Category: Forecast

December 1, 2020 A trough of low pressure has moved into the northern Rockies.  This is allowing a massive ridge of high pressure to cover the eastern Pacific Ocean and the western ¼ of the U.S.  The ridge juts as far north as the southern Yukon Territory of Canada.  Warmer ais has moved in aloft.…

November 30, 2020 Summary: The only real weather feature of note is moving through eastern Washington and Oregon, but the thrust of this storm is eastward rather than southward.  It has briefly turned the surface winds along the coast onshore, however, as that low moves into the northern Rockies tonight, it will be followed quickly…

November 30, 2020 Yet another cold, frosty morning will turn into a rather pleasant afternoon considering the time of year.  Weak upper level high pressure remains over the eastern Pacific and across California.  To our north, a weak trough of low pressure is traversing the Pacific Northwest and will  move into the northern Rockies later…

November 29, 2020 Summary: A zone of weak upper level high pressure continues to stretch from the eastern Pacific, across California and then into the interior west.  The freezing level is just under the 11,000 foot mark, pretty much where it’s been the past few days, indicating the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere…

November 29, 2020 An extremely  quiet weather pattern continues.  A very dry air mass remains trapped on the valley floor underneath a typical winter warm air inversion.  As of 6;30 am, the temperature at Sandburg at an elevation of 4,100 feet was 48 degrees while most rural locations on the valley floor were shivering in…

November 28, 2020 Summary: A fairly weak zone of upper level high pressure extends from the eastern Pacific into the western U.S with a weak westerly flow aloft.  This has created the typical wintertime warm air inversion above the valley floor.  In some years, this would lead to widespread fog and low clouds during the…

November 28, 2020 Widespread upper 20s were prevalent throughout the valley north of Kern County this morning with upper 20s and lower 30s in Kern County.  The valley is now locked into a dry air mass on the valley floor which allows temperatures to warm pretty nicely during the day but with strong, radiational cooling…

November 27, 2020 Summary: Temperatures this afternoon are running 3 to 6 degrees higher than 24 hours ago at most locations with widespread low 60s as of 1:30pm.  Dew points are actually down anywhere from 1 to 3 degrees.  The air mass above the valley floor continues to warm, but it is very dry at…

November 27, 2020 Last night was the coldest night of the year so far, as expected, with widespread upper 20s to lower 30s.  a relatively cold, but more importantly dry, air mass is now in place. Upper level high pressure is beginning to build in from the west which will seal in this air mass…

Summary: In the upper levels of the atmosphere, a trough of low pressure is now stretched from northeast to southwest from central Canada to southern California.  At the same time, strong high pressure at the surface continues to build over the Great Basin.  This will allow a robust off shore flow at the surface to…