Updates
  • Out/pneumonia Pardon the interruption again, folks. John had been coughing more and more frequently lately. Difficult breathing yesterday resulted in an ambulance ride to the local…
  • May 8, 2024 report May 8, 2024 Summary  High pressure aloft is  located 500 miles off the northern California coast. Low pressure is centered over Wyoming and the Dakotas…
  • May 6, 2024 report May 6, 2024 Summary  An elongated trough of low pressure extends from the Gulf of Alaska to the Pacific Northwest while high pressure is setting…
  • May 4, 2024 report May 4, 2024 Summary  A low pressure center is off the coast of the Pacific Northwest this morning. This low will move southwestward into northern…
  • May 2, 2024 report May 2, 2024 Summary  upper level high pressure is upwelling ahead of a low pressure system located in the northeast Pacific. This will drive temperatures…
Forecast

March 13, 2018/report

March 13, 2018

Summary: Doppler radar continues to indicate light showers are moving into the central California coastal region with a few showers over the Coast Range.  Lurking behind is a cold front which will move inland later today and tonight, spreading precipitation which could be locally heavy, mainly north of Kern County.  A significant trough of low pressure will remain along the west coast in spite of a frontal passage.  Weaker waves of low pressure will pinwheel inland Wednesday and Wednesday night, although there will be dry periods from time to time.  Thursday through early Saturday looks to be a very active period with a colder, well developed storm system stretching from off the Pacific Northwest all the way into southern California.  Models continue to indicate that heavy precipitation is likely from later Thursday through early Saturday.  With some luck, lift up and down the Sierra Nevada will generate large amounts of snow with snow levels lowering to perhaps 4,000 to 5,000 feet by Friday.  Here on the valley floor, north of Kern County we could see more than an inch.

 

The action will begin to wind down late Friday night and early Saturday.  It now appears Sunday and Monday will be dry but some models this morning show an intense low pressure system just off the central California coast by Tuesday.  If these models do pan out, we could see another round of potentially significant precipitation from Monday night through Wednesday of next week.

 

Forecast: Scattered light showers for a time this morning.  Rain will begin later this morning or during the afternoon, becoming possibly locally heavy at times late today through tonight.  Periods of showers are likely Wednesday.  Expect more rain Thursday and on through Friday night.  A chance of showers for a time Saturday morning then becoming partly cloudy Sunday through Monday.  Increasing cloudiness  Monday night with a chance of rain Tuesday.

 

Short Term:                                                                            

Madera 69/51/61/41/62 Reedley 73/52/61/40/62 Dinuba 71/52/60/40/61
Porterville 73/52/63/42/63 Lindsay 73/53/63/41/63 Delano 74/53/64/42/64
Bakersfield 75/55/64/43/64 Arvin 75/54/64/42/64 Taft 75/56/65/44/62
Lamont 75/54/64/42/65 Pixley 73/53/63/42/63 Tulare 71/52/61/39/62
Woodlake 73/52/61/40/62 Hanford 72/53/61/40/62 Orosi 72/52/62/41/62

 

Seven Day Forecast:

Friday

Rain likely

42/62

Saturday

AM showers

41/60

Sunday

Partly cloudy

37/63

Monday

Increasing clouds

43/68

Tuesday

Chance of rain

48/68

 

Two Week Outlook:  March 19 through March 25:  The two week model continues to indicate temperatures will be below average during this time frame.  It also appears the chance of rain will be better than average during this period.

 

March:  Not much encouragement as far as rainfall is concerned as this model is indicating below average precipitation, especially over the second half of the month.  So far, this model predicts near average temperatures.

 

March, April, May:  The ninety-day outlook doesn’t exactly make one happy if rain is the desired outcome.  It does show a better than average chance of above average temperatures, mainly due to high pressure off shore, and below average precipitation.

 

Winds: Winds will be mainly out of the south to southeast at 10 to 15 MPH at times through Friday with local gusts to near 25 MPH.

 

Rain:  Light showers are possible this morning which are embedded within a moist westerly flow aloft.  A strong trough of low pressure is digging farther south off the west coast and will begin to spread precipitation over the valley by this afternoon.  Rain could be locally heavy at times both later this afternoon and tonight.  Even though this storm will move eastward by Wednesday, a trough will remain anchored off shore.  This trough will continue to throw bands of showers inland from time to time, keeping the rain machine going Wednesday and Wednesday night.

