March 9, 2022
Temperatures are running 3 to 4 degrees above yesterday at this time. Midday temperatures are approaching the 70 degree mark so a very pleasant afternoon is on tap. A trough of low pressure is currently moving into the Great Basin and will move into the desert southwest Thursday. The far western edge of this system will move through Thursday through Thursday evening, resulting in some gusty northwesterly winds along the west side of the valley and a minor cooling trend as highs Thursday will fall back into the mid 60s. local frost is possible Friday morning, which is explained below. Temperatures will rebound quickly Friday as upper level high pressure off shore will build inland with temperatures well into the 70s over the weekend. On Sunday afternoon and night, the northern quadrant of the high will break down, allowing a west to east jet stream to flank into the Pacific Northwest. A series of wet storms will affect the Pacific Northwest and northern California off and on for much of next week. The latest models out this afternoon keep the rain line just north of our region so we’ll revert back to a dry forecast for next week. Temperatures will remain somewhat above average as we remain south of the jet stream.
Forecast: Mostly clear skies through tonight. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Thursday and Thursday night. Mostly clear Friday through Sunday morning. Variable cloudiness Sunday afternoon through Monday. Variable cloudiness Monday night through Wednesday.
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Short Term:
| Madera 38/64/33/70 | Reedley 37/65/34/71 | Dinuba 37/68/32/70 |
| Porterville 38/67/34/72 | Lindsay 36/67/32/71 | Delano 38/65/33/71 |
| Bakersfield 41/65/39/72 | Taft 46/63/44/68 | Arvin 40/67/35/72 |
| Lamont 41/67/35/72 | Pixley 38/64/34/71 | Tulare 37/64/32/70 |
| Woodlake 37/65/33/72 | Hanford 39/67/33/71 | Orosi 37/65/33/71 |
Wind Discussion: Winds will be generally at or less than 8 mph with periods of near calm conditions tonight. Winds will increase along the west side late tonight and Thursday at 10 to 20 mph with local gusts to near 30 mph, mainly along the I-5 corridor. Elsewhere, winds will be mainly out of the northwest at 5 to 12 mph with stronger gusts possible. Winds will diminish by late Thursday evening with light and variable winds later Thursday night through Saturday.
Rain: Models this afternoon appear dry for the remainder of the week as it now looks like any precipitation Thursday will be confined to the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Upper level high pressure will ensure dry weather from Friday to at least Sunday night. A zonal flow will be dominant next week as a series of storms over the eastern Pacific invade the Pacific Northwest from time to time as well as parts of northern California. At this time, it looks like active weather will remain north of our region.
Frost: All locations will be above 32 degrees tonight. A somewhat colder air mass will encompass southern California Thursday and Thursday night. Temperatures Thursday afternoon should be 5 to 8 degrees cooler than this afternoon. With dew points in the mid 30s, Widespread low to mid 30s can be expected Friday morning. Realistically speaking, it appears coldest locations will chill down to only 29 or 30. Models show a ridge of high pressure quickly taking over, allowing temperatures Friday afternoon to jump into the lower 70s. temperatures Saturday and Sunday mornings will range in the mid 30s to lower 40s. For no, no frost appears likely. The flow next week will be from west to east, blocking any potential cold air masses to our north.
Next report: March 10