Author: Trudy Hibler

December 15, 2017 Summary: For the next several hours, upper level high pressure off the southern California coast will be the dominant player.  That will change late tonight and early Saturday morning as a dry trough and associated cold front move quickly down  the valley.  Already this afternoon, high clouds have spread as far south…

December 15, 2017 Summary: Strong upper level high pressure remains just off the California coast with a weak trough of low pressure moving through Oregon.  That trough will enter northern California later today before moving through central California later tonight and Saturday morning.  The inversion will remain tight through this evening, but with some luck,…

December 14, 2017 Summary: Visibilities are running on the average of 3 miles up and down the valley this afternoon which is a good indication that the strong warm air inversion continues to be locked in.  there are some minor changes in the wind which may actually move temperatures above freezing Saturday morning, at least…

December 14, 2017 Summary: A strong warm air inversion remains over the valley this morning under a strong ridge of upper level high pressure.  To give you an idea of the temperature differences, as of 6:00 am it was 54 degrees up at Frazier Park while many locations on the valley floor are in the…

December 13, 2017 Summary: A band of rapidly moving high clouds is approaching the central part of the valley from the north.  Following that band are high, thin clouds which may or may not make it as far south as the valley.  Even if they did, it’s doubtful the radiational cooling process would be interrupted. …

  December 13, 2017 Summary: Strong radiational cooling was evident once again last night with widespread mid to upper 20s in the citrus belts and upper 20s to the mid 30s in Kern County.  Strong upper level high pressure currently is slipping off shore, but will not change the pattern much as the surface low…

December 12, 2017 Summary: today is pretty much a carbon copy of yesterday with most locations moving into the low to mid 60s and dew points remaining in the mid to  upper 30s.  Strong upper level high pressure remains over northern California but will begin to slip off shore Wednesday and Thursday.  This by no…

December 12, 2017 Summary: A strong warm air inversion continues to seal the valley under strong high pressure aloft.  A surface high remains over the Great Basin but has weakened, so the easterly winds over the mountains have dropped off considerably.  Rather than being parked over northern California, the high will begin to back up…

December 11, 2017 Summary: What has become an ongoing theme for central California continues today.  There’s a veil of high clouds based at 20,000 feet and very hazy conditions with most locations reporting a visibility of 3 to 4 miles.  Two high pressure systems remain over the Great Basin while a disorganized cut off low…

December 11, 2017 Summary: There are two high pressure systems, each is centered over the Great Basin.  The first is the high in the upper levels of the atmosphere.  The second is a surface high which is maintaining an easterly flow over central and southern California.  In the meantime, there’s a cut off low centered…