Updates
  • Out/pneumonia Pardon the interruption again, folks. John had been coughing more and more frequently lately. Difficult breathing yesterday resulted in an ambulance ride to the local…
  • May 8, 2024 report May 8, 2024 Summary  High pressure aloft is  located 500 miles off the northern California coast. Low pressure is centered over Wyoming and the Dakotas…
  • May 6, 2024 report May 6, 2024 Summary  An elongated trough of low pressure extends from the Gulf of Alaska to the Pacific Northwest while high pressure is setting…
  • May 4, 2024 report May 4, 2024 Summary  A low pressure center is off the coast of the Pacific Northwest this morning. This low will move southwestward into northern…
  • May 2, 2024 report May 2, 2024 Summary  upper level high pressure is upwelling ahead of a low pressure system located in the northeast Pacific. This will drive temperatures…
Uncategorized

April 8, 2024 report

April 8, 2024

Summary  The trough of low pressure which was responsible for the cool, unsettled pattern over the weekend has moved into the Great Basin and Desert Southwest. This is allowing a ridge of upper level high pressure over the eastern Pacific Ocean to begin to build into California. The freezing level taken over Vandenburg was still fairly low at 5,600 feet. That will change in a hurry over the next 72 hours as the high shifts inland. By Wednesday, the center of the high will be just off the central coast with a bubble of warm subsiding air over California. Rapid warming will take place. It looks like Friday will be the warmest day of the week as readings jump into the mid to upper 80s. There is a small chance that the very warmest locations may hit the 90 degree mark for the first time this season. The high will buckle over the weekend, allowing a northeast Pacific storm to drop into California. This does not appear to be a significant event. However, there will be a small chance of light showers Saturday through Monday along with much cooler temperatures over the weekend. A weaker high will fill in behind the low for a return to dry weather next week.

Forecast mostly clear skies through Friday. Variable cloudiness Saturday through Monday with a small chance of showers.  

Short Term:                                                                                                              

Madera 70/41/78/46/84Reedley 71/42/78/47/85Dinuba 69/41/76/46/83
Porterville 70/40/78/45/84Lindsay 70/41/78/46/84Delano 72/42/78/47/85
Bakersfield 69/49/78/52/85Taft 65/48/74/55/79Arvin 70/43/78/48/85
Lamont 71/43/78/48/86Pixley 69/43/77/48/84Tulare 68/40/77/45/83
Woodlake 69/41/77/45/83Hanford 71/42/78/46/84Orosi 69/40/77/46/83

Seven Day Forecast

Thursday Mostly clear 51/86Friday Mostly clear 53/88Saturday Slight chance of showers 47/81Sunday Slight chance of showers 42/68Monday Slight chance of showers 42/69

Two Week Forecast:  April 15 through April 21: This model is indicating a fairly dominant ridge of high pressure will be over California. The chance of rain appears to be very low  during this period while temperatures will be above average.

Thirty Day Report: This model gives equal chances of above and below average temperatures for the month of April. The chance of precipitation is slightly above average for the month.

Ninety Day Report: As we enter the dry season, this model predicts precipitation will be above or below average. There is no real trend to grab onto, so temperatures are expected to be near seasonal average.

Winds: Winds through Thursday will be variable and no more than 10 mph. Periods of near calm conditions can be expected, mainly during the night and morning hours.

Rain: Dry weather will continue through Friday. A weak area of low pressure will drop southeastward from the Gulf of Alaska and into California beginning Saturday. On paper, this is a moisture starved system. Even so, I want to add a small chance of showers to the forecast for Saturday through Monday. This system will move into the Great Basin by Tuesday of next week, returning the valley to a dry weather pattern.

Mid afternoon dew points: Low to mid 40s. Kern: Low to mid 40s.

ET for the past seven days: Stratford, .90, Parlier, .87, Arvin .97, Delano 98.

Soil temperatures: Stratford 56, Parlier 61, Arvin NA, Delano 63  

Average Temperatures: 71/46,  Record Temperatures: 92/36

Heating  Degree Days Season.  1748 -532  varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS

Precipitation:  Seasonal total for Fresno 8.62, Monthly  .34

Precipitation for Bakersfield:  Season: 6.18, Monthly:  .23

Average Temperature this Month 57.3 -1.9 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, 6:35.  Sunset, 7:27, hours of daylight, 12:49

NA=Not available

Yesterday’s Weather: 

MCE   : Merced               153 : DH1700 /  64 /  41 / 0.00 /

MAE   : Madera               253 : DH1700 /  64 /  39 / 0.00 /

FAT   : Fresno Airport       333 : DH1700 /  64 /  43 / 0.00 /

HJO   : Hanford Airport      242 : DH1700 /  67 /  42 / 0.00 /

NLC   : Lemoore Naval AS     234 : DH1700 /  67 /  40 / 0.00 /

BFL   : Bakersfield Airport  496 : DH1700 /  64 /  39 / 0.00 /

VIS   : Visalia Airport      292 : DH1700 /  65 /  40 / 0.00 /

PTV   : Porterville Airport  442 : DH1700 /  65 /  38 / 0.00 /

TFTC1 : Taft                 759 : DH1656 /  61 /  44 / 0.00 /

Rainfall:                                     24hr        2024          %          l.y.               %                  ave              Yearly ave                                                                                                                               

STOCKTON                      0.00   12.89   108   22.87   192    11.94    13.45

MODESTO                       0.00   15.78   147   19.76   184    10.73    12.27

MERCED                        0.00   13.51   131   20.08   195    10.30    11.80

MADERA                        0.00    8.64    91   10.83   114     9.51    10.79

FRESNO                        0.00    8.62    90   17.48   183     9.55    10.99

HANFORD                       0.00    7.36   103   14.48   203     7.15     8.13

BAKERSFIELD                   0.00    6.18   110    9.74   174     5.61     6.36

BISHOP                        0.00    4.44   112   13.66   343     3.98     4.84

DEATH VALLEY NP               0.00    2.93   178    1.06    64     1.65     2.20

SALINAS                       0.00   13.50   118   13.71   120    11.42    12.58

PASO ROBLES                   0.00   16.69   148   20.51   182    11.30    12.15

SANTA MARIA                   0.00   15.15   124   23.18   190    12.21    13.32