April 3, 2024
Summary Today will be the warmest day we’ll see for a while as we’re on the precipice of a brand new and colder weather pattern. currently, a very cold low is located just to the west of British Columbia and is beginning the process of shoving high pressure over California eastward. By Wednesday night, the low will be west of Portland, Oregon and by midday Thursday, the center of circulation will be just to the west of San Francisco. If models are correct, the center of circulation will be right overhead. This type of system this time of year can make for some interesting weather. The daytime heating process will volatize the atmosphere even more to set the stage for thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday afternoons. Temperatures Thursday will drop 20 degrees over today’s readings with readings not even reaching the 60 degree mark Friday. Snow levels will start at 6,000 feet, plummeting to nearly 2,500 feet by Friday morning. with freezing levels down to almost 3,000 feet, hail will certainly be possible in heavier showers or thunderstorms. Showers will end Friday evening, however a weak trough of low pressure will remain along the west coast this weekend, providing a chance of snow showers over the higher elevations. Beginning Monday night and Tuesday, an area of high pressure will build in from the west, bringing what may become a large area of dry weather.
Forecast Mostly clear today. Increasing cloudiness tonight. A chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms from mainly Fresno County north Thursday. Periods of showers Thursday night through Friday evening. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible Friday afternoon and evening. Partly cloudy late Friday night through Saturday. Partly cloudy Saturday night through Sunday night. mostly clear Monday through Wednesday with a warming trend.
Short Term:
| Madera 81/45/60/36/58 | Reedley 80/44/60/37/59 | Dinuba 80/46/61/36/58 |
| Porterville 82/46/59/38/58 | Lindsay 81/45/60/38/58 | Delano 82/47/61/41/57 |
| Bakersfield 82/51/61/42/59 | Taft 79/48/58/42/52 | Arvin 82/47/60/39/58 |
| Lamont 82/48/61/39/59 | Pixley 82//45/60/38/58 | Tulare 80/45/61/36/58 |
| Woodlake 80/45/60/35/58 | Hanford 81/47/59/39/57 | Orosi 80/45/61/36/59 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Saturday Partly cloudy 36/59 | Sunday Partly cloudy 37/62 | Monday Mostly clear 41/65 | Tuesday Mostly clear 42/68 | Wednesday Mostly clear 45/75 |
Two Week Forecast: April 9 through April 16: For a change, upper level is dominant over the western states during this period. As a result, expect above average temperatures with very little chance of rain.
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 less than 8 mph and will be generally variable. There will be periods of winds beginning tonight and lasting through Friday night where winds will be out of the northwest at 8 to 15 mph. Gusts in excess of 25 mph will be possible in the vicinity of showers and thunderstorms. Winds Saturday through Sunday will be mainly out of the northwest at 5 to 12 mph with periods of near calm winds, mainly during the night and morning hours.
Rain: There is a chance of rain as early as Thursday afternoon, mainly from Fresno County north. There is also a chance of isolated thunderstorms. From Fresno County north Friday afternoon and evening. Periods of showers will spread southward Thursday night. Friday is shaping up to an active day as a pool of very cold, unstable air parks over the valley. Thunderstorms are also possible Friday afternoon and evening. Amounts of rain from Thursday afternoon through Friday evening will be very spotty, generally ranging from a quarter to a third of an inch. Heavier amounts will certainly be possible, especially where thunderstorms occur. Dry weather will return later Friday night. it now appears we’ll see an extended period of dry weather beginning Sunday and likely holding for all of next week.
Frost Only the very coldest wind sheltered type of locations have a chance to chill into the lower 30s Friday through Sunday morning. Most locations will range from 34 to 30. Make no mistake, this is a cold air mass and local areas of frost are certainly possible but only where skies are clear for several hours and winds are calm.
Mid afternoon dew points: Mid to upper 40s. Kern: Mid to upper 40s
ET for the past seven days: Stratford, .91, Parlier, .89, Arvin 1.09, Delano .1.02.
Soil temperatures: Stratford 59, Parlier 61, Arvin NA, Delano 63
Average Temperatures: 71/46, Record Temperatures: 91/33
Heating Degree Days Season. 1720 -542 varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno 8.29, Monthly .00
Precipitation for Bakersfield: Season: 5.95, Monthly: .00
Average Temperature this Month 60.3 +.1.3 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, 6:39. Sunset, 7:24, hours of daylight, 12:43
NA=Not available
Yesterday’s Weather:
MCE : Merced 153 : DH1700 / 76 / 45 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera 253 : DH1700 / 77 / 46 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno Airport 333 : DH1700 / 77 / 50 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford Airport 242 : DH1700 / 78 / 46 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore Naval AS 234 : DH1700 / 78 / 43 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield Airport 496 : DH1700 / 81 / 48 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia Airport 292 : DH1700 / 78 / 47 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville Airport 442 : DH1700 / 79 / 45 / 0.00 /
TFTC1 : Taft 759 : DH1654 / 78 / 49 / 0.00 /
LOSC1 : Los Banos 120 : DH1600 / 79 / 46 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24hr 2024 % l.y. % ave Yearly ave
STOCKTON 0.00 11.75 101 22.73 194 11.69 13.45
MODESTO 0.00 15.17 144 19.71 188 10.50 12.27
MERCED 0.00 12.94 129 20.05 199 10.06 11.80
MADERA 0.00 8.31 89 10.83 116 9.32 10.79
FRESNO 0.00 8.29 89 17.48 188 9.31 10.99
HANFORD 0.00 7.25 104 14.48 207 7.00 8.13
BAKERSFIELD 0.00 5.95 109 9.74 178 5.47 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 4.44 113 13.66 348 3.92 4.84
DEATH VALLEY NP 0.00 2.93 180 1.06 65 1.63 2.20
SALINAS 0.00 13.01 116 13.70 122 11.19 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.00 16.31 147 20.51 184 11.13 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.00 14.52 121 23.18 194 11.97 13.32