January 20, 2023
There remains a considerable amount of cloud cover along the eastern and southern flanks of the valley. This is due to upsloping as a northwesterly flow above the valley is lifted by the Kern County Mountains and the southern Sierra Nevada. These clouds will slowly dissipate today as drier air moves in from the north/northwest. Upper level high pressure is building over the eastern Pacific and ridging northeastward into western Canada. The combination of the high to our west and a low pressure system over Arizona will keep a north/northeast flow going over California, resulting in below average temperatures. The off shore high will act as an effective block for Pacific storms. They simply go over the top of the high and slide southward into the interior west, bypassing California altogether. The next of these systems will slide to the northern Rockies then into the Desert Southwest over the weekend. a third system will follow a similar path Sunday night and Monday. the flow of air wrapping around the back side of these systems will continue a northerly flow above California, resulting in a continuation of dry weather with temperatures finally struggling up to near seasonal by the middle of next week.
Forecast: Mostly to partly cloudy this morning over the eastern and southern flanks of the valley with mostly clear skies elsewhere. Mostly clear this afternoon through Monday. mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Monday night through Friday with areas of night and morning fog and low clouds.
Temperatures:
| Madera 51/30/52/31/50 | Reedley 52/30//52/31/53 | Dinuba 50/30/52/30//53 |
| Porterville 51/30/52/30/53 | Lindsay 51/29/52/29/53 | Delano 51/31/52/31/53 |
| Bakersfield 50/34/51/34/51 | Taft 50/35/52/35/52 | Arvin 51/32/52/33/53 |
| Lamont 51/31/52/32/50 | Pixley 51/30/52/31/52 | Tulare 50/28/52/29/51 |
| Woodlake 51/29/52/30/53 | Hanford 52/31/52/32/52 | Orosi 51/29/52/29/52 |
Seven Day Forecast
| Monday
Am fog/pm sun 51/31 |
Tuesday
Am fog/pm sun 31/53 |
Wednesday
Am fog/pm sun 31/54 |
Thursday
Am fog/pm sun 32/54 |
Friday
Am fog/pm sun 33/56 |
Two Week Outlook: January 26 through February 1: This model continues to depict a north to northwest flow moving along the western side of low pressure over the interior west. The chance of precipitation will remain low during this period with below average temperatures.
January: This model continues the trend of the season with a favorable pattern for rain for California. The best chance of rain in January will be over the northern half of the state. Temperatures will run marginally below average.
January, February, March: This model nudges the storm track further north with near average rainfall for northern California but somewhat below average for central and southern California. Temperatures will run marginally above average.
Wind Discussion: Winds will be generally at or less than 7 mph late mornings and afternoons and variable in nature. winds during the night and morning hours will be light with extended periods of near calm conditions through Monday.
Rain Discussion: Expect dry conditions for the next 7 to possibly 10 days.
Frost Discussion: Upslope clouds kept temperatures in the mid 30s to lower 40s in the south valley this morning. Along the west side and from Fresno County north, readings ranged in the 30s but were still above freezing at most locations. Drier air moving down from the north will slowly dissipate the cloud cover today and, with mostly clear skies tonight and little to no wind, below freezing temperatures will be the order of the night at most locations. River bottom and similar locations will drop down to 27 to 28 degrees in unprotected areas. Most flat terrain will drop down to 29 to 32 with hillsides remaining above freezing. The inversion tonight will be moderate with temperatures at 34 feet ranging from 4 to 8 degrees warmer at most locations. This pattern of high pressure off shore and weather systems diving into the Great Basin from time to time will continue. California is squeezed between these two types of systems, creating a northerly flow which will maintain below average temperatures through at least Tuesday. The wild card continues to be valley fog. Conditions will become more favorable for fog formation over the weekend and especially beginning early next week as a warm air inversion develops above the valley floor. For now, we’ll stick with a forecast of upper 20s to lower 30s, depending upon the fog situation, Below freezing conditions will continue through Tuesday with slow moderation beginning by the middle of next week.
