Increasing Lightning activity in Northern California

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Increasing Lightning activity in Northern California

Increasing Lightning activity in Northern California

Northern California Lightning activity
Credit: The weather Channel

Severe Weather Alert

Special Weather Statement

WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 235 PM PDT WED SEP 19 2007

...UNSEASONABLY COLD AND STRONG STORM SYSTEM NEARING THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...

THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT WEATHER SYSTEM OF THE SEASON IS CONTINUING NOW OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND IT WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR TONIGHT AND AFFECT THE WEATHER THROUGH SATURDAY.

FORECAST MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN BRINGING THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA TO A POSITION ALONG THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST THURSDAY MORNING AND THEN SHIFTING IT SOUTHWEST TO A POSITION WEST OF POINT CONCEPTION THURSDAY NIGHT. THE LOW IS THEN PROJECTED TO REMAIN OFFSHORE ON FRIDAY AND THEN LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...FINALLY DEPARTING THE REGION ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

INITIALLY...THE MAIN THREAT OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE NORTH OF FRESNO COUNTY TONIGHT...AND THEN ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ON THURSDAY AS THE LOW SLIDES SOUTH. ENOUGH COLD AIR WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORM TO PRODUCE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER MANY LOCATIONS AND EVEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEST SIDE OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. BY THURSDAY NIGHT...AS THE LOW MOVES TO THE SOUTH...THE THREAT OF PRECIPITATION WILL DIMINISH...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTH. AS THE LOW SWINGS INLAND ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...THE PRECIPITATION THREAT WILL BE FOCUSED ON SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH THE SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS HAVING THE BEST CHANCES OF RECEIVING SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION. ON SATURDAY...AS THE LOW MOVES TO THE NORTHEAST...THE THREAT OF PRECIPITATION WILL AGAIN WORK NORTHWARD.

THIS STORM SYSTEM HAS PLENTY OF COLD AIR TO WORK WITH AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE MUCH COLDER OVER THE ENTIRE AREA. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY TIME PERIOD WILL BE 20-25 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR LATE SEPTEMBER AND SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE 6500 FEET. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COLDER AIR...WINDY TO VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SIERRA CREST...THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS THROUGH THURSDAY.

ALTHOUGH THE CALENDAR SAYS LATE SEPTEMBER...HIKERS...CAMPERS AND OTHER OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER-LIKE CONDITIONS AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY.

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Wednesday, September 19, 2007