February 25, 2022
In some cases, temperatures were a degree or two colder this morning than Thursday morning. A number of locations chilled into the mid 20s with widespread upper 20s out there. All this is detailed below in the frost discussion.
Above the valley floor, the atmosphere is slowly warming. The balloon sounding over Oakland now indicates a freezing level of 5,600 feet. Above Vandenburg, the freezing level is pegged 8,100 feet. Daytime highs from this point on will reach average readings Saturday and Sunday. However, the air mass in the wake of the storm earlier in the week is quite dry with dew points ranging in the mid to upper 20s. This allows strong radiational cooling to occur. Weak upper level high pressure will continue to build in from the west as a series of weak disturbances move from west to east into the Pacific Northwest. On Thursday, a somewhat stronger system will dig into northern California, possibly spreading light showers down to a Monterrey/Merced line, but for now we’ll forecast dry conditions for the remainder of the growing area.
Models beyond next Thursday diverge. There is too much difference between models to come up with a definitive forecast. None, however, has much of a signature for precipitation.
Forecast: Clear skies through Saturday night. Partly cloudy Sunday and Sunday night. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Monday through Wednesday. Variable cloudiness Thursday and Friday.
Short Term:
Madera 59/27/64/32/66 | Reedley 60/28/64/31/66 | Dinuba 59//26/65/31/65 |
Porterville 60/28/66/32/67 | Lindsay 59/26/64/31/66 | Delano 61/29/65/33/67 |
Bakersfield 60/36/66/39/67 | Taft 58/39/62/45/63 | Arvin 61/30/66/35/67 |
Lamont 61/32/66/36/67 | Pixley 60/28/65/34/67 | Tulare 58/27/65/32/67 |
Woodlake 59/28/63/34/65 | Hanford 60/29/64/34/66 | Orosi 59/28/63/33/65 |
Seven Forecast
Monday
Partly cloudy 34/67 |
Tuesday
Partly cloudy 36/70 |
Wednesday
Variable clouds 42/75 |
Thursday
Variable clouds 42/76 |
Friday
Partly cloudy 41/66 |
Two Week Outlook: March 3 through March 9: This model is indicating a trough of low pressure may be stretching from the Gulf of Alaska into the western US. The signature for rain, however, is small with temperatures returning to below average.
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 8 mph with periods of near calm conditions, mainly during the night and morning hours, through Monday.
Rain: Expect dry conditions for at least the next 7 days.
Frost: As of 6:00am, temperatures were 1 to 2 degrees colder than Thursday morning,.
A few examples are: Clovis and McFarland 25, Madera and sanger and fowler at 26, and Exeter and Lindsay 27. Most locations were between 28 and 31. No doubt there were low spots down to 23 and 24. Temperatures will begin to rebound tonight. the main challenge is dew points that are remaining quite low, in the mid to upper 20s. So, even though daytime highs are showing significant warming, the atmosphere has a strong ability to radiate its heat skyward under clear skies and near calm winds. We may see some cloud cover entering the picture late Saturday night which will be of great benefit.
Coldest unprotected regions tonight will drop to 26 to 27 with most flat terrain operations between 28 and 34 with hillsides above freezing.
For Sunday morning, most locations will moderate into the low to mid 30s..
The inversion tonight will be decent with temperatures at 34 feet anywhere from 5 to 8 degrees warmer.
Lows Monday morning and beyond will be above freezing, finally putting this freeze event to rest.
Lows Tonight:
Terra Bella
29 |
Porterville
28 |
Ivanhoe
27 |
Woodlake
29 |
Strathmore
30 |
McFarland
27 |
Ducor
29 |
Tea Pot Dome
29 |
Lindsay
28 |
Exeter
28 |
Famoso
29 |
Madera
28 |
Belridge
27 |
Delano
30 |
North Bakersfield
31 |
Orosi
28 |
Orange Cove
29 |
Lindcove
27 |
Lindcove Hillside
Af |
Sanger River Bottom
26 |
Root Creek
28 |
Venice Hill
29 |
Rosedale
30 |
Jasmine
29 |
Arvin
Af |
Lamont
Af |
Plainview
29 |
Mettler
28 |
Edison
Af |
Maricopa
28 |
Holland Creek
31 |
Tivy Valley
28 |
Kite Road South
31 |
Kite Road North
28 |
AF=Above Freezing
Actual Humidity Range Yesterday: Delano, 90%/24% Porterville, 97%/35%. Midafternoon dew points: Mid to upper 20s. 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 .76, Parlier .64, Arvin .68, Orange Cove .63, Porterville .58, Delano .65. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 52, Parlier 52, Arvin, 53, Orange Cove 52, Porterville 52, Delano 47. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 64/42. Record Temperatures: 80/30
Heating Degree Days This Season. 1816 -123, Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 5.25 or -1.79. Monthly .00 -1.62
Precipitation for Bakersfield, Season, 3.67 or -.42. Monthly, .00 -.90
Average Temperature this month: 50.0-+0.0 Taken NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, 932, Parlier, 1084, Arvin, 908, Belridge, 967, Shafter, 904 Stratford, 1076, Delano, 1068, Porterville, 1109. courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise. 6:33, Sunset, 5:50, hours of daylight, 11:15
Yesterday’s weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 59 / 30 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 58 / 29 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 57 / 36 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 58 / 31 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 60 / 29 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 57 / 33 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 56 / 34 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 57 / 31 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24h Seas % LY % Ave 365
STOCKTON 0.00 8.21 88 6.86 73 9.34 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 8.16 98 6.38 77 8.33 12.27
MERCED 0.00 5.87 75 5.92 76 7.84 11.80
MADERA 0.00 M M 1.19 17 6.97 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 5.25 75 5.11 73 7.04 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 4.78 91 3.05 58 5.23 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 3.67 90 1.81 44 4.09 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.50 140 1.61 50 3.22 4.84
SALINAS 0.00 6.18 71 4.73 54 8.70 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 7.37 89 5.96 72 8.27 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 6.33 71 6.08 68 8.90 13.32
Next report: February 25 PM