May 11, 2022
It was a chilly morning out there. The coldest readings I could find as of 6:00am were 36 at east Porterville and 37 at Terra Bella and Lindsay. Most other locations were between 39 and 44. The center of circulation of a cold upper low is right overhead this morning. It will shift into the interior west tonight. The freezing level has nudged up a tad, indicating the low is opening up into a trough. The freezing level now stands at 5,000 feet. Yesterday morning, that level was 3,800 feet. As the daytime heating process gets revved up today, scattered showers and thunderstorms will percolate up over the Sierra Nevada. A few showers may pop up over the Coast Range and the Kern County mountains, but most, if not all, locations on the valley floor should remain dry. Even so, the slight chance of a light shower over the valley floor cannot be ruled out, especially near the foothills. By this time Thursday, the storm will have raced into the Rocky Mountain region, allowing a flat zone of upper level high pressure to build in from the west. The high will reach its pinnacle Sunday and Monday, driving temperatures into the low to mid 90s. As of now, it does not appear the century mark will be tapped this time around. Temperatures will drop back into the 80s Tuesday and Wednesday as the next trough of low pressure moves into the Pacific Northwest, allowing the marine layer to spill into the valley.
Forecast: Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy today. A slight chance of showers or isolated thunderstorms near the foothills. Mostly clear tonight and on through Wednesday of next week.
Short Term:
| Madera 70/45/77/44/83 | Reedley 70/43/76/45/83 | Dinuba 69/43/75/46/83 |
| Porterville 71/43/77/46/82 | Lindsay 70/42/75/44/81 | Delano 72/44/77/46/83 |
| Bakersfield 70/48/77/51/82 | Taft 67/43/75/52/81 | Arvin 70/45/76/48/84 |
| Lamont 69/45/77/48/83 | Pixley 70/41/77/44/83 | Tulare 69/40/77/44/83 |
| Woodlake 71/41/75/43/82 | Hanford 71/42/76/45/83 | Orosi 69/40/77/44/82 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Saturday
Mostly clear 51/83 |
Sunday
Mostly clear 56/91 |
Monday
Mostly clear 58/94 |
Tuesday
Mostly clear 52/89 |
Wednesday
Mostly clear 53/87 |
Two Week Outlook: May 18 through May 24: This model is indicating a ridge of high pressure will govern the weather during this time frame, resulting in somewhat above average temperatures with generally dry conditions prevailing.
May: This model shows a dominant high stretching from Texas to southern California, resulting in somewhat above average temperatures for the month. It also gives an equal chance of above or below normal precipitation.
May, June, July: This model shows an early season high over the Four Corners region of the desert southwest, stretching westward to California, causing temperatures as we head into summer to be marginally above average. Since this is the dry season, the chances of precipitation will be very low
Wind Discussion: Winds will be out of the northwest today at 8 to 15 mph with locally stronger gusts. Winds tonight through Sunday will be out of the northwest at 5 to 15 mph afternoons and evenings, becoming at or less than 8 mph nights and mornings with periods of near calm conditions.
Rain: There is a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm near the foothills on all sides of the valley this afternoon and evening. Otherwise, dry weather can be expected for the next 7 to 10 days.
Frost: All locations will be above freezing tonight and each night for the foreseeable future.
Actual Humidity Range Yesterday: Delano, 72%/28% Porterville, 86%/29%. Midafternoon dew points: Upper 20s to the lower 30s.
Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 80%, tomorrow 90%. Bakersfield: Today: 90%/. Tomorrow, 100%.
ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days: Stratford 1.84, Parlier 1.69, Arvin 1.69, Orange Cove 1.84, Porterville 1.61, Delano 1.60. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 62, Parlier 68, Arvin, 70, Orange Cove 68, Porterville 75, Delano 68. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 81/53. Record Temperatures: 100/40
Cooling Degree Days This Season. 74 -5. Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 6.29 or -4.12. Monthly .00 -.16
Precipitation for Bakersfield, Season, 5.40 or -.72. Monthly, .00 -.11
Average Temperature this month: 65.2 -1.6 Taken NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, Parlier, Arvin, Belridge, 1016, Shafter, Stratford, Delano, Porterville. Courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise. 5:54, Sunset, 7:57, hours of daylight, 14.02
Yesterday’s Weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 67 / 41 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 67 / 41 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 67 / 47 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 68 / 44 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 68 / 38 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 67 / 45 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 68 / 45 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 68 / M / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24h Seas % LY % Ave 365
- STOCKTON 00 9.75 76 7.88 61 12.91 13.45
- MODESTO 00 8.99 77 7.12 61 11.63 12.27
- MERCED 00 7.44 66 7.00 62 11.31 11.80
- MADERA 00 M M M M 10.30 10.79
- FRESNO 00 6.29 60 6.59 63 10.41 10.99
- HANFORD 00 6.34 81 4.29 55 7.78 8.13
- BAKERSFIELD T 40 88 2.77 45 6.12 6.36
- BISHOP 00 4.75 113 1.62 39 4.19 4.84
- SALINAS 00 7.31 60 5.74 47 12.19 12.58
- PASO ROBLES 00 8.70 74 6.74 57 11.78 12.15
- SANTA MARIA 00 7.79 60 6.86 53 12.95 13.32
Next report: May 12
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.