Are bluer skies coming with a change in the weather? Probably, but it could be short-lived
The weather is about to change in the southern valley, and it should have a positive impact on the air overhead. Temporarily.
After weeks of wildfire smoke clogged the air over Bakersfield, resulting in unhealthy air for local residents, two low pressure systems are expected to bring some relief.
“We may just get to come up for air,” quipped Jeff Barlow, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Hanford station.
Sunday may be the best day we’ve seen in months.
According to Barlow, the stubborn high-pressure ridge that has kept temperatures above normal for several days began to break down Wednesday as a weak system began to push it to the east.
But this weak disturbance is not expected to bring a lot of wind, a lot of “mixing,” Barlow said.
Wednesday hit 91, but the high temperature in Bakersfield is expected to drop to about 84 on Thursday and drop even lower Friday through Sunday, with highs in the mid-70s over the weekend.
“On Saturday, a second front comes in,” Barlow said. “Some clouds, a slight chance of sprinkles — not heavy rain. Winds will help blow some smoke out of the valley.”
Heather Heinks, a spokeswoman for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District,
said valley residents have been contending with both residual wildfire smoke as well as new emissions from the Creek Fire, Blue Jay Fire, Rattlesnake Fire, SQF Complex and fires in northern California.
“The smoke in the Sierra Nevada is being carried away from the valley floor during the day as the air warms up and then settles back in the mountain drainages and drifts toward the Valley floor at night,” Heinks said.
The weather service and the air district work closely, as weather and air quality are intimately connected. But they also try not to step on each other’s territory.
Nevertheless, there’s a lot of agreement on the effects of this coming system.
“Improvement is on the way,” Heinks said.
“Conditions will stabilize a bit Thursday into Friday ahead of an approaching low-pressure system,” she said. “The low will arrive by Saturday with cooler temperatures and enough dispersion to scour smoke out of the San Joaquin Valley this weekend.”
And by Monday, high pressure will begin to build again. And all bets are off.
So, we have Saturday and especially Sunday as days of potential respite from the worst air quality in recent memory.
But winds could fan the fire’s flames, making the cooling system a “double-edged sword,” Barlow said.
“There are a lot of variables,” he said.
Still, cool temperatures in the 70s. Winds that could bring blue skies.
“It’s a quick shot of fall,” Barlow said.
And right now, that may be enough.