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

December 9, 2019/pm update

December 9, 2019

Summary: the low clouds and fog have cleared from the Sacramento Valley southward through much of the northern San Joaquin Valley.  In the central and south valley, highway visibilities are again decent.  The low cloud deck has risen to between 700 and 1000 feet above the valley floor.  As strong upper level high pressure begins to cap the valley tonight and Tuesday, where it clears, widespread ground fog will form. Elsewhere, the low cloud deck will remain, keeping temperatures rather comfortable for early December.  Where clearing occurs, temperatures will only drop into the upper 30s ot the lower 40s as dew points this afternoon are way high.

 

A weak trough of low pressure will displace the high pressure system, moving into the interior west Tuesday night.  this will allow a weak trough of low pressure to move through northern and central California Tuesday night and early Wednesday.  most models place the main trough just east of the Sierra Nevada by 7:00 Wednesday morning.  Skies will then clear Wednesday as another high develops off the Baja/southern California coast.  The storm track will  move into the Pacific Northwest and about the northern ¼ of California after today.  The flow aloft above all of California will be out of the west, maintaining generally above average temperatures.

 

Over the weekend, some models are showing light showers spreading as far south as the Kern County mountains.  Others, though, continue to show a dry pattern right into the early part of next week.  Medium range models have been interesting the past few days, indicating the possibility of a cold trough of low pressure digging southward from the Gulf of Alaska from about the 20th for an increasing chance of rain and snow in the mountains along with  below average temperatures.

 

Forecast: Mostly cloudy tonight along the eastern and southern flanks of the valley.   Mostly clear to partly cloudy elsewhere with extensive fog forming after midnight.  Fog and/or low clouds Tuesday morning.  Increasing cloudiness Tuesday afternoon.  Mostly cloudy Tuesday night.  becoming mostly clear Wednesday with areas of fog and low clouds during the morning hours.  From Wednesday night through Friday night, generally partly cloudy skies will prevail with areas of night and morning fog and low clouds.  Variable cloudiness Saturday through Monday with a slight chance of showers Saturday night and Sunday, mainly from Fresno County north.  Areas of fog and low clouds again Monday morning.

 

Short Term:                                                                        

Madera 40/57/41/59 Reedley 39/58/42/58` Dinuba 39/56/43/57
Porterville 43/58/42/59 Lindsay 41/57/41/59 Delano 44/59/45/59
Bakersfield 45/60/45/61 Taft 46/61/45/61 Arvin 44/58/45/59
Lamont 44/59/44/61 Pixley 42/58/42/59 Tulare 40/57/42/58
Woodlake 39/58/42/59 Hanford 41/57/41/59 Orosi 39/57/41/58

 

Winds: Winds through Thursday will be generally at or less than 7 MPH with extended periods of near calm conditions.

 

Rain:  Expect dry weather through at least Friday night.  there will be a slight chance of measurable from mainly Fresno County northward Saturday night and Sunday as a colder trough of low pressure moves through.  otherwise, dry weather will continue.  Medium range models beginning about the 20th of the month have been trending towards a cold trough of low pressure moving out of the Gulf of Alaska and into the western states for the possibility of precipitation and below average temperatures.

 

Frost Discussion:  All locations will be above freezing each night through Sunday.  A weak but relatively cold system will move through over the weekend.  Some models are indicating readings down into the 30s by Monday and Tuesday of next week with traditional cold pockets down to 29 to 31.  This is the first time this has shown up so we’ll simply keep an eye on it for now.  No significant cold snap is expected for now, although models for about the 20th and beyond appear to lean towards an active pattern in association with a cold air mass.  We’ll monitor the trends there, as well.

 

Next report: Tuesday morning/December 10