It's been a cooler-than-normal June -- and summer solstice is continuing the trend
Jun. 20—The June solstice, the day of the year with the longest period of sunlight, occurs Wednesday, June 21, when the sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky.
The solstice also officially marks the first day of summer.
But it doesn't feel much like summer in Bakersfield these days, as mild June temperatures have been in the low-to-mid-80s — and are expected to continue through the next several days.
"It's been great," National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Harty said of the unseasonably nice weather.
And Harty added that he's definitely not seeing any immediate signs that the Bakersfield metro area is going to return to normal temperatures within the next week or so.
"It's definitely been unusual," he said of the June weather.
Of course, it's not that we haven't experienced some warm days this spring. Bakersfield tied a record by reaching 102 on May 14 — the only triple-digit day the city has seen so far this year.
Over the past weekend, it again felt like summer might be on the horizon, as daily highs climbed into the mid-to-high 90s.
Then, boom, the bottom dropped out and the cool temps returned on Monday and Tuesday, carried by another low-pressure system.
According to Californian research, 14 of the first 20 days of June 2023 have featured below-normal temperatures — sometimes well below normal. And if current forecasts hold up, daily high temperatures around 8 to 10 degrees below seasonal normals are on tap through the weekend.
Why is this happening?
"The storm track normally shifts farther north this time of year," Harty said. "But the storm track has remained farther south, so we've had these persistent low-pressure systems coming through.
"It's really helped to mitigate the snowmelt," Harty added, thereby reducing the chances of flooding and other downstream problems caused by too much water too quickly.
"There's still a fair amount of snow up there. It's pretty impressive," Harty said of the southern Sierra Nevada snowpack, which still stands at 41 percent of the April 1 average.
Will these incredible temperatures extend into July?
It's not likely.
While the weather service sticks with a conservative seven-day forecast model, NWS meteorologists do look to the Climate Prediction Center for longer-term trends. And the CPC is saying El Niño conditions are present in the equatorial Pacific and are expected to gradually strengthen.
This warming in the Pacific may affect weather in the valley.
Over the next six to 10 days, the likelihood is for below-normal temperatures. But as we get into July and August, Harty said, temperatures are more likely to climb above normal.
For now, it's all about looking on the bright side.
Overnight lows are dropping into the 50s. And that's worth crowing about.
Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.
