Snow, rain offer hopeful start to the rainy season

It’s no secret that the San Joaquin Valley is staring down the possibility of another lengthy drought, but that possibility seemed a little less threatening Monday as Kern County residents awakened to a soft rain in the valley and even snow in some mountain areas.

The precipitation may have come as a surprise to some.

Early weather models had shown the storm tracking across Northern California and leaving the southern end of the valley dry, said Carlos Molina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford.

“By Saturday we started to realize the storm was going to make it all the way down to Kern County,” he said. “Still, it was very light precipitation compared to what Northern California saw.”

Indeed, the rain in Bakersfield measured just 3/100th, or 0.03 of an inch, the NWS reported. But it was enough to wash down the streets, wet down the lawns and cause the emanation of petrichor, the pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a period of warm, dry weather.

Delano and Lamont received about 0.05 of an inch, while Buttonwillow to the west picked up nearly —but not quite — 1/10th of an inch, or 0.10.

“Everywhere in the Kern County portion of the valley came in under a tenth of an inch,” Molina said.

Some mountain areas got wetter. Wofford Heights, on the lower slopes of the Greenhorn Mountains, picked up 0.18 of an inch, while a site higher up near Alta Sierra recorded 0.12 inch of precipitation.

But altitude alone did not guarantee more rain. The city of Tehachapi, situated in a mountain valley, only received 0.02 of an inch, while Keene’s rougher, but lower terrain, garnered 0.18 inch of rain.

“This was a much colder storm,” Molina said. “At 5,000 to 6,000 feet, the cold air gave them mostly snow.”

Weather observers in Bear Valley Springs above Tehachapi received more than a light dusting of snow Monday morning, providing a reminder to residents that winter conditions can sometimes arrive early in the Kern County mountains.

In Bakersfield, the remainder of the week is forecast to be dry with temperatures that are expected to be pretty close to normal for this time of year. But something wetter this way comes. A front is due this weekend that Molina says will be more tropical in origin.

“This is a very wet system,” the meteorologist said of the storm originating out of the Pacific, not far from Hawaii. In contrast, the previous system came out of the north.

Being six to seven days out, Molina said it’s too far out to perfectly determine the timing of its arrival, but Saturday, Sunday and Monday are most likely to be affected.

“Warm air has the ability to hold more moisture than cold air,” Molina said.

That’s why he thinks it’s possible that Bakersfield could get a tenth of an inch, possibly up to one-quarter of an inch.

The warm system means snow likely won’t form below 9,000 feet, he said.

“This is a change in our weather pattern,” Molina said. “This is one of those times of the year you want to be prepared.”

Area residents might want to check their tires, he said. It might be time to switch out your windshield wipers, make sure your clothing is appropriate for the weather and make certain your roof doesn’t need patching.

“Don’t let these changes in the weather,” he said, “catch you off guard.”