January 4, 2021
Summary: Light showers have progressed as far south as Madera County. Light showers may still make it as far south as Fresno County through the early evening hours as the cold front moves through. Ahead of the front, very mild air is in place. For example, as of 1:00pm the temperature at Tuolumne Meadows was 39 degrees at an elevation of over 9,000 feet. Skies have remained mostly clear in the south valley where readings are in the toasty mid to upper 60s this afternoon. After the front moves through, upslope conditions will return with a considerable amount of low level clouds banking up against the southern Sierra Nevada foothills and the valley facing slopes of the Kern County mountains. A low overcast will develop along the eastern and southern flanks of the valley well into Tuesday morning. Where skies clear, dense fog will easily form.
After tonight, dry weather will prevail for the remainder of the week. One system will move through northern California Wednesday night and early Thursday with a chance of light showers down to a Bay Area/Stockton line. A similar system will track southward Friday, again leaving central California high and dry. Upper level high pressure will dominate our pattern through the weekend with extensive fog and low clouds and some afternoon clearing.
Models show another system possibly spreading light showers down to a Bay Area/Stockton line about Monday. And so the story goes.
The new two-week outlook indicates central California will have the greatest potential for below average precipitation as any place else in the country.
Forecast: A chance of light showers from Fresno County north into the early evening hours. The south valley will become mostly cloudy. Low overcast tonight and early Tuesday morning against the eastern and southern flanks of the valley. Becoming partly cloudy Tuesday afternoon after the areas of fog burn off. Areas of night and morning fog and low clouds through Friday, otherwise expect variable cloudiness at times interspersed with mostly clear skies. From Friday night through Sunday, expect widespread night and morning fog and low clouds with partial afternoon clearing. Increasing higher clouds Sunday night. variable cloudiness Monday.
Short Term:
| Madera 39/57/34/57 | Reedley 40/58/35/57 | Dinuba 39/56/33/56 | |
| Porterville 41/55/34/58 | Lindsay 41/57/34/57 | Delano 42/58/36/58 | |
| Bakersfield 48/55/40/59 | Taft 49/57/44/57 | Arvin 46/54/37/59 | |
| Lamont 46/54/37/59 | Pixley 41/57/35/57 | Tulare 39/56/34/58 | |
| Woodlake 40/56/35/57 | Hanford 41/58/35/57 | Orosi 39/56/33/57 | |
Winds: Winds through the afternoon will be out of the east to southeast at 5 to 12 MPH, becoming out of the northwest at 8 to 15 MPH then light to calm after midnight. Winds Tuesday through Thursday will be generally at or less than 10 MPH late mornings and afternoons and at or less than 5 MPH during the night and early morning hours with extended periods of near calm conditions.
Rain: There is a chance of scattered light showers from Fresno County north into the early evening hours. Realistically, no more than a few hundredths are expected with dry weather south of Fresno County. From tonight through the upcoming weekend, more dry conditions can be expected. Models for next week indicate dry weather will continue.
Frost: After tonight, any night with relatively clear skies and fog free conditions could potentially drop into the lower 30s, but only in those typical cold, low spots. For now, no significant chance exists for the remainder of the week.
Next update: January 5/am