January 31, 2022
Variable amounts of mid and high level clouds continue to stream over central California. The latest observation above Fresno pegs the base of the overcast at 20,000 feet. Even with the cloud cover, temperatures at midday are moving into the upper 50s and will top out in the low to mid 60s again, especially north of Fresno where the cloud cover is thinner. The upper low responsible for the cloud deck is off the southern California coast and will be absorbed by a trough of low pressure moving through the Great Basin. Further out to sea, a large high is building northward into the Gulf of Alaska. The upper winds around the eastern portion of the high will become north/northeast over California, spreading a colder air mass as readings Tuesday through Thursday back off into the mid to upper 50s along with some gusty northerly winds along the west side of the valley. Dew points will also dip, setting the stage for widespread frost Wednesday through Friday mornings. By the time we get to the weekend, the off shore high will be shifting towards the western one-third of the US, resulting in a warming trend during the day, but with chilly overnight lows as the upper high seals in the valley with relatively low points. As we wrap up January and move into February, at least the first ten days of the month show little potential for precipitation. The two week model out this afternoon reaffirms a blocking ridge pattern all the way through the fourteenth.
Forecast: Variable cloudiness through Tuesday. Mostly clear Tuesday night through Friday. Mostly clear Friday night through Monday.
Short Term:
| Madera 33/56/30/56 | Reedley 34/57/30/55 | Dinuba 33/52/29/56 |
| Porterville 33/57/30/55 | Lindsay 31/56/29/56 | Delano 34/57/31/56 |
| Bakersfield 41/56/34/55 | Taft 44/52/36/52 | Arvin 37/57/32/55 |
| Lamont 34/55/31/56 | Pixley 33/57/30/56 | Tulare 32/55/29/56 |
| Woodlake 32/56/29/56 | Hanford 35/57/31/56 | Orosi 32/55/29/55 |
Wind Discussion: Winds will be light to near calm through the late evening hours. Winds late tonight through Tuesday night will be mainly out of the north/northwest along the west side of the valley with gusts to near 30 mph possible, especially along the Interstate 5 corridor. Winds elsewhere will be mainly out of the northwest at 8 to 15 MPH, diminishing Tuesday evening. Winds will be generally light and variable Wednesday with the possible exception of the far west side where winds may continue out of the north/northeast at 10 to 20 MPH. Winds Thursday will be light and variable.
Rain: Expect dry weather for at least the next 7 to 10 days.
Frost: Most locations will remain in the 32 to 38 degree range tonight due to cloud cover. A colder air mass will invade the valley Tuesday through Wednesday. Gusty winds along the west side of the valley will begin to drive dew points down into the 30s, possible the mid to upper 20s along the west side. This will lead to widespread subfreezing temperatures Wednesday through Friday mornings. Coldest frog ponds and such will chill to 26 to 27 degrees Wednesday morning. We may see some upslope clouds develop along the Sierra Nevada foothills and against the north facing slopes of the Kern County mountains. If your location receives the blessing of these clouds, readings will remain in the 30s. There is less of a chance of cloud cover Thursday and Friday mornings as the dry air mass takes over. Over the weekend, high temperatures will begin to recover into the low to mid 60s, however with a drier air mass, lows will still range from the upper 20s to the low to mid 30s. medium range models continue showing a very dry pattern through the middle of the month. We’ll continue to see above average daytime highs with overnight lows remaining below average with areas of frost.
Lows Tonight:
| Terra Bella
Af |
Porterville
32 |
Ivanhoe
31 |
Woodlake
32 |
| Strathmore
32 |
McFarland
31 |
Ducor
Af |
Tea Pot Dome
Af |
| Lindsay
30 |
Exeter
31 |
Famoso
Af |
Madera
Af |
| Belridge
31 |
Delano
Af |
North Bakersfield
Af |
Orosi
32 |
| Orange Cove
32 |
Lindcove
31 |
Lindcove Hillside
Af |
Sanger River Bottom
29 |
| Root Creek
31 |
Venice Hill
32 |
Rosedale
Af |
Jasmine
Af |
| Arvin
Af |
Lamont
Af |
Plainview
32 |
Mettler
Af |
| Edison
Af |
Maricopa
31 |
Holland Creek
Af |
Tivy Valley
Af |
| Kite Road South
Af |
Kite Road North
Af |
AF=Above Freezing
Next report: February 1