Kern County saw a major change in weather patterns this weekend. A winter weather advisory for our Mountain communities expired on Sunday night at 10 p.m. Before that we saw quite a bit of rain and snow in parts of Kern County. Up to 6 inches of snowfall occurred at about 5,000 ft, we saw about 10-12 inches of snow above 9,000 feet, and heavy snow at pass level, which impacted travel. CHP directed traffic along the Grapevine on Sunday night as the heavy snow stuck to roadways, causing dangerous driving conditions on slick and icy roads.
The National Weather Service also issued two different freeze warnings. A hard freeze warning will remain in effect from 1 a.m. through 8 a.m. in the Desert communities on Monday. A freeze warning will be in effect on Tuesday for the San Joaquin Valley during those same hours. During this time the National Weather Service is urging residents to bring all pets inside and have a plan in place for livestock.
Weather conditions are expected to get better for the week ahead. Temperatures will stay below average for most of next week, but will gradually rise each day. Expect a return of the 60's by mid-week. Winds will start to decrease, along with the rain. We can expect clear skies in the Valley on Monday. Air quality will move into the moderate range, with an AQI of 53.
We will continue to update the community as weather conditions change. For a list of current road closures click this link: https://cad.chp.ca.gov/traffic.aspx?__EVENTTARGET=ddlComCenter&ddlComCenter=BFCC
