BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — We're staying sunny and stagnant for another day, with warm and dry conditions. So after a high of 99 in Bakersfield yesterday, we're looking for a high of 96 today, still several degrees above our seasonal average of 92 here in mid-September. Valley air quality is a little better than yesterday, but still unhealthy for sensitive groups, and we're still collecting smoke from wildfires burning around the state. For the rest of Kern County, expect mid-90s in the Kern River Valley, and upper 90s in the Kern Desert with more mid-80s in the south mountains of Frazier Park.
Tomorrow we'll start to change things up as a storm over the Pacific moves closer to the California coastline, increasing our onshore flow. Those westerly winds will be breezy and making us feel better as smoke gets pushed east and temperatures get pulled down to more seasonal averages, which means low 90s in the valley.
You'll notice an impressive "cool down" by Sunday as a trough over the Pacific Northwest digs down into Central California. We won't see any rain this far south, and not even much cloud cover, but we'll benefit from the northerly winds and the much cooler Canadian air. That means a drop below average at last, with forecasts in the mid-80s Sunday afternoon here in the valley, temperatures we haven't seen in 3 months! Monday has the potential to be even cooler, with highs in the low 80s and improving air quality. So while there's no rain in the forecast, this weekend into early next week will feel much better!
The long range forecast then looks to warm us back up to the 90s by the middle of next week, which is hot for that first day of Fall on September 22, which is also the first day of Fall.
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