February 9, 2022
In the short term, the big weather picture will be unusually warm temperatures for this early in the season. Readings this afternoon through Friday afternoon will warm into the mid-70s. the center of a very strong ridge of upper level high pressure is just off shore. The flow, both at the surface and aloft, is out of the northeast, creating downslope heating off the Sierra Nevada. Over the weekend, the center of circulation will be just about right overhead, driving readings into the mid to upper 70s, or record territory. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an 80 degree reading in the typically warm spots both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. For a change, there is some interesting weather coming up Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. A low will track southward out of the Gulf of Alaska and into the Pacific Northwest Monday. Most models show this system dropping into the Great Basin just to the east of the Sierra Nevada Tuesday and Wednesday. If this is correct, there will be a good chance of showers over the Sierra with only a minimal chance on the valley floor. It will, however, bring temperatures down to seasonal levels by Wednesday. We could easily go from near 80 over the weekend into the upper 50s and lower 60s by the middle of next week. After this system moves off to the east, the blocking ridge pattern will return for a continuation of dry weather.
Forecast: Mostly clear and hazy through Monday. Increasing cloudiness Monday night. Variable cloudiness Tuesday and Tuesday night. Partly cloudy Wednesday.
Short Term:
| Madera 73/37/75/38/77 | Reedley 73/36/74/37/76 | Dinuba 74/37/75/37/77 |
| Porterville 73/36/74/38/76 | Lindsay 73/36/75/37/75 | Delano 74/38/75/39/77 |
| Bakersfield 75/44/76/47/78 | Taft 72/52/75/55/76 | Arvin 74/39/77/40/78 |
| Lamont 74/38/77/40/78 | Pixley 73/38/74/39/75 | Tulare 72/35/74/37/76 |
| Woodlake 73/36/74/38/75 | Hanford 73/36/74/38/75 | Orosi 72/36/75/38/76 |
Seven Forecast
| Saturday
Mostly clear 38/79 |
Sunday
Mostly clear 40/77 |
Monday
Mostly clear 40/71 |
Tuesday
Variable clouds 41/61 |
Wednesday
Partly cloudy 38/60 |
Two Week Outlook: February 15 through February 21: This model continues to show a blocking ridge pattern along the west coast. Potential Pacific storms are driven far to the north into Alaska then diving southward into the middle of the country. This will mean above average temperatures will continue with little chance of rain.
February: The guidance on this model does not show any particular pattern that would favor temperatures or precipitation. Basically, what it’s saying is there’s equal chances of above or below average rain as well as above or below average temperatures. Flip a coin.
February, March, April: There are no dominant trends on this model favoring above or below average precipitation. Temperatures during this period should be fairly close to seasonal values.
Wind Discussion: Winds will be generally at or less than 7 MPH through Saturday with periods of near calm conditions.
Rain: A low pressure system will drop into the Great Basin late Monday night and Tuesday. It now appears there is a chance of light showers over the higher elevations of the Sierra. Currently, it appears the valley will remain dry although a few sprinkles would not be a total shock. This system will pull off to the east beginning Wednesday, returning us to the blocking ridge pattern with prolonged dry weather.
Frost: All locations will be above freezing tonight and will remain above freezing through at least the middle of next week. It will turn cooler Tuesday and Wednesday, but for now no significant frost threat is seen for the next 7 to 10 days.
Actual Humidity Range Yesterday: Delano, 92%/28% Porterville, 100%/34%. Midafternoon dew points: Upper 20s the lower 30s.. Kern: Mid to upper 20s.
Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 100%, tomorrow 100%. Bakersfield: Today: 100%/. Tomorrow, 100%.
ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days: Stratford .63, Parlier .55, Arvin 61, Orange Cove .52, Porterville .56, Delano .58. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 50, Parlier 49, Arvin, 50, Orange Cove 48, Porterville 49, Delano na. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 60/39. Record Temperatures: 79/24
Heating Degree Days This Season. 1598 -108, Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 5.21 or -.64. Monthly .00 -.47
Precipitation for Bakersfield, Season, 3.56 or +.20. Month to date .00 -.28
Average Temperature this month: 46.3, -2.5 Taken NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, 792, Parlier, 914, Arvin, 772, Belridge, 842, Shafter, 814 Stratford, 926, Delano, 905, Porterville, 926. courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise. 6:53, Sunset, 5:33, hours of daylight, 10:37
Yesterday’s weather
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 69 / 37 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 70 / 34 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 72 / 41 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 72 / 37 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 72 / M / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 75 / 45 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 72 / 37 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 74 / 37 / 0.00 /
IYK : Inyokern AP 2455 : 69 / 34 / 0.00 /
MHV : Mojave AP 2785 : 64 / 37 / 0.00 /
Rainfall
STOCKTON 0.00 8.21 105 6.43 82 7.80 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 8.15 117 5.90 85 6.96 12.27
MERCED 0.00 5.85 90 5.62 87 6.47 11.80
MADERA 0.00 M M 1.05 18 5.73 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 5.21 89 4.82 82 5.85 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 4.61 107 3.03 70 4.32 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 3.56 106 1.72 51 3.36 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.50 169 1.30 49 2.67 4.84
SALINAS 0.00 6.11 85 4.47 62 7.23 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 7.34 109 5.93 88 6.75 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 6.26 88 5.90 83 7.13 13.32:
Next report: February 9 PM