December 14, 2023
Summary: Temperatures are running 3 to 4 degrees warmer than 24 hours ago as of 1:00pm and have topped the 60 degree mark, despite variable amounts of high clouds. Upper level high pressure just off shore is building inland and will maintain the warming trend through Saturday. Readings on Friday, especially in Kern County, will top 70 at the warmest locations with generally low to mid 70s Saturday. On Saturday, a large mid-Pacific storm will be approaching the northern and central California coast. This isn’t an especially strong storm system, but it will be large and slow moving, so our chance for precipitation will begin probably sometime Sunday afternoon, continuing on and off through Monday night. A second low pressure system will slide out of the Gulf of Alaska and will bring a renewed threat of precipitation around the middle of next week. This system will be colder with lower snow levels. This far in advance of these types of events, it’s difficult to discern precipitation amounts, however considering the paltry amounts of rain we’ve received so far, anything will be a benefit.
Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight. Mostly clear to occasionally partly cloudy Friday and Friday night. Partly cloudy Saturday. Increasing cloudiness Saturday night. An increasing chance of rain Sunday, mainly later in the day. Showers likely Monday. A chance of showers at any given time from Monday night through Thursday.
Short Term:
| Madera 32/68/34/72 | Reedley 33/68/35/71 | Dinuba 32/67/34/70 |
| Porterville 32/71/34/73 | Lindsay 31/69/34/72 | Delano 33/70/35/71 |
| Bakersfield 39/71/41/73 | Taft 48/68/50/71 | Arvin 34/72/36/73 |
| Lamont 33/72/35/73 | Pixley 33/70/34/72 | Tulare 31/68/34/69 |
| Woodlake 32/69/34/71 | Hanford 33/68/35/70 | Orosi 31/67/33/69 |
Winds: Winds will be at or less than 6 mph with periods of near calm conditions through Friday night. By late Saturday, winds will be out of the southeast at around 8 to 15 mph. winds Sunday will be mainly out of the east to southeast at 10 to 20 mph at times with locally stronger gusts..
Rain: Dry weather will continue through at least Saturday night. A large low pressure system will approach the coast Saturday with precipitation moving on shore and reaching the central coast by Sunday. It will spread in from the west Sunday afternoon. Periods of showers will continue Sunday night and Monday. This system will be a slow mover, so the chance for showers will continue through Monday night and into Tuesday. A second system, this one from the Gulf of Alaska, will arrive Wednesday or Thursday. It will renew the threat of precipitation Thursday and Friday of next week. While these two systems are not overly wet, I do think it’s possible a good half-inch of rain could fall north of Kern County with lesser amounts over the valley portion of Kern County. Models for the last week in December also favor Pacific storms moving inland from time to time.
Frost: The coldest river bottom type of situations tonight will dip down to between 29 and 30. Most flatland locations will chill into the 31 to 35 degree range. Hillsides will remain above freezing. Lows Saturday morning will generally run a degree or two warmer. An active pattern will begin by Sunday with increased cloud cover and a strong southwesterly flow aloft, above freezing weather is likely from Sunday through at least Friday. Models continue to show a west to southwesterly flow during much of the last week in December, favoring above freezing conditions.
Lows Tonight:
| Terra Bella af | Porterville 32 | Ivanhoe 31 | Woodlake af |
| Strathmore 32 | McFarland 32 | Ducor af | Tea pot dome 32 |
| Lindsay 31 | Exeter 31 | Famoso af | Madera af |
| Belridge 31 | Delano af | North Bakersfield af | Orosi 31 |
| Orange cove 32 | Lindcove 31 | Lindcove Hillside af | Sanger river bottom 29 |
| Root creek 30 | Venice hill 32 | Rosedale af | Jasmine af |
| Arvin af | Lamont af | Plainview 32 | Mettler af |
| Edison af | Maricopa af | Holland creek af | Tivy Valley 31 |
| Kite Road South af | Kite Road North 31 |
AF=Above Freezing