Category: Forecast

December 18, 2017 Summary: It was cold again last night with widespread mid to upper 20s and lower 30s in the warmer locations.  Upper level high pressure will continue to maintain its grip on central California through Tuesday.  With a dry air again in place, overnight lows will be chilly tonight, which is discussed in…

December 17, 2017 Summary: High pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere is building into the Pacific Northwest while a fairly well defined low is over northwest Mexico.  This has a good shot of cold air riding down from the north into our region, lowering dew points into the mid to upper 20s at…

December 17, 2017 Summary: Upper level high pressure is anchored off shore with a ridge building into the Pacific Northwest.  In the meantime, a low is centered over northwest Mexico and is moving eastward.  We have a fairly strong, but brief, off shore flow between these systems which will generate strong winds over the higher…

December 16, 2017 Summary: Strong winds and blowing dust are affecting primarily the far western side of the San Joaquin Valley.  At last report, Kettleman had wind gusts of 43 MPH and Panoche Road was reporting gusts to 48 MPH.  Winds on the east side are generally light from Fresno southward and will remain so…

December 16, 2017 Summary: A dry cold front moved down the valley during the early morning hours with cloud cover and gusty winds from Merced County northward.  Those winds are working their way down the west side of the valley.  The cloud cover combined with mixing of the atmosphere allowed temperatures to finally be above…

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. …