March 6, 2024
Summary The low pressure system which resulted in a brief spattering of showers in the valley overnight, has moved southeastward and is now centered near Needles. Plenty of cloud cover remains over the southern portion of the valley. Soundings indicate the base of the overcast over Bakersfield and Porterville is 3,000 feet. The balloon sounding above Oakland a short time ago gave a freezing level of 6,600 feet, meaning the air mass above central California is fairly cool. This will lead to marginally cooler weather today. Upper level high pressure is building off shore and will move on shore Friday and Saturday for a warming trend. Warmer locations will push 70 Friday and possibly the lower 70s Saturday and Sunday. The high will give way Monday to a trough of low pressure which will spread light showers over northern California and possibly central California Monday night and Tuesday. We’ll keep a chance of light showers in the forecast for Monday night and Tuesday and see what model trends develop in the coming days. Models also show a large high building off shore with a ridge bulging into the Pacific Northwest while low pressure resides over the desert southwest. This will create an off shore flow, resulting in above average temperatures and dry conditions for next Wednesday through next weekend.
Forecast: Partly cloudy today. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy tonight through Sunday night. variable cloudiness Monday through Tuesday with a slight chance of showers. Mostly clear Tuesday night through Thursday.
Short Term:
| Madera 62/37/68/40/70 | Reedley 63/39/69/40/71 | Dinuba 62/38/68/41/71 |
| Porterville 64/40/69/41/72 | Lindsay 62/39/69/41/71 | Delano 62/42/69/42/72 |
| Bakersfield 61/45/68/45/71 | Taft 59/47/64/48/68 | Arvin 63/42/69/44/71 |
| Lamont 64/40/68/42/72 | Pixley 62/40/68/42/70 | Tulare 61/38/67/40/70 |
| Woodlake 61/38/67/40/70 | Hanford 63/39/69/41/71 | Orosi 61/39/69/40/69 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Sunday Mostly clear 43/72 | Monday Variable clouds 43/66 | Tuesday Slight chance of showers 43/67 | Wednesday Mostly clear 43/64 | Thursday Mostly clear 43/65 |
Two Week Forecast: March 14 through March 20: This model depicts a strong high center over the western one-third of the US and off shore. This, in turn, will drive the storm track well north of California for dry weather with above average temperatures.
Thirty Day Report: If this model has much credence, rainfall will remain above average, especially in northern and central California, stretching into the interior west. Temperatures however, look to be marginally below average.
Ninety Day Report: This model indicates near to marginally above average rainfall over the next three months. Equal chances are given for temperatures being above or below average.
Winds: Winds will be generally out of the northwest through this evening at 5 to 8 mph. Winds tonight through Sunday night will be generally less than 8 mph with periods of near calm conditions.
Rain: Last night’s storm has already accelerated eastward and is centered near the Colorado River Valley and is moving quickly eastward. Expect dry weather through at least Sunday night. a weak trough of low pressure will move through Monday night through Tuesday night. models show a chance of light showers for northern California and the Sierra Nevada. We’ll maintain a chance of showers over the valley floor. after Tuesday, a big blocking ridge of high pressure will park along the west coast. This will set the stage for a prolonged period of dry weather through at least next weekend and quite possibly the following week.
Mid afternoon dew points: Mid to upper 40s. Kern: Mid to upper 40s
ET for the past seven days: Stratford, .64, Parlier, .66, Arvin .67, Delano .70.
Soil temperatures: Stratford 56, Parlier 57, Arvin NA, Delano 57
Average Temperatures: 66/43, Record Temperatures: 84/30
Heating Degree Days Season. 1539 -509 varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno 7.00, Monthly .84
Precipitation for Bakersfield: Season: 5.07, Monthly: .24
Average Temperature this Month 53.9 -0.6 taken at NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Parlier, 793 Arvin, 692 Belridge, 690 Shafter, 741 Stratford, 784 Delano 783. Courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise, 6:19. Sunset, 6:00, hours of daylight, 11:39
NA=Not available
Yesterday’s Weather:
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 67 / 45 / T /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 66 / 48 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 67 / 50 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 66 / M / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 65 / 50 / 0.11 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 64 / 51 / 0.01 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 66 / 50 / 0.01 /
Rainfall: 24hr 2024 % l.y. % ave Yearly ave
STOCKTON 0.00 10.73 106 17.87 177 10.09 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 13.59 151 15.84 176 9.02 12.27
MERCED 0.00 11.66 137 15.87 186 8.53 11.80
MADERA 0.00 7.38 96 8.12 106 7.68 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 7.00 91 14.19 185 7.69 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 6.33 110 10.78 188 5.74 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.05 5.01 111 6.91 154 4.50 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.36 125 9.97 286 3.49 4.84
DEATH VALLEY NP 0.00 2.38 165 0.95 66 1.44 2.20
SALINAS 0.23 10.49 111 10.84 114 9.49 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.01 14.86 162 15.94 174 9.16 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.82 12.95 131 18.43 187 9.85 13.32