January 13, 2024
Summary: The latest Pacific storm is located off the southern Oregon/northwest California border. The low and its associated frontal system will move through the valley this afternoon and eventually. The air mass associated with this storm is milder so snow levels along the Sierra Nevada will rise by this evening to around 7,000 feet. A dome of upper level high pressure will fill in behind the exiting low Sunday, leaving the valley pooled with a milder air mass this time around and above freezing overnight lows. A weak weather system will try to break down the high midweek. For now, it appears any precipitation will be from roughly Merced County northward Tuesday night and Wednesday. Upper level high pressure will quickly rebound Wednesday night through next weekend, maintaining a dry forecast with above average temperatures. Models continue to point towards an active pattern beginning a week from Monday. A large low will park in the Gulf of Alaska with a moist west to east flow into California for a chance of rain from time to time.
Forecast: Increasing clouds this morning. a chance of light rain this afternoon and tonight, mainly north of Kern County. Gradual clearing Sunday after areas of fog and low clouds. Partly cloudy skies Sunday night through Tuesday with areas of night and morning fog and low clouds. A slight chance of showers Wednesday, mainly from Merced County north. Partly cloudy Thursday through Saturday with areas of night and morning fog and low clouds.
Short Term:
| Madera 54/38/54/38/59 | Reedley 55/37/60/38/59 | Dinuba 53/37/58/38/58 |
| Porterville 55/36/59/39/58 | Lindsay 55/37/59/39/58 | Delano 56/40/60/40/58 |
| Bakersfield 56/49/59/40/58 | Taft 53/43/56/44/55 | Arvin 56/39/60/39/59 |
| Lamont 55/39/60/39/60 | Pixley 54/38/60/38/59 | Tulare 54/36/58/38/58 |
| Woodlake 53/38/60/37/59 | Hanford 53/39/60/38/59 | Orosi 53/37/58/39/58 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Tuesday Am fog/partly cloudy 35/59 | Wednesday Am fog/mostly cloudy 40/60 | Thursday Am fog/partly cloudy 37/62 | Friday Am fog/partly cloudy 38/64 | Saturday Am fog/partly cloudy 41/67 |
Winds: Winds will be mainly out of the southeast today and tonight at no more than 10 mph. Winds Sunday through Tuesday will be no more than 6 mph with periods of near calm conditions.
Rain: As of the time of this writing, light rain had spread as far south as Monterey along the coast and Stanislaus County inland. This system is weakening as it moves southeastward. Light rain will progress as far south as Fresno County by the late morning hours with light showers spreading into the south valley north of Kern County during the afternoon. The chance of light showers will continue tonight with dry weather returning Sunday. Rainfall amounts will range between a tenth and a quarter north of Fresno County and generally less than a tenth over Tulare and Kern Counties. Kern County may very well remain dry. Dry weather will prevail this upcoming week with one possible exception. A weak system will try to penetrate the dome of high pressure for a slight chance of showers from Fresno County north Wednesday and Wednesday night. dry weather will return Thursday through next weekend. Models are also trending towards a wet pattern beginning a week from Monday.
Frost: All locations will be above 32 degrees tonight and each night through this upcoming week. models show the coldest locations approaching the lower 30s on any given morning. Beyond Wednesday, the valley floor will moderate even further with upper 30s and lower 40s. While the Rocky Mountain and Midwest states suffer through an arctic outbreak, the western ¼ of the US will be under the influence of Pacific maritime air for mild temperatures.
AF=Above Freezing
Mid afternoon dew points: Low to mid 30s. Kern: Upper 20s to the lower 30s.
ET for the past seven days: Stratford, .39, Parlier, .30, Arvin .34, Delano .36.
Soil temperatures: Stratford 53, Parlier 49, Arvin 51, Delano 47
Average Temperatures: 55/37, Record Temperatures: 70/19
Heating Degree Days Season. 958 -299 varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno .1.63, Monthly .74
Precipitation for Bakersfield: Season: 1.20, Monthly: .24
Average Temperature this Month 44.8 -1.2 taken at NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Parlier, 580 Arvin, 504 Belridge, 502 Shafter, 551 Stratford, 548 Delano 578. Courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise, 7:11. Sunset, 5:05 hours of daylight, 9:53
NA=Not available
Yesterday’s Weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 53 / 38 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 52 / 36 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 50 / 39 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 53 / 35 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 54 / 32 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 55 / 33 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 51 / 35 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 51 / 32 / 0.00 /
Rainfall:
STOCKTON 0.00 4.25 77 12.75 230 5.55 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 4.47 92 11.03 227 4.85 12.27
MERCED 0.00 3.65 81 10.82 240 4.50 11.80
MADERA 0.00 2.60 65 4.10 102 4.00 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 1.63 40 8.25 201 4.11 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 1.88 60 6.06 193 3.14 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 1.20 51 3.53 149 2.37 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 0.61 33 8.02 438 1.83 4.84
DEATH VALLEY NP 0.00 0.41 67 0.32 52 0.61 2.20
SALINAS 0.00 3.32 67 7.72 155 4.98 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 6.50 144 11.04 245 4.50 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 3.73 78 11.60 241 4.81 13.32