Cooler weather and thunderstorms hitting Kern on Monday

May 04, 2023

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The work week began cool and cloudy for most of Kern County with temps reaching 83° on Monday.

A low pressure system has moved in off the central coast causing temps to drop below average and throwing moisture across Kern County.

Most of the county will see a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms, meaning isolated storms hit for a limited duration and/or intensity.

Because of this risk, you should go indoors if you hear thunder or see lightning in your area.

Heavier rainfall is expected at 8 p.m. on Monday in northwest communities with scattered showers expected through the evening across Kern.

However, we shouldn't expect any significant rain totals from this storm.

Most communities will accumulate less than a tenth of an inch of rain through Tuesday, but we can expect rain chances to persist through Wednesday.

High winds in eastern regions and southwestern areas can be expected in addition to the rain with gusts up to 35 mph.

These gusts have helped to clear out the pollutants in the air, meaning we can anticipate moderate air quality on Tuesday.

The remainder of the week should be cooler with temps in the 70s and 80s with mostly cloudy conditions in the valley.

In our mountain communities, we could see even cooler weather in the 60s and 70s for Tehachapi and Frazier Park with slightly warmer conditions in the 70s and 80s for Lake Isabella.

Our mountains will see a higher chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the week, so be sure to stay safe and stay up to date on the weather conditions in your area.