February 17, 2021
Summary: Central California remains on the far eastern rim of upper level high pressure located off shore. The jet stream continues its vicious assault on the upper atmosphere just to the east of the Sierra Nevada. Most of the upslope clouds in Kern County and southeast Tulare County have mixed out, however it wouldn’t surprise me if some cloud cover regenerates overnight due to the ongoing northwesterly flow above central California.
Even though pressure differences between northern California and the Desert Southwest are not terrifically strong, gusty winds continue to blow down the west side of the valley, mainly due to strong wind energy aloft. At 1:00pm, Lemoore NAS was reporting winds out of the northwest sustained at 24 MPH, gusting to 36 MPH.
The off shore high will temporarily build inland tonight through Thursday night, finally moving the jet stream into the Rocky Mountain region. However, the high will break down over its northern flank, allowing a weak low to race out of the Gulf of Alaska, through the Pacific Northwest then into Nevada late Friday and Saturday. light showers will spread over northern California, possibly down to a Monterey/Merced line with light snow showers over the high Sierra from roughly Kings Canyon north.
After Saturday, we will enjoy a stretch of fine, spring like weather as the off shore high shifts into the western US. Temperatures could easily eclipse the 70 degree mark Monday through Wednesday of next week before the high begins to break down next Thursday, allowing some kind of low to move through. There is still not enough evidence to add precipitation to the forecast.
Forecast: Partly cloudy over Kern County and southeastern Tulare County tonight with mostly clear skies elsewhere. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Thursday through Friday morning. increasing cloudiness Friday morning. mostly cloudy Friday night and Saturday morning. becoming mostly clear Saturday night through Wednesday.
Short Term:
| Madera 32/64/34/66 | Reedley 32/65/35/67 | Dinuba 31/64/34/66 | |
| Porterville 32/65/34/67 | Lindsay 30/65/34/66 | Delano 31/66/35/68 | |
| Bakersfield 37/66/40/68 | Taft 43/65/47/66 | Arvin 34/66/37/68 | |
| Lamont 33/66/36/68 | Pixley 31/65/34/67 | Tulare 30/64/33/67 | |
| Woodlake 31/65/35/67 | Hanford 31/65/34/66 | Orosi 31/65/35/66 | |
Winds: through this evening, winds along the west side will be out of the northwest at 15 to 25 MPH with stronger gusts. Elsewhere, winds will be mainly out of the northwest at 5 to 12 MPH. late tonight through Friday morning, winds will be variable and generally less than 10 MPH with periods of near calm conditions. Late Friday through Saturday, winds will be out of the northwest at 10 to 20 MPH with gusts to near 30 MPH, mainly along the west side.
Rain: Expect dry conditions for at least the next week to ten days.
Frost: Air temperatures, as of 1:00pm, were generally in the upper 50s. dew points generally range in the mid 30s to the lower 40s. most of the upslope clouds in Kern and Tulare Counties have mixed out. However, models continue to show a northwest push of air above the valley floor which may begin to regenerate these clouds tonight and early Thursday. If your location is under a cloud deck, expect above freezing conditions. Most locations will chill into the low to mid 30s. it’s possible isolated locations could briefly dip into the upper 20s. expect, generally speaking, temperatures to be 1 to 3 degrees warmer Friday morning. cloud cover will maintain above freezing conditions Saturday morning. it’s possible coldest locations Sunday morning could dip into the lower 30s as a reinforcing shot of cooler air briefly moves down the valley. Upper level high pressure will build in from the west beginning Sunday, ensuring above freezing conditions next week.
Lows Tonight:
| Terra Bella
32 |
Porterville
32 |
Ivanhoe
31 |
Woodlake
30 |
| Strathmore
32 |
Mcfarland
32 |
Ducor
32 |
Tea Pot Dome
31 |
| Lindsay
30 |
Exeter
30 |
Famoso
32 |
Madera
32 |
| Belridge
30 |
Delano
32 |
North Bakersfield
32 |
Orosi
31 |
| Orange Cove
30 |
Lindcove
30 |
Lindcove Hillside
Af |
Sanger River Bottom
28 |
| Root Creek
30 |
Venice Hill
32 |
Rosedale
32 |
Jasmine
32 |
| Arvin
Af |
Lamont
Af |
Plainview
31 |
Mettler
Af |
| Edison
Af |
Maricopa
32 |
Holland Creek
Af |
Tivy Valley
30 |
| Kite Road South
Af |
Kite Road North
30 |
AF=Above Freezing
Next update: February 18/am