March 13, 2022
A considerable amount of cloud cover is moving over central California which is associated with a weak trough of low pressure. Doppler radar is indicating no precipitation is occurring. A northwest push of air moving down the valley, paired with cloud cover, will lower temperatures 5 to 7 degrees from yesterday’s highs. This will still put us in the lower 70s. freezing levels have dropped marginally this morning. The latest balloon sounding points to a freezing level of 8,900 feet over Oakland compared with 10,600 feet 24 hours ago. Satellite imagery shows a ridge of upper level high pressure just off shore which will dominate our weather for much of this week. A fast westerly flow in the upper atmosphere will cross the eastern Pacific Ocean and steer Pacific storms into the Pacific Northwest, affecting northern California from time to time. The valley will see partly cloudy skies from time to time from systems passing to our north. Our next chance of rain will occur Sunday of next week as this storm will be tracking on a lower latitude. For the second day in a row,
models show showers moving all the way down to Fresno County Sunday into early Monday.
Forecast: Mostly cloudy this morning. Becoming partly cloudy this afternoon. Mostly clear tonight. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Monday through Saturday. Increasing cloudiness late Saturday night with a chance of showers Sunday and Sunday night, mainly from Fresno County north.
Short Term:
| Madera 71/37/73/40/73 | Reedley 72/37/73/41/74 | Dinuba 71/37/72/40/73 |
| Porterville 71/37/73/40/73 | Lindsay 71/36/73/40/72 | Delano 71/42/73/45/73 |
| Bakersfield 71/46/74/47/73 | Taft 68/50/72/53/70 | Arvin 73/41/73/44/74 |
| Lamont 72/41/73/45/72 | Pixley 72/38/73/41/73 | Tulare 71/36/73/40/72 |
| Woodlake 71/37/73/41/74 | Hanford 72/39/73/43/74 | Orosi 71/37/73/42/73 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Wednesday
Mostly clear 40/73 |
Thursday
Mostly clear 40/72 |
Friday
Partly cloudy 41/74 |
Saturday
Partly cloudy 42/77 |
Sunday
Slight chance of showers 40/75 |
Two Week Outlook: March 20 through March 26 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 Wednesday. Winds during the night and morning hours will be generally at or less than 6 mph with periods of near calm conditions,
Rain: The next chance of measurable rain will be this coming Sunday. We have a two day trend on models indicating this system will move inland at a somewhat lower latitude, spreading showers over northern and central California. On paper, the rain line is all the way down to the Kern County mountains with mainly light showers over the valley floor. It does appear to be a one storm event as high pressure will again become reestablished next Monday and Tuesday.
Frost: Expect above freezing temperatures indefinitely.
Actual Humidity range Yesterday: Delano, 79%/20% Porterville, 100%/16%. Midafternoon dew points: Low to mid 30s. Kern: Low to mid 30s.
Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 30%, tomorrow 80%. Bakersfield: Today: 20%/. Tomorrow, 70%.
ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days: Stratford 1.02, Parlier .92, Arvin 1.05, Orange Cove .92, Porterville .92, Delano .95. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 52, Parlier 55, Arvin, 55, Orange Cove 54, Porterville 54, Delano 50. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 67/44. Record Temperatures: 85/31
Heating Degree Days This Season. 2013 -92. Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 5.43 or -2.66. Monthly .11 -.60
Precipitation for Bakersfield, Season, 4.35 or -.40. Monthly, .68 +.19
Average Temperature this month: 53.3 -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. 7:11, Sunset, 7:05, hours of daylight, 11:52
Yesterday’s weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 78 / 48 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 78 / 41 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 78 / 49 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 76 / 47 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 78 / 44 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 79 / 45 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 76 / 43 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 78 / 38 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24h Seas % LY % Ave 365
STOCKTON 0.00 8.21 78 7.50 71 10.49 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 8.17 87 6.72 72 9.38 12.27
MERCED 0.00 5.88 66 6.41 72 8.92 11.80
MADERA 0.00 M M M M 8.11 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 5.43 67 5.54 68 8.09 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 5.29 88 3.43 57 6.04 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 4.35 92 2.10 44 4.75 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.50 125 1.62 45 3.61 4.84
SALINAS 0.00 6.26 63 5.38 54 9.92 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 7.37 76 6.38 66 9.71 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 6.35 61 6.74 65 10.40 13.32
Next report: March 14
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.