Author: John Hibler

  May 26, 2018 Summary: The trough of low pressure responsible for mainly sprinkles yesterday is still moving through this morning.  However, a swath of dry air has entered into the southern portion of the low, ending any further chance of precipitation.  There is still a good amount of clouds over Kern County and portions…

May 25, 2018 Summary:  The center of circulation of a cold closed low is just to the west of San Francisco at this hour.  The first phase of this event saw a strong surge of marine air move over the coastal mountains, forming a low overcast over the entire San Joaquin Valley during the early…

May 24, 2018 Summary: Skies will be mostly clear today but clouds will begin to increase tonight as a developing low off shore begins to make its move on northern and central California.  As expected, the southernmost portion of the trough is pinching off and is forming a closed low circulation.  This system appears to…

May 23, 2018 Summary: The weak closed low governing our weather the past few days is now centered near the Nevada/Utah border and is pulling away from central California, leaving a weak trough in the upper atmosphere in its wake.  Temperatures will be marginally warmer today, although it is a tricky call as the marine…

May 22, 2018 Summary: The center of circulation of a closed low pressure system is now at Las Vegas and will be moving slowly eastward.  Central California is on the back side of the counter clockwise circulation, which is generating a north/northeast to south/southwest flow aloft.  Scattered showers and thunderstorms are again possible this afternoon…

May 21, 2018 Summary: The center of circulation of a relatively cold upper level low is now over eastern Kern County.  The counterclockwise circulation around the low has the winds aloft out of the east from Yosemite northward and out of the west over Kern County.  This poses a tricky forecast for both this afternoon…

  May 20, 2018 Summary:  A weak trough of low pressure continues to maintain itself over the western United States.  Today will be similar to yesterday with temperatures near seasonal averages with just a few high clouds at times.  With that trough in place, an on shore flow continues.  In fact, there is an 11.40…

May 19, 2018 Summary:  The weak low which was overhead yesterday is now hard to identify, but overall it has  moved into the Great Basin.  This has allowed pressures to marginally rise over central California.  Even so, a weakness remains in the upper atmosphere.  Temperature forecasting for this afternoon will be rather difficult.  Even though…

May 18, 2018 Summary:  A weak upper low remains over the Great Basin this  morning but it will move into Utah this afternoon, allowing pressures to marginally rise over the next 48  hours.  Overall, however, there will be a lingering weak trough of low pressure over and off the west coast through Saturday night.  By…

May 17, 2018 Summary:  Temperatures are anywhere from 4 to 8 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago, largely because skies have cleared over most of the valley, allowing radiational cooling to proceed.  Temperatures today will be very  pleasant as the valley is completely pooled with marine  air.  The low responsible for the big cool down…