 

An intense storm will begin to make its move on most of California, including the valley, Thursday through early Saturday.  Rain will be possibly locally heavy at times later Thursday and Friday.  By Saturday afternoon, the action should be over for a short period of dry weather which will last through Sunday and Monday.  Clouds could begin to increase Monday night as an intense low may be right off the central California coast for more rain Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

Medium range models continue to show a better than even chance of above average precipitation all the way from the twentieth through the twenty sixth.

 

Frost:  All locations will be above freezing tonight and each night for the foreseeable future.

Afternoon Dew Points Today: Low to mid 50s  Kern: Low to mid 50s

Humidity: Visalia: 55%/95%  Bakersfield: 45%/85%

Actual Humidity March 11, 2018: Delano, 92%/54%, Porterville, 96%/41%

 

Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 0%  tomorrow 50%  Bakersfield: Today: 0% Tomorrow: 40%

 

ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days March 11, 2018: Stratford .78, Parlier .68, Blackwell .85 Lindcove .71, Arvin .80, Orange Cove .77, Porterville .72, Delano .72, Madera Two .72.  Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available. 

 

Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford 54, Parlier 55, Blackwell 56, Lindcove, 55, Arvin, 55, Orange Cove 52, Porterville 54, Delano 54, Madera Two 54

Record Temperatures: 86/30. Average Temperatures: 67/44

Heating Degree Days this Season: 1779, -485 Courtesy of the NWS

Average temperatures for March so far, 53.8.7 -0.3

 

Precipitation:  Seasonal total/average/above or below average

Since October 1, 2017  Fresno: 3.23 season. or -5.17.  Month to Date: 1.33

Since October 1, 2017,  Bakersfield:  1.71, or -3.07,  Month to Date: .39

Water year season is from October 1st through September.

 

Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, 952, Parlier, 977, Arvin, 851, Shafter, 1007, Stratford, 965, Madera two, 1480, Lindcove, 1105, Porterville, 1433.  Hours at 45 or below 45.

 

Sunrise: 7:15 am  Sunset: 7:04 pm. Hours of Daylight:  11:46

Yesterday’s Weather:

MAE   : Madera               253 : DH1700 /  79 /  50 / 0.00 /

FAT   : Fresno Airport       333 : DH1700 /  79 /  51 / 0.00 /

HJO   : Hanford Airport      242 : DH1700 /  79 /  47 / 0.00 /

NLC   : Lemoore Naval AS     234 : DH1700 /  79 /  46 / 0.00 /

BFL   : Bakersfield Airport  496 : DH1700 /  78 /  51 / 0.00 /

VIS   : Visalia Airport      292 : DH1700 /  77 /  49 / 0.00 /

ATEC1 : Avenal               787 : DH1649 /  75 /  48 / 0.00 /

PTV   : Porterville Airport  442 : DH1700 /  78 /  49 / 0.00 /

TFTC1 : Taft                 759 : DH1654 /  76 /  51 / 0.00 /

LOSC1 : Los Banos            120 : DH1600 /  78 /  50 / 0.00 /

 

Rainfall Totals:

STOCKTON                      0.00    5.60    51   17.89   163    10.96    14.06

MODESTO                       0.00    4.45    45   14.09   141    10.00    13.11

MERCED                        0.00    3.82    40   13.51   143     9.46    12.50

MADERA                        0.00    3.29    35   13.19   142     9.28    12.02

FRESNO                        0.00    3.23    38   12.87   151     8.55    11.50

HANFORD                       0.00    2.60    34    9.21   119     7.74    10.10

BAKERSFIELD                   0.00    1.71    35    7.29   150     4.87     6.47

BISHOP                        0.00    0.20     5    7.81   207     3.78     5.18

SALINAS                          T    3.59    36   14.79   148     9.99    12.83

PASO ROBLES                      T    4.55    45   14.63   144    10.17    12.78

SANTA MARIA                   0.00    2.97    27   16.22   148    10.99    13.95

Next Report: Tuesday, March 13/PM