BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Though some smoke has been cleared from Kern County overnight, we still have poor air quality that remains unhealthy for sensitive groups. So we're hot and hazy for another afternoon as the 100s continue for most communities, and today will feel more humid too as monsoonal moisture pushes in from the desert.
That moisture is tapping into subtropical moisture from Tropical Storm Kevin churning off the coast of Baja California, so there's enough rain to cause flash flooding concerns in the desert southeast of the Kern County line. In areas where thunderstorms form we have the chance for heavy localized rain, small hail, gusty erratic winds and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning. The Sierra to our north has so much hot and dry air established that they'll see a lot of evaporation today, which leads to the threat of dry lightning strikes potentially sparking new wildfires, even in the Kern River Valley area today. So keep an eye on these evolving conditions throughout the day as we sit between the two dangers.
And yes, the heat continues too, so after 104 degrees in Bakersfield Tuesday we're looking for a high of 101 today. Expect a humid high of 100 in Lake Isabella, 90 in Tehachapi and 88 in Frazier Park today with more 100s in the desert.
High pressure will begin pushing back into the region tomorrow, helping us dry out, and it looks to anchor itself in place by Friday, leading to a sunny and hotter weekend ahead. with highs pushing closer to 105 yet again.
In the long range forecast, a low pressure system looks to track over Northern California, bringing some fresh ocean air onshore at last, working to clear out a lot of this bad air quality and "cool" us down to more seasonal upper 90s by Tuesday. That's good news for all the kids heading back to school next Wednesday, as we have a good chance to be dry, sunny and seasonal!
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