February 15, 2021
Summary: The weather system which spread showers down the Sierra Nevada yesterday and last night has weakened and is now in the Desert Southwest. The next weather system is also an inside slider and will move through the Pacific Northwest tonight then into the Great Basin Tuesday. This system is somewhat colder and could lower temperatures in those pesky low lying cold spots Wednesday and Thursday morning, but no frost threat is at hand. Light showers will again spread down the Sierra Nevada Tuesday with variable amounts of cloud cover over the valley floor. Upslope clouds will again regenerate along the Sierra Nevada foothills and against the valley facing slopes of the Kern County mountains. Some of this cloud cover will linger into Wednesday morning, especially in Kern county.
Pressure gradients will also tighten up Tuesday through Tuesday evening with higher barometric pressure along the northern California coast and falling pressure over the Desert Southwest. This is not a significant event, however winds will become out of the northwest Tuesday into Tuesday evening at around 8 to 15 MPH with locally stronger gusts, mainly along the west side.
In the meantime, upper level high pressure will be lurking off the California coast and will begin to build inland Wednesays night and Thursday. The next Pacific storm will ride over the top of this high and into the Pacific Northwest. It’s possible showers may spread as far south as a Bay Area/Sacramento/Tahoe line Friday with some increase in clouds over the valley floor.
Longer term, the pattern will become more zonal, or westerly, with most of the energy moving into Washington and Oregon, just clipping far northern California from time to time.
Forecast: Mostly cloudy along the eastern and southern flanks of the valley through early Tuesday morning. partly cloudy elsewhere. Variable cloudiness Tuesday and Tuesday night but mostly cloudy in Kern County and southeast Tulare County Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. mostly clear Wednesday afternoon through Thursday night. partly cloudy Friday and Friday night. mostly clear Saturday through Monday.
Short Term:
Madera 40/59/34/59 | Reedley 42/60/35/59 | Dinuba 42/58/33/58 | |
Porterville 42/59/35/60 | Lindsay 41/59/33/59 | Delano 42/60/36/60 | |
Bakersfield 45/58/39/59 | Taft 47/56/45/58 | Arvin 45/60/38/60 | |
Lamont 42/58/37/60 | Pixley 42/59/34/59 | Tulare 40/58/33/59 | |
Woodlake 41/60/34/58 | Hanford 42/60/35/60 | Orosi 41/59/32/59 |
Winds: winds will be mainly out of the northwest through Tuesday evening at 8 to 15 MPH. Locally stronger gusts will be possible along the west side. Winds Tuesday night through Thursday will be light and variable.
Rain: Expect dry conditions for at least the next week to ten days.
Frost: All locations will be above 32 degrees tonight. a fast moving weather system will dive into the Great Basin Tuesday. Pressure differences between this system and the Desert Southwest will increase enough for northwesterly winds to push down the valley. This air mass will be marginally cooler, enough so where it’s possible a few river bottom and similar low spots could briefly moving into the lower 30s Wednesday and Thursday morning. most locations, however, will range in the mid 30s to the 40s. the current northwesterly flow will become westerly late Thursday and through the weekend, nudging low temperatures up a touch to end any chance of lower 30s.
Next update: February 16/am