Rain is on the way!
So far December has been quite a bit drier than average with only 0.44" of rain here in Bakersfield.
In a typical December we pick up 1.10".
Our dry stretch of December weather is going to be changing soon though.
An atmospheric river, which is a deep plume of moisture extending into the Pacific, is pushing into California.
Atmospheric rivers are generally responsible for the heaviest rains we see here in Kern County, and this next storm looks to be no exception.
Heavy rain is already falling in the Northern California, and the band of rain will be slowly moving southward.
Light rain will be possible Tuesday morning, but the heavier rain will arrive in Kern early Tuesday afternoon and last into Tuesday night.
This will almost certainly be our most significant rain of the season so far.
I expect 0.75" to 1.25" in the Valley, with higher totals as high as 2" in the mountains and foothills.
Even desert locations could top 0.25".
While this is very good news for on ongoing drought, it may bring some setbacks in the short term.
Rainfall will be heavy enough for localized flooding, especially in poor drainage areas, as well as rockslides or debris flows in mountain areas.
While this storm will also bring significant snow to the high Sierra, little snow is expected here in Kern, as snow levels will start around 10,000 feet, and slowly drop from there.
Still, a few snow flakes at pass level Wednesday morning can't be ruled out.
Looking ahead, we're tracking more rain.
Additional waves of moisture are expected on Thursday, as well as Friday into Saturday, so we've got several storms to keep an eye on.
