Special Weather Statement-CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS WEEK

[G. Alan Ferguson]

Special Weather Statement Valid: August 05 at 2:20AM PDT

...INCREASING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL GRADUALLY BOOST CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS WEEK... COMPUTER MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A CLASSIC PATTERN FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE FORECAST AREA LATER THIS WEEK...WITH A CUTOFF LOW SLOWLY MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST.  AHEAD OF THIS LOW...A FETCH OF DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE MOISTURE ACROSS SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AT LEAST.  CONFIDENCE IS ONLY MODERATE AT THIS TIME IN TERMS OF WHERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. THUNDERSTORMS SEEM MOST LIKELY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.  AS MOISTURE INCREASES...THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME WETTER AND COVERAGE SHOULD EXPAND TO COVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.  BRIEF PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT STORM MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BE QUITE SLOW. ANY LIGHTNING COULD PRODUCE NEW WILDFIRES BUT THIS THREAT WILL BE DIMINISHED GIVEN THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRANSITION TOWARD THE WETTER VARIETY LATER IN THE WEEK.  HEAVY RAINFALL ACCOMPANYING THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING ON RECENTLY BURNED AREAS...SO FIREFIGHTING AGENCIES SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD.  ON THE OTHER HAND...RAINFALL COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS IF ANY STORMS LINGER OVER CURRENT FIRES...DAMPENING FIRE ACTIVITY. LAST BUT NOT LEAST...THESE STORMS COULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF IN THE SMOKE DEPARTMENT.  INSTABILITY WILL HELP TO CLEAR THE AIR DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND ANY RAIN THAT OCCURS WILL REDUCE SMOKE IN THE AIR.

Reminder:  While driving with wipers on, headlights must be on-it's the law.  And, please also remember the move over law.  Any emergency vehicle stopped along a roadway requires vehicles to move over where able.  Too many police, fire and emergency medical/ambulance personnel are killed and injured by vehicles while they are working around roadways.

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