Relatively str upper level high pressure is right over California today with a ridge extending up into the Pacific Northwest. The high will break down over the Pacific Northwest tonight and Sunday, allow a fast moving low to move through the Pacific Northwest and northern California. the trailing portion of this system will drag through northern California Sunday, spreading showers down roughly to a Monterey/Merced line. No precipitation is anticipated over the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. The pattern for the next five days will be a zonal flow into north America as a series of storms moves from west to east across the Pacific Northwest and occasionally northern California. These systems will bring variable amounts of cloud cover from time to time, but little else. Temperatures will rise well into the 70s each day, but will fall back on days where active weather passes to our north. There will be a slight chance of showers Wednesday from Merced northward and another chance throughout the valley Sunday and Sunday night as a stronger trough moves through. The fact that we will be under a westerly flow means temperatures will run above average so there’s no chance of frost on the ground for the next several days.
Forecast: Mostly clear through tonight. Increasing clouds Sunday with a slight chance of light showers from Merced north and a chance of sprinkles as far so
uth as Fresno County. Becoming mostly clear Tuesday. Variable cloudiness Wednesday and Wednesday night with a small chance of showers from Fresno County north. Mostly clear Thursday through Saturday.
Short Term:
| Madera 76/38/72/40/74 | Reedley 77/37/71/40/73 | Dinuba 75/40/71/41/74 |
| Porterville 77/39/71/40/75 | Lindsay 76/37/71/39/73 | Delano 78/40/71/41/75 |
| Bakersfield 78/44/70/45/73 | Taft 74/50/69/50/70 | Arvin 77/42/77/46/73 |
| Lamont 75
/42/71/46/73 |
Pixley 76/38/70/40/73 | Tulare 75/37/71/39/73 |
| Woodlake 76/39/71/39/73 | Hanford 78/42/71/40/74 | Orosi 75/38/70/40/73 |
Seven D
ay Forecast
| Tuesday
Partly cloudy 42/70 |
Wednesday
Variable clouds 44/69 |
Thursday
Mostly clear 43/72 |
Friday
Mostly clear 41/45 |
Saturday
Mostly clear 43/74 |
Two Week Outlook: March 18 through March 24 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 during the afternoons and evenings will be out of the northwest at 5 to 12 mph through Tuesday. Winds during the night and mor
ning hours will be generally at or less than 6 mph with periods of near calm conditions,
Rain: There is a small chance of sprinkles or light showers from Merced County north Wednesday. Any precipitation that does fall will be less than .10. Expect dry weather Thursday through Saturday night. Models indicate a stronger system will move inland at a lower latitude Sunday for a chance of showers all the way into Kern County.
Frost: Expect above freezing temperatures indefinitely.
Actual Humidity range Yesterday: Delano, 85%/19% Porterville, 99%/22%. 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 .95, Parlier .84, Arvin .84, Orange Cove .83, Porterville .84, Delano .90. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 52, Parlier 55, Arvin, 55, Orange Cove 54, Porterville 55, Delano 50. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 67/44. Record Temperatures: 84/28
Heating Degree Days This Season. 2004 -92. Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 5.43 or -2.59. Monthly .11 -.53
Precipitati
on for Bakersfield, Season, 4.35 or -.36. Monthly, .68 +.23
Average Temperature this month: 53.0 -2.0 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. 6:13, Sunset, 6:02, hours of daylight, 11:50
Yesterday’s weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 72 / 38 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 72 / 35 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP
333 : 72 / 46 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 72 / 38 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 74 / 34 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 74 / 35 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 72 / 41 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 73 / 39 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24h Seas % LY % Ave 365
STOCKTON 0.00 8.21 79 7.50 72 10.42 13.45
MODESTO
0.00 8.17 88 6.72 72 9.32 12.27
MERCED 0.00 5.88 66 6.41 72 8.85 11.80
MADERA 0.00 M M M M 8.04 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 5.43 68 5.54 69 8.02 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 5.29 88 3.43 57 5.99 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 4.35 92 2.10 45 4.71 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.50 125 1.62 45 3.60 4.84
SALINAS
0.00 6.26 64 5.38 55 9.85 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 7.37 77 6.38 66 9.61 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 6.35 62 6.74 65 10.30 13.32
Next report: March 12 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.