Saturday night is hazy in Bakersfield, and if you’re wondering where it’s coming from: pollutants like particulate matter and ozone floating in the air, causing an air quality index of 112. That is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Those going to and from the Condors game may feel that pressure in the air, and should be advised if they have certain respiratory sensitivities such as asthma.
With wind speeds at just 5 miles per hour, those nasty pollutants are not going anywhere. Bakersfield is nestled in the San Joaquin valley, meaning those particles tend to stay trapped due to a bowl effect, unless winds can push it out.
The thickness on the horizon from that poor air quality will then unfortunately mix with patches of fog due to high pressure strengthening overhead around midnight Saturday night.
There is a dense fog advisory over parts of Bakersfield after midnight that won't expire until noon Sunday.
As the evening progresses, those having a Saturday night out may see fog settling thick over Bakersfield and neighboring communities like Buttonwillow, McFarland and Delano. That thick cover doesn’t even touch our mountain communities.
Here are some tips for drivers when dealing with low visibility from that fog:
Turn on your headlights, never use high beams. Those will make it harder to navigate the fog, rather than help. Also leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you, because you may not be able to gage your distance with the fog flooding your vision. Be sure to also take is slow, only pass if absolutely necessary. Especially on Saturday nights, drivers may be more unpredictable, so be mindful of that.
With that fog, community members capping their Saturday nights will have some cooler temperatures. Make sure to layer with a coat, rather than a light jacket. Our mountain communities may be avoiding poor visibility, but they can’t escape those crisply low temperatures.
Bakersfield's seven day forecast will see a sudden downtrend of cool temperatures throughout the week: Starting with eighty degrees on Monday, a dip ten degrees that will stay for the middle of the week, then a steady low to mid sixties to finish off the week. Thursday's temperatures for the 23ABC Bakersfield Baby Shower will be at high sixties, perfect to come drop off baby items and give back to the community in need.
Brace yourselves for a similar decline of temperatures. Lake Isabella will get an extra day of eighties than here in Bakersfield, but will dip into the seventies and eventual mid sixties. Tehachapi and Frazier Park will, for better or for worse, not get those eighties, and will have a consistent downtrend as well, finishing off the week in the high fifties.
