May 2, 2022
A trough of low pressure is currently moving into the Pacific Northwest and will dive into the Great Basin this afternoon and tonight. The difference in pressure between San Francisco and Las Vegas is currently just around 5 millibars, but will increase tonight to around 12 to 15 millibars. Already there is a shallow burst of marine air moving through Pacheco Pass as wind are out of the west at 20mph, gusting to 35 mph. Tonight and Tuesday, as that pressure difference increases, so will winds throughout the valley along with somewhat cooler temperatures. This temporary cooling trend will be fairly short lived as a relatively strong upper high builds into the western US with a ridge extending into British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. This will generate an off shore flow which will allow temperatures to take a significant jump Wednesday only to fall back again Thursday and Friday as the high shifts eastward and yet another trough of low pressure moves into the Pacific Northwest and, to a lesser extent, California. This low is projected to form a closed low Thursday and Friday over the Desert Southwest while a high wraps around the low into the Pacific Northwest, forming an Omega pattern. this pattern will continue over the weekend, maintaining somewhat below average temperatures. Over the weekend, there will be a chance of showers over the summit of the Sierra Nevada with no precipitation anticipated on the valley floor.
Forecast: Other than occasional high clouds, skies will be mostly clear through Thursday. Mostly clear Thursday night through Monday.
Short Term:
| Madera 83/46/78/50/91 | Reedley 84/47/81/51/92 | Dinuba 83/46/80/50/91 |
| Porterville 84/45/80/52/93 | Lindsay 84/45/79/51/92 | Delano 85/47/80/50/93 |
| Bakersfield 85/53/80/56/92 | Taft 82/55/76/59/88 | Arvin 85/49/80/51/93 |
| Lamont 84/47/80/51/92 | Pixley 84/45/80/49/92 | Tulare 84/45/80/45/91 |
| Woodlake 83/47/80/47/92 | Hanford 84/46/80/48/93 | Orosi 83/45/80/49/91 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Thursday
Mostly clear 52/74 |
Friday
Mostly clear 51/78 |
Saturday
Mostly clear 50/75 |
Sunday
Mostly clear 52/73 |
Monday
Mostly clear 56/79 |
Two Week Outlook: May 9 through May 15: This model is showing a trough of low pressure along the coast during this period with temperatures close to seasonal average. Above average precipitation will occur over northern California with only a minimal chance of light showers as far south as Fresno County.
May: This model shows a dominant high stretching from Texas to southern California, resulting in somewhat above average temperatures for the month. It also gives an equal chance of above or below normal precipitation.
May, June, July: This model shows an early season high over the Four Corners region of the desert southwest, stretching westward to California, causing temperatures as we head into summer to be marginally above average. Since this is the dry season, the chances of precipitation will be very low
Wind Discussion: Winds through early afternoon will be generally light then increase out of the west or northwest late this afternoon through Tuesday at 10 to 20 mph with gusts to near 30 mph possible. Winds Wednesday and Thursday will be generally out of the northwest at 5 to 15 mph.
Rain: Expect dry conditions for the next week to possibly ten days.
Frost: All locations will be above freezing tonight and each night for the foreseeable future.
Actual Humidity Range Yesterday: Delano, 84%/27% Porterville, 93%/39%. Midafternoon dew points: Low to mid 40s. Kern: Low to mid 40s.
Percentage of Sunshine Today/Tomorrow: Visalia: Today: 90%, tomorrow 90%. Bakersfield: Today: 100%/. Tomorrow, 90%.
ET Rates Over the Past Seven Days: Stratford 1.80, Parlier 1.73, Arvin 1.75, Orange Cove 1.63, Porterville .1.51, Delano 1.55. Courtesy University of California *=estimate, NA=not available.
Seven Day Soil Temperatures: Stratford, 60, Parlier 69, Arvin, 69, Orange Cove 66, Porterville 74, Delano 71. *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 79/51. Record Temperatures: 101/40
Cooling Degree Days This Season. 51 +3. Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno, 6.29 or -3.98. Monthly .00 -.02
Precipitation for Bakersfield, Season, 5.40 or -.62. Monthly, .00 -.01
Average Temperature this month: 65.5 -0.5 Taken NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Chilling Hours November 1st through February 28: Orange Cove, 973, Parlier, 1129, Arvin, 953, Belridge, 1016, Shafter, 934 Stratford, 1116, Delano, 1113, Porterville, 1157. courtesy UC Davis
Sunrise. 6:03, Sunset, 7:49, hours of daylight, 13:41
Yesterday’s Weather:
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 81 / 48 / 0.00 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 80 / 49 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 80 / 58 / 0.00 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 80 / 49 / 0.00 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 81 / 48 / 0.00 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 78 / 58 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 78 / 52 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 79 / 51 / 0.00 /
Rainfall: 24h Seas % LY % Ave 365
- STOCKTON 00 9.75 77 7.88 62 12.71 13.45
- MODESTO 00 8.99 79 7.12 62 11.43 12.27
- MERCED 00 7.44 67 7.00 63 11.11 11.80
- MADERA 00 M M M M 10.14 10.79
- FRESNO 00 6.29 61 6.59 64 10.27 10.99
- HANFORD 00 6.34 83 4.29 56 7.66 8.13
- BAKERSFIELD 00 5.40 90 2.77 46 6.02 6.36
- BISHOP 00 4.75 115 1.62 39 4.13 4.84
- SALINAS 00 7.31 61 5.74 48 12.06 12.58
- PASO ROBLES 00 8.70 75 6.74 58 11.66 12.15
- SANTA MARIA 00 7.79 61 6.86 54 12.81 13.32
Next report: May 3
At John Hibler Weather Forecasting, it is our goal to provide the most accurate forecasts available. Weather forecasting, unlike any other business, invites errors. Weather, by nature, is chaotic. It is our goal to be as accurate as humanly possible.