Yes, 45 minutes to an hour is a reasonable estimate, it just depends on where in Tehachapi you'll be living and what part of Bakersfield he has to get to as well as the time of day he'll be going.  Bakerfield traffic is consistently getting worse in some areas but it's really not a bad drive.  I actually worry about the fog more than the snow but you just leave a little earlier.  If it does snow enough to make an impact they close the freeway down and he would probably just be delayed for a few hours but this only happens a few times during the winter.  Ridgecrest is farther away, about 1 hour and 15 minutes and it's a very boring drive but less weather concerns.  The freeway did get closed a couple of time this year for wind but this doesn't happen very often. 

One thing you might want to consider before making a decision on living in Tehachapi and working in Bakersfield is the ground fog which can occur, usually, between about Nov 15 and Feb 15. The "tule" fog (or ground fog) can be extremely dense. I have friends that prefer not to drive in it. So, depending on your preferences, if you HAVE to drive everyday, just be prepared for its occurrence. I have seen some years in the past where the fog sets in and it there for days. You wouldn't hit it until driving down the mountain. I just wanted to provide you a heads up on this.

I did that commute for six years and it's easy for all but maybe ten days a year.  The showstoppers are snowstorms on the hill and fog in the valley, but both can usually be gotten through with careful driving.  Some people complain about the trucks laboring up the hill because sometimes auto traffic is slowed while one truck driving at 40 passes another driving at 35.  Take a breath and enjoy the passing scenery.  I like spotting the longhorns among the trees.  In six years I only had one trucker pull out without signalling and I honor their signals by braking and downing my headlights, so they usually get right over when they can and I get a little headlight dip back as a Thank You.  It can be a very civilized commute.

Another thing to consider is how much you will be spending on gas, my husband commutes and we spend on average of 350-500 dollars a month depending on which vehicle we drive. By the way Ridgecrest is about 75 miles from here and takes closer to 1 1/2 hours. Bakersfield is a better commute in my opinion.

Thank you so much for the information. I have another question though. If everything goes well and we do get to move to Tehachapi, what part of Tehachapi would make for the shortest and easiest commute? I would like to stay in the area where I will experience all four seasons. :)

Kristy

You'll experience all four seasons in all areas of Tehachapi...and if you get lucky, all in one day...but obviously the closer you are to the freeway entrance the shorter the commute...in the city proper would be the closest (<5 min to the on-ramp), old town and golden hills are not far (5-15 min), and bear valley and stallion springs are the farthest (25-35 min). Then you add the 45 minutes to get to Bakes (30 if you like driving fast) or more if the weather is bad.