BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — High pressure building overhead is sending our temperatures soaring, with a surge back to the 100s today through at least Wednesday in the valley, the Kern River Valley and the Kern Desert. We also have worsening air quality too, which is at 154 on the index this afternoon, unhealthy for everyone.
With this return to the 100s, the valley has a Heat Advisory with highs 100 to 105 this afternoon through Wednesday, while the Kern Desert has highs in the 105 to 110 range through mid-week. We'll stay hot and dry with trapped smog and smoke in the county for the rest of the week.
Monsoonal moisture wrapping around the high looks to push into Kern County from the southeast Thursday into Friday with a chance of scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms to end our week. After all this established hot and dry air this week, we are concerned about high evaporation rates and what that means for the threat of dry lightning and the potential for new wildfires at the end of the week.
Thankfully the ridge looks to finally break down early next week, allowing temperatures to fall to more seasonal low 90s with a westerly onshore flow.
But that's still a week away, so until then, stay inside and protect your lungs from this bad air quality and take it very easy in the heat if you have to be outside.
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