April 30, 2020
Summary: Even though temperatures will continue above average today, today will be a transition day for the beginning of a cooling trend which will lower temperatures to near seasonal averages over the weekend. A dry cold front moved through central California during the early morning hours. Its associated upper trough of low pressure is currently moving through. As the system moves into the interior western U.S., barometers will fall over the Great Basin, setting up a roughly 15 mb difference in pressure between San Francisco and Las Vegas by late tonight and early Friday morning.
As a result, winds will begin to pick up out of the northwest and will become strong and gusty at times along the west side with areas of blowing dust becoming a problem by later this evening.
Temperatures this morning from Fresno County north are already anywhere from 5 to 9 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago. The freezing level above Oakland has dropped about 2,800 feet over the past 24 hours. Over the higher elevations, temperatures are substantially cooler this morning. Sandburg, at an elevation of 4,100 feet is off 15 degrees from yesterday at this time.
A broad area of low pressure will dominate the pattern beginning today and lasting through the early part of next week. The flow aloft remains west to east so any active weather will remain in the Pacific Northwest. The trough will deepen somewhat Sunday into Monday, resulting in another round of gusty winds with temperatures actually marginally below average.
Models for next Wednesday and into next weekend are indicating a return of a strong ridge of upper level high pressure. If these projections are accurate, we should see temperatures eclipsing the 90 degree mark again next Thursday.
Forecast: Mostly clear through Saturday night. becoming breezy from late afternoon through Friday. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Sunday through Monday night. mostly clear Tuesday through Thursday.
Short Term:
| Madera 85/52/82/50/84 | Reedley 88/52/83/50/83 | Dinuba 87/50/83/49/82 | |
| Porterville 88/51/84/50/84 | Lindsay 87/50/83/48/83 | Delano 88/55/84/52/84 | |
| Bakersfield 88/58/82/56/82 | Taft 87/60/82/57/83 | Arvin 88/55/82/54/82 | |
| Lamont 88/56/82/54/83 | Pixley 88/55/84/53/84 | Tulare 86/51/84/49/84 | |
| Woodlake 87/50/84/50/83 | Hanford 88/54/84/53/84 | Orosi 87/50/83/48/83 | |
Seven Day Forecast:
| Sunday
Partly cloudy 48/79 |
Monday
Partly cloudy 45/78 |
Tuesday
Mostly clear 48/83 |
Wednesday
Mostly clear 53/88 |
Thursday
Mostly clear 55/92 |
Two Week Outlook: May 7 through May 13: This model indicates a dominant ridge of upper level high pressure will be over the eastern Pacific and California, resulting in above average temperatures. The chance of rain during this timeframe appears to be very low.
May: The first month of the dry season will be typically dry, in other words this model is portraying near average precipitation for the month of May. It also appears the trend of above average temperatures will continue for the month.
May, June, July: Obviously, over the next 90 days precipitation will be largely nonexistent with the usual few exceptions, mainly during the month of May. Models show the western half of the U.S. having generally above average temperatures.
Winds Discussion: Winds will be variable this morning to around 12 MPH. Winds will pick up later this afternoon to 10 to 20 MPH along the west side with stronger gusts and 8 to 15 MPH elsewhere. Winds tonight through Friday evening will increase along the west side to 15 to 30 MPH at times with local gusts to near 40 MPH possible, especially along the Interstate 5 corridor. Winds elsewhere will be out of the northwest at 10 to 20 MPH with stronger gusts. Winds Saturday will be mainly out of the northwest at 8 to 15 MPH then will increase again Sunday to 10 to 20 MPH with stronger gusts, especially along the west side.
Rain Discussion: Expect dry conditions for the next 7 to 10 days.
Afternoon Dew Points Today: Upper 30s to the lower 40s. Kern: Low to mid 40s. Humidity values ranging from 20%/55% at Hanford. Bakersfield 25%/50%
Actual Humidity range April 29, 2020: Delano, 89%/42%, Porterville, 96%/35%
Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 80%, tomorrow 80%. Bakersfield: Today: 80% Tomorrow: 90%
ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days: Stratford NA, Parlier 1.63, Blackwell Corner 1.68, Arvin 1.80, Orange Cove 1.61, Porterville 1.60, Delano 1.63. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford NA, Parlier 69, Blackwell 68, Arvin, 70, Orange Cove 69, Porterville 74, Delano 73
Record Temperatures: 100/37. Average Temperatures: 79/50
Cooling Degree Days this Season: 61 +26
Courtesy of the NWS
Average temperature for April so far: 62.8 +2.2
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno/average + or 7.51 or -3.14. Month to Date: 1.65 +.72
Since Oct 1, 2019, Bakersfield: 7.02, or +.94. Month to Date: 2.61 +2.10
Water year season is from October 1st through September.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, Parlier, Arvin, Shafter, Stratford, Delano, Lindcove, Porterville
Hours at 45 or below 45.
Sunrise: 6:04, Sunset: 7:48 pm. Hours of Daylight: 13:41
Yesterday’s Weather:
MCE : Merced 153 : DH1700 / 89 / 61 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera 253 : DH1700 / 91 / 58 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno Airport 333 : DH1700 / 91 / 67 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford Airport 242 : DH1700 / 93 / 60 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore Naval AS 234 : DH1700 / 92 / 58 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield Airport 496 : DH1700 / 92 / 65 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia Airport 292 : DH1600 / 83 / 62 / 0.00 /
ATEC1 : Avenal 787 : DH1654 / 89 / 62 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville Airport 442 : DH1600 / 84 / 62 / 0.00 /
TFTC1 : Taft 759 : DH1651 / 91 / 69 / 0.00 /
LOSC1 : Los Banos 120 : DH1600 / 85 / 63 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24hr W.Y. % Last Y. % Ave. Year ave.
STOCKTON 0.00 7.99 61 15.79 120 13.13 14.06
MODESTO 0.00 6.86 57 12.06 100 12.05 13.11
MERCED 0.00 9.34 82 11.87 104 11.45 12.50
MADERA 0.00 5.81 53 9.84 89 11.04 12.02
FRESNO 0.00 7.51 71 9.47 89 10.65 11.50
HANFORD 0.00 6.51 70 7.67 82 9.30 10.10
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 7.02 115 6.00 99 6.08 6.47
BISHOP 0.00 2.25 52 7.55 176 4.30 5.18
SALINAS 0.00 9.00 74 12.31 101 12.17 12.83
PASO ROBLES 0.00 11.34 93 14.11 116 12.16 12.78
SANTA MARIA 0.00 10.39 78 14.77 110 13.39 13.95
Next report: May 1/morning