BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — The first 90s of 2026 came to Kern County on Tuesday. Bakersfield set a new record high for the date of 90, breaking the previous record of 88 set back in 2004.
Afternoon readings ranged from the upper 80s to the low 90s across much of the South Valley, with pretty much the same temperatures across the Antelope and Indian Wells Valleys. The Kern River Valley saw 90 right on the shore of Lake Isabella and the mountains ranged from the mid 70s to the mid 80s. By the way, SoCal was absolutely sizzling today, with the official temperature along Highway 101 an actual 101 in the San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills. It was 99 in Long Beach and 97 in downtown Santa Barbara, just blocks from the chilly Pacific Ocean!
As we count down the final days of “winter,” we’ll be counting on the prospects of more record hot temperatures being set in the days ahead.
EVEN HOTTER WEDNESDAY
An anomalously strong ridge of high pressure for this time of year is basically right overhead right now. What is popularly termed a “heat dome” will be with us for the rest of the week, and even into the weekend ahead. Strong sinking air motions within a “dynamic high pressure system” scour out the clouds and heat up the temperatures due to atmospheric compression, since compressed air is hot. As a result, the air is warmed from the top-down and from the bottom-up: a winning combination for a significant heat up.
The highest March temperature that Bakersfield has experienced during the modern period of record is 94, which was scored 3 times on different days of the month. If the number gets higher by just one more than 94, it’ll set a new heat record for the entire month. Records go back to 1893, locally, so for now it’ll be a wait-and-see.
GOOD NEWS FOR THE BAKERSFIELD MARATHON: IT MAY BE “LESS HOT”
As we look ahead to the upcoming weekend, the heat is still expected to be with us through Saturday, but by Sunday, we may actually be back in the 80s. While that is still much warmer than average for the time of year, it’ll at least be cooler than most of this week. Runners and spectators should definitely still practice hot weather safety, as the temperature in the sun can be a lot higher than readings in the shade.
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Chief Meteorologist Ilya Neyman