mainly around 45 to 55 mph, will likely affect the prone areas of eastern Kern County until Sunday evening, so a Wind Advisory was issued for the Mojave Desert Slopes and the remaining desert zones. Winds will most likely pick up on the desert floor later this morning, so a Wind Advisory will be in effect for these areas beginning at 11 AM. The cooler than average temperatures will continue until Memorial Day, as a trough pattern persists over the Western U.S. It does not appear we will get much moisture from this system, although some cloud buildups will occur over the mountains in the afternoons. The warmest areas will reach into the 80`s for today through Memorial Day, and Sunday is projected to be the coolest day of this period. Blended guidance indicates highs could fall below 80 degrees in the San Joaquin Valley on Sunday, with a 30 to 40 percent probability. Tuesday will be a bit warmer as a ridge of high pressure moves closer to the CA coast. This ridge will pass over the region on Wednesday, though will be a progressive pattern, as southwest flow aloft sets up along the coast by Thursday. By midweek, temperatures quickly trend back up, just in time for June. Highs on both Wednesday and Thursday have a good chance (35 to 50 percent probability) of reaching at least 95 degrees (or about 5 to 8 degrees above normal) in many locations in the Central Valley and Kern County desert. Triple digit heat is unlikely for our portion of Central California, but cannot be ruled out for some locations in the Kern County desert on Thursday (up to 25 percent chance, though mainly towards China Lake). Ensemble guidance shows decent agreement regarding this ridge pattern, including timing and strength. For Friday and next Saturday, mainly seasonal temperatures are in the forecast, as flow aloft transitions to a zonal pattern. For late next week into next weekend, temperatures may not be as cool as during this weekend, though some increased winds are possible in the typical prone areas in eastern Kern County and the West Side Hills. Dry weather will continue through the period. && .AVIATION...VFR conditions will prevail throughout the Central California interior for at least the next 24 hours. Local surface wind gusts reaching 35 to 45 knots will be possible across the eastern slopes of the Kern County mountains and much of the Kern County desert after 18Z Saturday. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES... None.Source: NWS
