March 8, 2022
A massive ridge of upper level high pressure covers the eastern Pacific Ocean and extends northward into Alaska. A trough of low pressure covers most of Canada southward into the desert southwest. A north/northwest flow aloft continues over California. The fact that we’re on the eastern rim of the high means temperatures will warm to near average values today and Wednesday. Temperatures will fall back a bit Friday as a trough of low pressure moves rapidly southward through the Great Basin. It’s possible some light snow showers will occur over the high Sierra with somewhat cooler temperatures on the valley floor. All this will be short lived, however, as the off shore high begins to shift eastward over California Saturday through Sunday, allowing temperatures to warm into the low to mid 70s. Monday through Wednesday of next week will be characterized by a zonal or westerly flow across the eastern Pacific with storms moving into the Pacific Northwest. Some models show showers over central California Tuesday and Wednesday as a more significant low moves inland to our north. Otherwise, dry conditions will prevail next week as the high once again becomes dominant.
Forecast: Mostly clear skies through Wednesday. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Wednesday night through Thursday night. Mostly clear Friday through Sunday. Partly cloudy Sunday night. Variable cloudiness Monday through Tuesday with a slight chance of light showers Tuesday.
Short Term:
| Madera 68/35/69/37/62 | Reedley 70/37/71/38/63 | Dinuba 68/36/70/38/62 |
| Porterville 70/37/71/38/62 | Lindsay 69/35/70/37/61 | Delano 70/38/70/39/63 |
| Bakersfield 69/44/70/43/62 | Taft 67/50/68/48/60 | Arvin 71/38/71/40/62 |
| Lamont 71/42/72/43/61 | Pixley 69/38/70/39/63 | Tulare 68/35/69/38/60 |
| Woodlake 68/36/71/39/62` | Hanford 71/38/71/40/62 | Orosi 68/36/70/37/61 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Friday
Mostly clear 34/63 |
Saturday
Mostly clear 35/71 |
Sunday
Mostly clear 38/75 |
Monday
Variable clouds 41/72 |
Tuesday
Slight chance of showers 43/74 |
Two Week Outlook: March 16 through March 23 Upper level high pressure will build into the western ¼ of the US, resulting in a period of dry weather with temperatures rising to above average.
March: The 30 day outlook for the month of March really does not show much guidance for either precipitation or temperatures. Essentially what it says is near average temperatures with near average precipitation.
March, April, May: The March, April, May period moves us into the traditional beginning of the dry season. This model is showing below average precipitation for most of the state. Guidance is fairly flat as far as temperatures are concerned as it indicates near average temperatures.
Wind Discussion: Winds will be generally at or less than 12 mph afternoons and evenings and variable in nature. Winds Thursday will be out of the northwest at 8 to 12 mph. winds along the far west side will be out of the north to northwest at 10 to 20 mph with stronger gusts. Light winds will return Friday.
Rain: Dry conditions will continue through at least Sunday night and possibly longer. We’ll have to monitor the pattern for Monday through Wednesday of next week. A strong westerly flow in the upper atmosphere will steer storms into the Pacific Northwest and northern California. Some models show precipitation all the way down into Kern County Tuesday into Wednesday while others show the rain line in northern California. For now, we’ll go ahead and introduce a chance of showers in our forecast for Tuesday through Wednesday of next week, mainly from Fresno County north.
Frost: All locations will be above freezing Wednesday and Thursday mornings. A trough of low pressure moving through the Great Basin will lower temperatures somewhat Friday. Expect lows back into the low to mid 30s Friday with local frost possible. By and large, however, readings wlll stay above the 30 degree mark, even in the coldest locations. A warming trend will begin Saturday as that off shore high moves overhead. For now, it looks like above freezing conditions will prevail next week as well.
Actual Humidity range Yesterday: Delano, 92%/41% Porterville, 100%/45%. Midafternoon dew points: Low to mid 30s. Kern: Low to mid 30s.
Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 100%, tomorrow 80%. Bakersfield: Today: 100%/. Tomorrow, 100%.
ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days: Stratford .75, Parlier .70, Arvin .83, Orange Cove .67, Porterville .70, Delano .77. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 52, Parlier 56, Arvin, 55, Orange Cove 54, Porterville 54, Delano NA. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 66/44. Record Temperatures: 84/29
Heating Degree Days This Season. 1960 -98. Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 5.43 or -2.33. Monthly .11 -.27
Precipitation for Bakersfield, Season, 4.35 or -1.9 Monthly, .68 +.40
Average Temperature this month: 52.7 -1.9 Taken NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, 973, Parlier, 1129, Arvin, 953, Belridge, 1016, Shafter, 934 Stratford, 1116, Delano, 1113, Porterville, 1157. courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise. 6:18, Sunset, 6:01, hours of daylight, 11:40
Yesterday’s weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 65 / 36 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 65 / 36 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 64 / 44 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 64 / 35 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 66 / 33 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 65 / 47 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 63 / 39 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 63 / 36 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24h Seas % LY % Ave 365
STOCKTON 0.00 8.21 81 6.92 68 10.16 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 8.17 90 6.38 70 9.08 12.27
MERCED 0.00 5.88 68 5.92 69 8.59 11.80
MADERA 0.00 M M 1.19 15 7.75 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 5.43 70 5.11 66 7.76 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 5.29 91 3.05 53 5.79 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 4.35 96 1.81 40 4.54 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.50 128 1.61 46 3.51 4.84
SALINAS 0.00 6.26 65 4.78 50 9.56 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 7.37 80 5.98 65 9.25 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 6.35 64 6.08 61 9.94 13.32
Next report: March 8 PM
At John Hibler Weather Forecasting, it is our goal to provide the most accurate forecasts available. Weather forecasting, unlike any other business, invites errors. Weather, by nature, is chaotic. It is our goal to be as accurate as humanly possible.