December 28, 2021
Weak ripples of low pressure continue to move through northern and central California. The disturbance which moved through this morning, dropped generally less than .25 with a few exceptions in Fresno and Madera Counties. The next low is just off the Oregon coast this afternoon and will quickly drop southward, hugging the coast line. The counter clock wise circulation around this storm will push bands of rain and snow in the higher elevations. Some of the lower foothills will get a sugar glaze by the time this system moves on out Thursday. model information still pegs the snow level at between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. Considering the elevation of Bakersfield is over 600 feet and Taft at almost 1,000 feet, you can see why I’m adding a slight chance of snow flakes to the forecast for the valley floor.
The last in this seemingly endless parade of cold low pressure systems will drop into central California Thursday into Friday. This disturbance will be moisture starved with most locations receiving trace amounts, if that. Again, snow flurries will be possible on the valley floor late Thursday night and Friday morning.
Upper level high pressure will begin to push inland Friday night. The flow around the western side of the high will be out of the north/northwest, which is cold. This may lead to a couple of frosty mornings. This is discussed further in the frost discussion below.
Just when you though mother nature was turning off the faucet for a while, models show a trough of low pressure developing from the Gulf of Alaska into central California later Tuesday and Wednesday for our next round of cold precipitation.
Forecast: A chance of scattered light showers this evening. Rain will spread over the valley again after midnight. Expect rain at times Wednesday and Wednesday night with snow into the lower foothills. Showers tapering off Wednesday night. A small chance of light showers Thursday through Friday with a chance of snow flurries Thursday night into Friday morning. Mostly cloudy Friday night and Saturday morning. Mostly clear Saturday afternoon through Monday night with areas of night and morning fog and low clouds. Increasing clouds again Tuesday with a chance of rain by late afternoon.
Short Term:
| Madera 37/48/38/49 | Reedley 39/48/39/47 | Dinuba 37/47/38/48 |
| Porterville 38/49/39/49 | Lindsay 37/49/38/49 | Delano 38/50/40/48 |
| Bakersfield 38/50/40/50 | Taft 36/48/37/49 | Arvin 39/50/39/51 |
| Lamont 38/49/40/49 | Pixley 38/49/40/48 | Tulare 37/48/38/48 |
| Woodlake 37/47/39/48 | Hanford 39/48/40/49 | Orosi 37/48/38/49 |
Wind Discussion: Winds tonight and Wednesday morning will be mainly out of the southeast at around 5 to 12 MPH at times. Winds later Wednesday afternoon through Friday will favor primarily a northwesterly direction at around 5 to 12 MPH.
Rain: the following rainfall amounts are generally as of noon today. Bakersfield .15, Shafter .19, Delano .08, Porterville .11, Tulare .18, Hanford .17, Lemoore .15, Visalia .19, Del Rey .10, Fresno .31, and Madera .17.
There is a chance of a few scattered light showers through the evening hours. Rain will again overspread the valley late tonight and Wednesday, tapering off later Wednesday night. This system is right off the Oregon coast, so it should be carrying enough water for possibly .25 to .33 in places. One last weak low will affect central California Thursday into Friday. This will be a moisture starved system with only a small chance of showers at any given location. Snow flurries late Thursday night and early Friday morning would not be a total shock. Expect dry weather Friday night through Monday night. The next series of storms should begin to affect central California by Wednesday night.
Frost: All locations will be above freezing Wednesday through Friday mornings. As high pressure caps the valley Saturday through Monday, a layer of cold, damp air will be trapped at the lower levels. Assuming skies clear, which is a big assumption at this juncture, lows potentially could drop into the upper 20s to the lower 30s Saturday through Monday mornings. We will still have to deal with fog formation and low clouds and also, with a north/northwest flow continuing over the weekend, upslope clouds can be expected against the Tehachapi and the southern Sierra Nevada. For now, it appears we will be anywhere from the mid to upper 30s to the upper 20s to low to mid 30s. River bottom and similar low spots may drop into the mid 20s for short durations. Beginning Tuesday morning, increasing cloud cover ahead of the next series of storms to move out of the Gulf of Alaska should generate another string of above freezing mornings.
Next report: December 29