More dry weather expected to follow Tuesday storm
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The sign at the Minute Serve Dairy on Highway 202 says it all as Tehachapi experiences a very dry winter. A storm is expected to bring rain Tuesday, with the snow level above 5,000 feet, but more dry weather is in the forecast.
Winter, what winter?
The groundhog saw his shadow in Punxsutawney, Penn., last week and according to legend that means we'll have six weeks more of winter, but dry conditions have made many people wonder if Tehachapi will have a winter at all.
In an article posted Sunday, Feb. 5, on the website www.accuweather.com, Senior Meteorologist Pydynowski said that although drought conditions are worsening across California, that a quick shot of rain is on the horizon.
Tehachapi has a 60 percent chance of rain on Tuesday as a long-awaited storm makes its way down through California and into the deserts of Arizona by Wednesday.
The heaviest rain, totaling between .75 and 1.25 inches, is expected to hit the coast with rain dwindling as the storm moves inland.
While flash flooding is not expected, Pydynowski said, residents and travelers should be prepared for disruptions and slick roads as rain mixes with the oil that has been building since the last substantial rain about two weeks ago.
Enough cold air will be in place for the Sierra Nevada to pick up a few inches of snow above 6,000 feet. According to the National Weather Service, the snow level for Tuesday's storm is at 5,000 feet in the Tehachapi area.
The storm is expected to bring windy conditions, with southeast winds 30 to 40 mph and gusts to around 65 mph.
A report from the United States Drought Monitor indicates that drought conditions are worsening across California. According to the report issued last Thursday, nearly 91 percent of California is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, an 8-percent increase from the previous week.
A blocking ridge of high pressure has caused the dry conditions that have made some people wonder if Tehachapi will have a winter this year.
And although a storm is expected early this week, weather experts say more dry, warmer than usual weather will follow.
