I hope everyone had a happy Holiday. If you were among the millions who were in the midst of winter weather during the Christmas Season, then I hope this forecast for southern California can fill you with warmer thoughts.

At 1054AM, PT, Bakersfield was reporting light rain and a temperature of 54 degrees. A narrow band of showers lay across the southern Valley, with more industrious precipitation in the higher terrain of the Sierras and Tehachapi Mountains. This was a more forceful preview of a storm coming later today and early in the workweek.
A deep trough digging into the Pacific Coast is a tailing lobe over a broader jet trough covering the better part of the northern half of the country. The precipitation follows the course of the exiting part of the jet streak from the lobe, but a well defined area of surface low pressure looms off the California coast. Rain and mountain snow will really intensify overnight tonight, with the feature fully onshore shortly after midnight. Rain is likely in Bakersfield, but significant snow in the mountains ringing Bakersfield are all under Winter Storm advisories. The good news is that the storm will move quickly, and be chased out by dry California air by the end of the day. Tuesday looks to be atypically cool, but dry.
Tomorrow – Rain likely, otherwise mostly cloudy, High 56, Low 46
Tuesday – Early AM drizzle, then sunny and cool, High 52, Low 40

TWC: Tomorrow – Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon (early rain) High 57, Low 46
Tuesday – Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 55, Low 33

AW: Tomorrow – Cloudy with a shower in spots HHigh 56, Low 45
Tuesday – Periods of clouds and sunshine High 54, Low 40

NWS: Tomorrow – Rain likely, mainly between 8am and 9am. Patchy fog between 7am and 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, High 54, Low 43
Tuesday – Partly sunny, High 51, Low 41

WB: Tomorrow – Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain, High 56, Low 44
Tuesday – Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming mostly sunny, High 53, Low 42

WN: Tomorrow – Mostly cloudy with light rain likely, High 54, Low 43
Tuesday – Partly cloudy, High 51, Low 41

FIO: Tomorrow – Rain overnight and in the morning. High 57, Low 44
Tuesday = Partly cloudy throughout the day. High 55, Low 41

Model guidance definitely doesn’t fully clear the Bakersfield by the early afternoon tomorrow, as some outlets suggest, but Bakersfield is not an easy place to get steady precipitation, which is why nobody carries it as late as we do. Still, it arrived early, so why not stay a while? Here is the radar, with that rain hanging around, especially in the mountains.