BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — It was another very hot day as expected with a high of 104 in Bakersfield, our sixth day in a row of 100s during this seventh heatwave of the season. Conditions don't change much the next several days with high pressure anchored over the region, bringing sunny and stagnant conditions through Monday.
That means we're expecting a high of 103 in Bakersfield today, 104 tomorrow, 105 on Sunday and 106 on Monday here in Bakersfield. The Kern River Valley is about the same but the desert is hotter of course, with an Excessive Heat Watch in effect over the weekend due to afternoon highs of 107 to 112 there! Even the south mountains can't escape the heat, with 90s through Monday.
There's no relief from the bad air quality, which is a combination of smog and wildfire smoke, so it's still unhealthy for sensitive groups today and getting worse heading into tomorrow.
Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are possible along the Sierra crest to our north today through Monday, with a slight chance some of those develop over Kern County, mainly near the Kern River Valley. But we're so hot there's a lot of evaporation happening the next several days, so expect it to be mostly sunny and stagnant through early next week.
For now the long range forecast is still bringing a trough over Northern California on Tuesday that will work to increase our onshore flow. That means westerly winds will bring temperatures down several degrees that day with an improvement in air quality, and we expect to see to more seasonal conditions by Wednesday, the first day of school! That means you can expect upper 90s in the valley and Kern River Valley with the upper 80s in the south mountains by the middle of next week.
Unfortunately it's short-lived, as high pressure looks to rebuild on Thursday, sending us right back to those 100s for the end of next week into next weekend.
So as we keep counting the 100s this season, as of yesterday August 12, we have counted 53 days of triple digits, well above our seasonal average of 36, and we have at least seven more coming in our immediate forecast. Many people have started asking me if this is a record season and the most 100s we've ever seen in a single year and the simple answer is no, but it's getting close. The record for the most 100 degree days in Bakersfield was 76 back in the year 1917.
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