Lows Tonight:
| Terra Bella
30 |
Porterville
30 |
Ivanhoe
29 |
Woodlake
29 |
| Strathmore
30 |
McFarland
29 |
Ducor
31 |
Tea Pot Dome
30 |
| Lindsay
29 |
Exeter
28 |
Famoso
30 |
Madera
30 |
| Belridge
29 |
Delano
30 |
North Bakersfield
31 |
Orosi
28 |
| Orange Cove
30 |
Lindcove
29 |
Lindcove Hillside
af |
Sanger River Bottom
27 |
| Root creek
29 |
Venice Hill
30 |
Rosedale
32 |
Jasmine
31 |
| Arvin
33 |
Lamont
32 |
Plainview
30 |
Mettler
30 |
| Edison
33 |
Maricopa
31 |
Holland Creek
32 |
Tivy Valley
29 |
| Kite Road South
32 |
Kite Road North
29 |
AF=Above Freezing
Actual humidity values for Porterville 100%/81%, Delano 97%69%. Mid afternoon dew points: Upper 30s to the lower 40s. Kern: Upper 30s to the lower 40s.
ET for the past seven days: Stratford, .27, Parlier, .20, Arvin .28, Porterville .20, Delano .27 Soil temperatures: Stratford 54, Parlier 52, Arvin 52, Porterville 49, Delano 51 *=data missing.
Average Temperatures: 56/38 Record Temperatures: 72/24
Heating Degree Days This Season. 1334 -49 Varies widely from location to location. courtesy of the NWS
Precipitation: Seasonal total for Fresno 9.20, 200% of average, Monthly 3.95
Precipitation for Bakersfield: Season: 3.99, 151% of average, Monthly: 1.64
Average Temperature This Month 51.4 +5.1 Taken NWS Hanford.
Water year season is from October 1st through September 30.
Sunrise 7:08 Sunset, 5:12, hours of daylight, 10:03. Chilling Hours November 1st Through February 28: Orange Cove NA, Parlier 830, Arvin 695 Belridge 770, Shafter 797, Stratford 811, Delano 825, Porterville 799 courtesy UC Davis
Yesterday’s Weather: H L R
MCE : Merced AP 153 : 51 / 40 / 0.08 /
MAE : Madera AP 253 : 54 / 39 / 0.00 /
FAT : Fresno AP 333 : 54 / 43 / 0.05 /
HJO : Hanford AP 242 : 55 / 41 / 0.03 /
NLC : Lemoore NAS 234 : 56 / 39 / 0.01 /
BFL : Bakersfield AP 496 : 52 / 37 / 0.00 /
VIS : Visalia AP 292 : 51 / 41 / 0.00 /
PTV : Porterville AP 442 : 51 / 37 / 0.00 /
Rainfall totals from October 1st through September 30th
SEAS. % LY % AVE YEAR
STOCKTON 0.16 15.47 251 8.21 133 6.16 13.45
MODESTO 0.09 13.42 246 8.15 150 5.45 12.27
MERCED 0.14 12.84 253 5.85 115 5.07 11.80
MADERA T 4.59 102 1.52 34 4.48 10.79
FRESNO 0.05 9.20 200 5.21 113 4.61 10.99
HANFORD 0.03 6.80 194 4.61 132 3.50 8.13
BAKERSFIELD T 3.99 151 3.56 134 2.65 6.36
BISHOP 0.00 8.57 406 4.50 213 2.11 4.84
DEATH VALLEY NP 0.00 0.39 56 M M 0.70 2.20
SALINAS 0.10 8.90 159 6.11 109 5.59 12.58
PASO ROBLES 0.05 12.75 248 7.34 143 5.14 12.15
SANTA MARIA 0.06 13.33 245 6.26 115 5.44 13.32
Nest report: January 20 afternoon
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.