Central Valley's extreme clouds

The unusually long weather pattern is forecast to persist for several more days.

- BY GRACE TOOHEY

Across much of Central California, a band of stubborn clouds has lingered for more than two weeks, bringing unseasonably low temperatures and periods of intense fog — and officials say the stagnant weather pattern is likely to persist.

The low stratus clouds — which appear to stretch from Bakersfield through Chico and west into the Bay Area — continue to create visibility concerns on roadways and could foster a record-cool December, said Carlos Molina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford. Temperatures have remained well below average during these last two weeks, he said, with highs only in the upper 40s for much of the region, about 10 degrees below average for this time of year.

“If we continue to hold on to this pattern for a majority of this month,” Molina said, “it would definitely put us in the record books for how cool we've been this December.”

Already, the low, heavy clouds and fog have stuck around an abnormally long time — 16 days as of Tuesday, by Molina’s count. Forecasts show it could continue through the rest of the week.

“On occasion, when we do get this weather regime across Central California, typically it lasts about a week,” Molina said. So this year’s pattern is “on the extreme side.”

Residents across the region have taken notice.